| Commissioned | Stift Festival 2018 |
| Publisher | Gehrmans Musikförlag |
| Opus Number | 61 |
| Category | Chamber Music |
| Year | 2018 |
| Duration | 15 min |
| Instrumentation | violin, violin, viola, cello |
Program note
My second string quartet “Letters” op.61 is a commission by Daniel Rowland and the Stift Festival 2018 in the Netherlands, and it is dedicated to the Brodsky Quartet. The theme for the Stift Festival of 2018 is words and letters and I was asked if I could compose something on this theme. I got to know that Janacek’s second string quartet “Intimate Letters” was going to be played by the Brodsky Quartet in one concert, so I decided to explore the possibility of writing a commentary piece to his quartet and his letters. My second string quartet “Letters” is inspired by the letters Leos Janacek wrote to his beloved Kamila. I have tried to describe the emotions and words he puts in to his letters; heaven, hope, fear, fire and much more, with my own music.
Letters – Listen on Youtube
Reviews
Damström succeeds in a creative way to combine the string quartet with the melodrama. In her customary fruitful manner, Damström contrasts expressive and meditative elements and enriches the tonal fundament with various textures of a more modernistic nature in a personal way. — Above all, the far from easily played music by Damström, with its skillfully interwoven Janácek quotations, made a vivid impression in the sometimes gaudy changes between delicately vibrating and fiercely cutting passages.
Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet 17 June 2019
The Elia Quartet’s highly intense interpretation of the music, filled with many surprises and technical challenges, was so fulfilling it left no left nothing to be desired. The nearly impossible increase in tremendous expressiveness was ultimately achieved with “Letters” by the contemporary Finnish composer Cecilia Damström. Her composition, created in 2018, directly references Janácek’s “Intimate Letters” and wraps certain motifs from with a modern sonority. Very surprising and effective were melodramatically incorporated quotations from Janácek’s letters in German translation.
Rainer Böttcher, Waldeckische Landeszeitung 6 September 2023
Performances
2018 August 29th World Premiere at the Stift Festival – More info
2019 June 15th – Finnish premiere at Musik vid Havet – More info
2019 August 3rd at Kokonainen Festival – More info
2019 August 11th at Temppeliaukio Church – More info
2019 August 23rd and 24th at the Tampering Festival – More info
2021 November 4th at Kauniaisten musiikkijuhlat – More info
2023 June 6th German Premiere – More info
2023 July 30th at Korsholm Music Festival – More info
2023 August 28th Estonian Premiere – More info
2023 September 3rd Elaia Quartet in Bad Arolsen – More info
2023 September 24th Elaia Quartet in Rathaus Leck – More info
2023 September 29th Elaia Quartet in Wesel – More info
2023 October 19th Elaia Quartet in Bremervörde – More info
2023 November 5th Elaia Quartet in Schwäbisch Hall – More info
2024 January 6th Elaia Quartet in Balingen – More info
2024 March 19th Elaia Quartet in Edenkoben – More info
2024 April 21st Elaia Quartet in Sennestadt – More info
2024 May 5th Elaia Quartet in Stralsund – More info
2024 June 2nd Elaia Quartet in Braunschweig – More info