Da Camera Presents Italian Themes: Quartetto Di Cremona

Da Camera of Houston launches its 2019-2020 series of intimate concerts at the Menil Collection with Italian Themes, a two-night performance by Quartetto di Cremona on Monday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Founded in and named for Cremona, Italy-a city famed for its musical history, traditions and string instrument creation-the quartet is comprised of Cristiano Gualco, violin; Paolo Andreoli, violin; Simone Gramaglia, viola; and Giovanni Scaglione, cello. Since its creation in 2000, Italy's most prominent string quartet has toured extensively in Europe, the United States, South America and Asia, garnering a reputation as a preeminent quartet of its generation, noted for its lustrous sound, refined musicianship and stylistic versatility.

Quartetto di Cremona's extensive repertoire encompasses key masterworks by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert and essential twentieth century literature by Berg, Schoenberg, Webern, Bartók, Shostakovich and Mauricio Kagel.

The ensemble marks its Houston debut with two distinct but complimentary programs of rarely heard Italian music for string quartet. The program on Monday night will feature String Quartet in C Major, Op. 2, No. 6 by Boccherini; Quartet in E Minor by Verdi; Crisantemi by Puccini; and Quartet in D Major by Respighi. On Tuesday the group will showcase String Quartet No. 1 in G Major, K. 80/73f by Mozart; Quartet in E Minor by Verdi; Italian Serenade by Wolf; and Quartet in D Major by Respighi.

Da Camera's chamber music series continues with A Woman's Life: The Diary of Virginia Woolf on Saturday, Nov. 9, and Mozart and Aucoin: Brentano String Quartet; Hsin-Yun Huang, viola on Friday, Dec. 6.

Tickets for Italian Themes: Quartetto di Cremona are $60 and are available by contacting Da Camera, 1402 Sul Ross, at 713-524-5050 or online at www.dacamera.com. Tickets for students and senior citizens are always half-price. $5 student rush tickets are available 30 minutes before the concert begins.

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