Brussels Muzieque’s string quintet concert features the Huang sisters on 22 January

Two masterpiece string quintets from the early Romantic period are performed by a flight of virtuoso musicians at Full Circle House on 22 January.

Queen Elisabeth Music Competition laureates Sylvie Huang (violin) and Stephanie Huang (cello) are joined by Nadja Nevolovitch (leader 1st violins Brussels Philharmonic), Monika Mlynarczyk (co-principal viola at La Monnaie) and Eduardo Tonietto (cellist and artistic director of Brussels Muzieque).

Together, they perform Schubert’s 1828 String Quintet in C for two violins, viola and two cellos, which was the composer's last instrumental work and considered one of his greatest accomplishments.

Schubert's decision to use a second cello, rather than the usual second viola adds to the overall richness of the piece, contributing a texture that’s richer in the low and mid registers.

His writing for this string quintet is symphonic, revealing touches of ‘orchestration’ that he would have normally assigned to winds and brass in one of his symphonies, thereby revolutionising compositions for strings. Schubert created innovative sounds for small string ensembles, with vast changes of light and colour in the piece, as well as considerable harmonic variation.

Accompanying the fine chamber piece, Brussels Muzieque presents a new original transcript for string quintet of the Allegretto of Beethoven’s Symphony no 7. It was encored at the premiere of the seventh symphony of Beethoven and has remained popular ever since. Artistic director Eduardo Tonietto is responsible for the transcript of this famous orchestral work for the string quintet setting.

This concert has the financial support of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

String quintets
Full Circle House
22 January, 20.00
Chaussée de Vleurgat 89
Ixelles

Photo: Brussels Muzieque concert at Italian Cultural Centre on 11 January. Sorry! Our prize giveaway has now closed and the winners have been notified.