Quartet
by Anthony Ritchie, a chamber opera, Opus 108
Quartet
Quartet is a chamber opera for 4 singers with string quartet, performing on-stage. It can work with or without a conductor.
- YEAR: 2003
- DURATION: 70 minutes
- LIBRETTO: Stuart Hoar
- COMMISSIONED BY: New Zealand International Arts Festival
- INSTRUMENTATION: 2 sopranos, tenor, baritone; string quartet - 2 violins, viola, cello
- LEVEL: 4 | Challenging for professional musicians
Listen to a performance
Programme Note
Quartet is a comic chamber opera, based around the trials and tribulations of a touring string quartet. The action is set on the West Coast of NZ, before moving to the capital, Wellington, for the tour finale. The seven scenes are continuous, and explore the relationships of Penelope and Buddy (New Zealanders), Nadezhda (a moody Russian violinist) and Julian (a new-age American cellist).
The work was commissioned by The International Festival of the Arts for performance in its 2004 festival.