MacMillan, James: Why is this night different?

String quartet no 2

This, MacMillan's second string quartet was commissioned in 1998 by the Maggini Quartet. The work's title is taken from the Jewish rite of commemoration on the Seder Night, which is that before Pesach (Passover) begins. Here the family celebrates the flight of the Children of Israel from Egypt. The youngest asks 'why is this night different from all other nights?' before the father relates the tale of flight and liberation from slavery. The drama of the story, the centrally important figure of the child in the ritual, the closeness between elation and despair and between joy and fear together suggested the archetypes which lie behind MacMillan's musical interests. They provided the initial spark of inspiration for this piece. The work is cast in a single span comprising several contrasted sections.