AMA

This program traces the evolution of string writing and the function of each instrument within the ensemble from the 18th century, up to the emergence of the string quartet. The journey begins with the rhetoric of the late Baroque, featuring the virtuosity of Geminiani and Sammartini's concerti grossi for string ensembles. It continues with Alessandro Scarlatti's Sonata a quattro, No. 9, which is considered one of the first works to treat two violins, viola, and cello as a true quartet. Subsequently, the string symphonies and continuo works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach reveal new searches, contrasts, and formal experiments. The journey culminates with a quartet from Haydn's Op. 20, performed by the string orchestra, which embodies the new classical ideal: four independent voices that engage in dialogue on equal terms.