What's On ⇁ 2018 / Part I ⇁ The Edge of Fantasy

Purcell Fantasia Upon One Note
Beethoven “II. Molto Adagio” from Op. 59, No. 2
Janacek String Quartet No. 1, "Kreutzer Sonata"
Gorecki String Quartet No. 2, “Quasi Una Fantasia”, Op. 64

For us, there is always something special about playing string quartets. It’s something about the clarity and purity of the lineup - there are just four voices, and yet you can convey the whole range of human emotion. Unity, conflict, resolution, uncertainty - it’s all there.

The Edge of Fantasy brings together four of Manchester’s best loved chamber musicians. These guys are fond of each other, they’re friends on and off the field, and you can tell. It makes a difference to the playing - there’s an ease that you can sense, even from the audience. That ease becomes doubly important when you’re dealing with music of this intensity.

The show is about different types of fantasies. Janacek’s “Kreutzer Sonata” is based on the novella by Tolstoy, which describes a musical flirtation that leads the protagonists down a very dark path. The Gorecki quartet that we perform winds its way into the depths of Eastern Europe, his signature “sacred minimalist” sound growing into something twisted and powerful. The work is titled “Quasi una Fantasia” - “Almost a Fantasy”.

We wanted to start the year with a show that felt like the very purest expression of what Manchester Collective can be: a visceral live experience for audiences and performers alike, through great music. It’s going to be a hell of a season.

Performances

Sheffield / Thu 25 Jan 2018
The Chimney House

Manchester / Fri 26 Jan 2018
The Stoller Hall

Liverpool / Sat 27 Jan 2018
Invisible Wind Factory

Artists

Rakhi Singh Violin
Caroline Pether Violin
Alex Mitchell Viola
Nick Trygstad Cello