Chamber music aficionados have a rare opportunity today to experience one of Europe’s finest string quartets performing masterworks spanning three centuries in Pasadena’s acoustically superior Barrett Hall.
The Minetti Quartett, hailing from Vienna, Austria, features Maria Ehmer and Anna Knopp on violin, Milan Milojicic on viola, and Leonhard Roczek on cello. The ensemble has earned critical acclaim for their performances throughout Europe and internationally, bringing their refined Viennese musical tradition to audiences worldwide.
They will present a program of Haydn, Shostakovich, and Schubert at 4:00 p.m. today at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.
Thoughtfully curated, today’s program showcases the quartet’s versatility, from Haydn’s classical elegance to Shostakovich’s intense modernism and Schubert’s lyrical Romanticism.
The Da Camera Society is presenting the performance as part of its ongoing concert series, which focuses on presenting high-caliber chamber music performances in architecturally and historically significant venues throughout the Los Angeles area. The society has a long history of bringing exceptional musical experiences to Southern California audiences.
The concert opens with Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76, No. 2, nicknamed “Fifths” for its distinctive falling perfect fifths motif that opens the first movement. Written in D minor, the piece balances dramatic intensity with elegant simplicity, exploring contrasts between light and shadow through abrupt shifts in mood and texture. Music scholars particularly note the third movement, a canon-like minuet often referred to as the “Witches’ Minuet,” which demonstrates Haydn’s playful yet sophisticated use of counterpoint.
Following Haydn, the quartet will perform Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, the composer’s shortest quartet at approximately 13 minutes. Written in 1960 and dedicated to his late wife Nina, the piece reflects themes of loss and remembrance. Its three movements—Allegretto, Lento, and Allegro—are performed without pause, creating a seamless narrative that juxtaposes nervous energy with dreamlike introspection and violent outbursts before settling into contemplative resignation. The choice of F-sharp minor, a key associated with suffering, underscores the work’s elegiac tone.
The program concludes with Schubert’s String Quartet No. 13, the “Rosamunde,” a hauntingly lyrical work in A minor from 1824. The quartet borrows its nickname from its second movement, which features a theme from Schubert’s incidental music for the play “Rosamunde.” This theme is presented in a simple A-B-A structure with an expressive coda that blends its sections beautifully. Schubert’s use of pianissimo dynamics throughout creates an intimate atmosphere that invites listeners into his delicate musical world.
Barrett Hall, the venue for today’s performance, enhances the experience with its intimate setting and exceptional acoustics. The performance space is housed in a meticulously restored chapel originally designed by Pasadena architect Frederick Kennedy in 1929.
The hall features distinctive Spanish-revival architectural elements and seats approximately 100-110 audience members, creating an immersive concert experience where every musical nuance can be appreciated.
Tickets remain available in all three price categories: $75 for front row reserved seating, $50 for seats in rows 2 and 3, and $35 for general admission.
Tickets can be purchased through the Da Camera Society’s official website (dacamerasociety.org), Eventbrite (search for “Minetti Quartett – Haydn & Schubert”), or Eventsize (under the same listing).
Barrett Hall is located at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, 100 North Hill Avenue, in Pasadena near PCC. The Conservatory campus is a cultural hub in Pasadena, hosting numerous musical events throughout the year.
