The idea for this fifth quartet arose after a trip to Perm, in Russia. Whilst there I met the cellist Alexei Zhilin, a member of the David Oistrakh Quartet, and he suggested I write a piece for his group. The project was able to come about through the generosity of the Festival des Forêts, who commissioned me.

The influence of Russian music is easily discernible in this quartet. The piece consists of only one movement, conceived as a trek through the Siberian forest traversed by recollections (the songs of the Buryats, folk dances, orthodox prayers), sometimes with the shadow of Dmitri Shostakovich hovering over it.

Philippe Hersant

Commissioned by Festival des Forêts

Concert date 

6 July 2018, Quatuor Oïstrakh ,  Festival des Forêts, Eglise St-Sulpice, Pierrefonds, France

Website of the composer ➡️ http://www.philippehersant.com/html/fr/agenda.php