Kaija Saariaho; Dmitri Shostakovich - Terra Memoria (Dudok Quartet Amsterdam)

Information

Composer: Kaija Saariaho; Dmitri Shostakovich

• Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73
• Saariaho - Terra Memoria for String Quartet (2007)
• Shostakovich - 24 Preludes, Op. 34 (arr. Judith van Driel & David Faber)

Dudok Quartet Amsterdam

    Judith van Driel, violin

    Marleen Wester, violin

    Marie-Louise de Jong, viola

    David Faber, cello

Date: 2025

Label: Rubicon

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Dudok Quartet Amsterdam expands its catalogue with a new recording featuring works by Dmitri Shostakovich and Kaija Saariaho. Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3, once subtitled with wartime references like “blithe ignorance of the future cataclysm,” reveals his characteristic mix of irony, darkness, and passion. Although he later withdrew the titles—perhaps to avoid Soviet scrutiny—the work remains a powerful and deeply expressive statement. Saariaho’s Terra Memoria, dedicated “for those departed,” reflects on remembrance and loss, capturing the persistence of memories and emotional echoes of those no longer living. Together, the pieces form a poignant dialogue between history, memory, and human emotion.

Founded in 2009 and named after Dutch architect Willem Dudok, the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam is a renowned Dutch string quartet known for its versatility and artistry. The members met while touring with the Ricciotti Ensemble and later trained together under the Alban Berg Quartet in Cologne and at the Dutch String Quartet Academy. Between 2011 and 2013, they earned multiple international awards, including the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award (2018). The ensemble has performed across Europe, the United States, Australia, and Asia, collaborating with leading musicians. Their acclaimed recordings on Resonus Classics and Rubicon Classics feature works by Ligeti, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky.

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