Album Description

Joseph Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross is one of the most unusual and remarkable compositions of the classical period. Performed here by the brilliant Callino Quartet, the piece exists in four different versions and the edition for string quartet, which has a particular purity and intimacy, is the form in which the music is most often heard today. Suffused with profound sorrow and grief but also with strength and hope, The Seven Last Words is a work so deeply moving and contemplative that it has impassioned listeners in all its forms for over 200 years and was considered by the composer himself to be one of his greatest masterpieces.

The Callino Quartet was formed at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in 1999 and has been delighting audiences ever since with its fresh, enthusiastic interpretations and engaging programmes. The versatility of the quartet has enabled it to cultivate a diverse and challenging repertoire with a thoughtful and historically informed approach to the classical quartet literature as well as develop close collaborations. The quartet has worked with numerous contemporary composers and has received many awards including prizes at the Borciani and Tromp international string quartet competitions. The group has performed in many of the world's best concert halls including Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall. The Callino Quartet’s Sarah Sexton is also the Leader of The Sixteen’s Orchestra.

Presented with funding from the Arts Council Music Recording Scheme, 2013

Artists

Callino Quartet

Track Listing:

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross, Hob.XX/1b
1. Introduzione: Maestoso ed adagio 
2. Sonata I ‘Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt’: Largo 
3. Sonata II ‘Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso’: Grave e cantabile
4. Sonata III ‘Mulier, ecce filius tuus’: Grave
5. Sonata IV ‘Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me?’: Largo
6. Sonata V ‘Sitio’: Adagio
7. Sonata VI ‘Consummatum est’: Lento
8. Sonata VII ‘In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum’: Largo
9. Il terremoto: Presto e con tutta la forza