Britten and Borromeo

With the cutting-edge Borromeo String Quartet,
CCM performs the Sextet from Richard Strauss’s last
completed opera, Capriccio. When the opera opens, the
sextet is heard playing backstage while the characters
discuss the merits of words and music in opera. While
the sextet is just one element in the opera, it also
works as a well-written stand-alone composition.
The Borromeo String Quartet then takes a solo turn to
bring the Quartet No. 2 to life. The work pays homage
to Purcell, one of Britten’s favorite composers. Its
final movement, Chacony, with its repeating bass line,
reveals Britten’s kinship with the Baroque composer.
The closing Brahms String Sextet No. 1, full of rich
textures and varying characters, complements the
Strauss and Britten in personality and character.