Brahms and the Gypsy

ZRI - Brahms and the Gypsy - "ZRI play with consummate virtuosity, magic and passiom"

ZRI stands for Zum Roten Igel, or ‘To the Red Hedgehog’, the tavern in 19th century Vienna where Schubert and Brahms each went to hear Gypsy and folk music. Beginning with their radical re-scoring of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet to include accordion and santouri (dulcimer), ZRI has developed equally captivating programs which re-imagine Schubert’s great C major quintet, adventure with Charlie Chaplin, and waltz with Schoenberg. The group has performed at major festivals across the UK and abroad and has made critically-acclaimed discs of both the Schubert and Brahms Quintets.ZRI comprises Ben Harlan (clarinet), Matthew Sharp (cello), Max Baillie (violin), Jon Banks (accordion) and Iris Pissaride (santouri).

This evening ZRI perform "Brahms and the Gypsy":

ZRI perform the Brahms Clarinet Quintet re-scored with santouri (Greek island hammer dulcimer) and accordion to bring out the gypsy and Hungarian qualities of this much loved piece of chamber music. This was ZRI’s debut programme and has toured the UK extensively, and has been recorded to critical acclaim.