Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre
Barton & Brodksy
Ancient strings, living spirit.
Witness musical history as chamber music masters the Brodsky Quartet meet master yidaki artist William Barton to create a performance that revolutionises the idea of what a string quartet can become.
In this profound musical dialogue between traditions, baroque precision meets ancient breath; European chamber music encounters First Nations wisdom.
Barton's yidaki doesn't merely accompany the Brodsky's pristine strings, it converses with them, in sonic dialogue spanning millennia. From Henry Purcell's baroque geometries to Peter Sculthorpe's dreamtime landscapes. From Leoš Janáček's intimate confessions to new works born from Australia's burning heart, this program traces an extraordinary arc through time and culture.
Music's deepest truths emerge when profound traditions meet as equals. Together, the Brodsky Quartet and William Barton conjure moments of startling beauty where the ancient breath of the yidaki weaves through Stravinsky's modernist fragments, and where Andrew Ford's Eden Ablaze emerges like smoke from a burning continent.
With the Brodsky’s 50-year legacy and legendary precision and Barton’s pioneering talents, this is your chance to experience Australia's musical soul in conversation and self-reflection, from past to present.
Duration: 2 hours 30 mins (incl. interval). Please note, running times are approximate and subject to change.
This concert is on sale now as part of our Heritage to Horizon 2026 Season.
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Single Tickets (on sale Monday 6 October)
Premium $139
A Reserve $119 ($99 Concession)
B Reserve $99 ($79 Concession)
C Reserve $79
Under 40s
B & C Reserve $49
A Transaction Fee between $4 and $8.50 applies to orders made online and by phone. Delivery Fees may also apply.
A ticket limit of six is in place online to ensure fair ticket access for all. Want to bring a bigger party? Call our Box Office during business hours on (03) 9699 3333 to book.
Artists
Brodsky Quartet
Krysia Osostowicz violin
Ian Belton violin
Paul Cassidy viola
Jacqueline Thomas cello
William Barton didgeridoo
Program
Henry Purcell
Fantasia upon One Note in Three Parts Z.731
Henry Purcell
Fantasia in D minor, Z.739
Peter Sculthorpe
String Quartet No.11, Jabiru Dreaming
Robert Davidson
Minjerribah
Leoš Janáček
String Quartet No.2, Intimate Letters
Igor Stravinsky
Three Pieces for String Quartet
Salina Fisher
Tōrino
Andrew Ford
String Quartet No.7, Eden Ablaze
Traditional
She moved through the fair
William Barton
Square Circles Beneath the Red Desert Sand
Accessibility
