Classical Salamanca ~ Villa Lobos & Ginastera

Presented by Salamanca Arts Centre

Welcome to our Classical Salamanca 2025 series, live in the Peacock Theatre.
Salamanca Arts Centre presents four String Quartets: by Hector Villa Lobos, Albert Ginastera, and by Tasmanian composers, Tom Misson and Gary Wain.

Tuesday 7 October 2025
Doors & Bar open at 6:30pm | Music from 7:00pm 

Duration : 120 minutes (includes Interval)

The Peacock Theatre
Salamanca Arts Centre
[ Enter via the main doors at 77 Salamanca Place ]

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In this concert of works by two Brazilian composers; Villa-Lobos and Albert Ginastera, the quartet will also perform the world premiere of a new String Quartet by Tasmanian composer, Tom Misson, as well as ‘Movement for String Quartet’ by Tasmanian composer Gary Wain.

These four works for String Quartet will be performed by an ensemble of some of Tasmania’s best and most highly-regarded musicians, including:
(Violins) Peter Tanfield and Phoebe Masel
(Viola) Damien Holloway, and William Hewer (Vc).

Peter Tanfield

Peter Tanfield was born in England in 1961 and started the violin aged four. He studied in Germany, Israel, Switzerland and Holland.

As soloist Peter has appeared with many major orchestras; the Philharmonia, City of London Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, West German Radio Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra of the RAI in Rome, Scottish Chamber Orchestra. As concertmaster, he has had extensive experience working with BBC Philharmonic, RSO RAI Roma, West German Radio Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

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This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Tickets:
$15+BF (Students up to 18 years of age)
$39+BF (Adults)
$35+BF (Concession card holders)
Further discount offered to SAC Associate members.

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Program Notes:

Villa-Lobos String Quartet No 1

Villa-Lobos’s String Quartet No 1 was written in Fribourgo, 1915.  Or was it? 
The version we hear today is Villa-Lobos’s 1946 re-write of the Suíte Graciosa from 1915.  Though, according to eminent musicologist, Eero Tarasti, that “Musical analysis supports the hypothesis that it really is a work of youth. In the First String Quartet the Brazilianism is manifested rather mildly.  The work is, in fact, a series of small mood pictures (somewhat in the style of Nepomuceno and Levy)” – Tarasti (1995).

The work is in six movements:
1. Cantilena – Andante
2. Brincadeira – Allegretto Scherzando
3. Canto Lirico – Moderato
4. Canconeta – Andantino quasi Allegretto
5. Melancolia – Lento
6. Saltando como um Saci – Allegro 

Tarasti continues, “The potpourri form of the First Quartet refers to the Suite populaire brasileira (for guitar) from the same time.” 

The premiere of SQ#1 was at the Friburgo home of Brazilian composer Homero Barreto.

Ginastera’s String Quartet No 1

Albert Ginastera wrote his First String Quartet in Buenos Aires, during 1948. This work was awarded the “Carlo Lopez Buchardo” prize that same year in the first national competition for composers organised by the Wagnerian Society of Buenos Aires in memory of the Argentine composer Lopez Buchardo. The work was first performed in the Wagnerian Society the following year, and was selected by the International Society for Contemporary Music for its XXVth Festival program in Frankfurt (1951); on that occasion it was performed by the Koechert Quartet.

The work consists of the usual four movements – Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio and Rondo – wherein rhythms of Argentine folk music can still be perceived through a re-creation of an imaginary folklore. “In this Quartet”, said Ginastera, “I find that some characteristics of my own artistic personality materialize for the first time: strong and incisive rhythms, adagios that are anxiety-ridden, lyrical and contemplative and atmospheres that are mysterious, nocturnal and surrealistic”. 

This concert program also includes the World Premiere performance of a new String Quartet by Tasmanian composer, Tom Misson, and ‘Movement for String Quartet’ by Tasmanian composer, Gary Wain.