Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, arranged for string quartet

The Liverpool String Quartet continues its season of concerts at the Nordic Church with a concert dedicated to the great Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires are a set of four tango compositions which were originally conceived and treated as different compositions rather than one suite, although Piazzolla performed them together from time to time.

Also in the concert is La Oracion del Torero (the Bullfighter's Prayer) by Spanish composer Joaquin Turina. This was composed while Turina was studying in the Paris Conservatiore, and the first piece in which he truly represented traditional Spanish music, after taking the advice of fellow Spanish composers Manuel de Falla and Albeniz to be more nationalistic. It was originally written for four lutes, but the String Quartet version, which he wrote at later stage, has become the more popular.

The Quartet will also play Merseyside composer Ian Stephens's Dances Overheard. It was comissioned and written in 2004, to celebrate the 70th birthday of amateur violinist Peter Banks. The piece features three of Peter's favourite British dance tunes, Northdown Waltz, Dick's Maggot and Haste to the Wedding.