John Luther Adams transforms string instruments into an aeolian harp, evoking vast, windswept landscapes. Debussy, by contrast, captures snow in quick, darting motion, while Amy Beach paints the Arctic in deep, resonant hues. Scriabin’s Vers la flamme unfolds from a single rising idea, gradually intensifying until it reaches an incandescent climax. Grieg’s First String Quartet brings the programme to a close with folk-inflected themes and an energetic rhythmic drive across its four movements.

Adams The Wind in High Places

Debussy The Snow Is Dancing

Beach Arctic Night, Op.64

Scriabin Vers la flamme, Op.72

Grieg String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27