Divertimento String Quartet concert | March 1st 2026

4pm on Sunday the 1st of March at the Methodist Church in Fore Street, Topsham. The programme is:-

J P Rameau – Chaconne from Castor & Pollux Suite

Fritz Kreisler – String Quartet

Robert Schumann – String Quartet in A, Op 41 no 3

Rameau’s Chaconne from Castor et Pollux is from his opera where characters wrestle with fate, love, and moral dilemmas. Rameau’s music elevates these conflicts into a realm of expressive sophistication, making this opera a cornerstone of 18th-century French music.

 Although overshadowed by Kreisler’s fame as a virtuoso and his popular salon pieces, his string quartet is a substantial and rewarding work. It combines melodic charm with structural sophistication, offering performers and listeners a glimpse of Kreisler’s depth as a composer beyond the encore repertoire.

Schumann’s String Quartet in A was composed in 1842, which was known as Schumann’s “chamber music year,” during which he composed three string quartets, a piano quartet, and the celebrated piano quintet. After years devoted to piano works and songs, Schumann immersed himself in the quartets of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, determined to master the genre. The Op. 41 quartets were written in just five weeks and dedicated to Felix Mendelssohn.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you at the concert

Tickets £20, students £10 under 18s free, from the Topsham Bookshop and in advance from enquiries@divertimento.uk.com 01803 863677 and at the door