A Spanish string sensation
28.06.07
The irish times
String quartet the Cuarteto Casals are breaking the Spanish musical mould in more ways than one, writes Michael Dervan .
It's all got a kind of familiar ring to it. A group of musicians form a string quartet while they're still at college. After a few years they start winning top prizes at international competitions. Their career takes off. They get a recording contract, good reviews, and the major international engagements start rolling in.
However, in the case of Barcelona-based string quartet the Cuarteto Casals, who are coming to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, this is actually a most unusual story. Spain has not exactly been renowned for its string quartets, its string players, or even for the quality of its music-education system. …
