Introspective Odyssey

Follow three composers on a journey through early 20th-century Europe, reflecting on various experiences including the life of a student, the rush of bullfighting, and the folklore of Scandinavia on the debut Navona Records release by the Skyros Quartet, INTROSPECTIVE ODYSSEY. Consisting of Sarah Pizzichemi, violin; James Moat, violin; Justin Kurys, viola; and William Braun, cello; the quartet presents works by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Joaquín Turina (1882-1949), and Jean Sibelius (1865-1957).

Written while he was a student, the Three Divertimenti by Britten creates a dazzling and witty display of youthful enthusiasm. Weaving a narrative tone poem set in Spain, Turina presents an exotic showpiece in La Oración del Torero (The Prayer of the Bullfighter), with a distinct flamenco flair through the idiom of French post-impressionism. Subtitled “Voces Intimae” (“Intimate Voices”), Sibelius wrote these words on the manuscript over three dark and hushed chords in the third movement, marking the center of String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56. The composer combines post-romanticism, 20th-century modernism, and Scandinavian folksongs influenced by the Kalevala, the national epic poem of Karelia and Finland. The captivating and emotive interpretations by the Skyros Quartet show them as a versatile, fastidious, and passionate group, versed in performing a number of musical styles and traditions.