Video trailer for A Viennese Quartet Party
Michael Kelly penning his Reminiscences
The 18th century singer, composer and impresario Michael Kelly’s book of Reminiscences is a page turner; the kind of continuous stream of lively anecdotes that might be provided by a exceptionally entertaining dinner guest. Accuracy was not necessarily Kelly’s forte but the picture he paints of late 18th century Vienna is nevertheless vivid and convincing. In particular we are fortunate to have his account of the string quartet party he attended in 1784, when Haydn, Mozart, Dittersdorf and Vanhal played quartets together.
The Revolutionary Drawing Room’s Viennese Quartet Party presents the music of the four composers in the context of Kelly’s irrepressibly garrulous narrative performed by Zeb Soanes as Michael Kelly.
The Revolutionary Drawing Room players:
Adrian Butterfield
Kathryn Parry
Rachel Stott
Ruth Alford
A Viennese Quartet Party:
Haydn: String Quartet in G major Op.33 No.5
Dittersdorf: Quartet No.6 in A Major
Vanhal: Quartet in Eb Major
Mozart: String Quartet in Bb major K458 ("Hunt")
Tickets £15/£10