Podcasts about beethoven string quartet

Inside The Music explores works of composers Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven following the connection between the two. Join Derek Delaney, Artistic Director of Capital Region Classical, as he explores the path from Haydn to Beethoven through live CRC performances by the Jupiter and Brentano quartets featuring an interview with Misha Amory, violist of the Brentano Quartet.Haydn: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 77, No. 2Allegro moderatoAndanteJupiter Quartet [10/2/2008]Beethoven: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1Allegro con brioAdagio affettuoso ed appassionatoBrentano Quartet [1/24/2010]Featuring an interview with Misha Amory, violist of the Brentano QuartetDive deeper into this episode's repertoire by heading to our YouTube channel for a discussion with some of our audience members about the program.Follow us to stay up to date on the latest from Capital Region Classical including concerts, events, and new episodes of Inside the Music:WebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTube© Capital Region Classical

In 1806, the 36 year old Beethoven received a commission from the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Razumovsky. Razumovsky wanted a set of string quartets for what would soon be his house string quartet which included some of the finest players Vienna had to offer. As part of his commission, Razumovsky asked Beethoven to include a Russian theme in each one of the quartets. Beethoven obliged him in 2 of the quartets, and the Razumovsky quartets, Op. 59 1, 2, and 3, were born. 1806 was near the height of Beethoven's astonishing so called Middle Period, where the scale of his music drastically expanded from his earlier works and he began writing in a so called heroic style, with much more brash and adventurous music. This all started in 1803 with his Eroica Symphony, but Beethoven did not limit his adventures and his expanding palate to his symphonies. Everything with Beethoven's music was expanding, including his string quartets.  These middle quartets form part of the core of most string quartets repertoires. They are astonishing works in every regard, where Beethoven starts pushing limits we didn't even, or maybe he didn't even, know he had. From the expansive 59, 1, to the intensely felt and taut 59, 2, to the often fun loving 59, 3, Beethoven explores every facet of string quartet playing and brings that heroic and passionate new style to the genre of the string quartet. For today, we're going to go through Op. 59, 1, a remarkably expansive and brilliant piece that explores every facet of string quartet playing, pushing quartets to their technical and emotional limits in ways that were absolutely shocking at the time and still unbelievably challenging today. If you come to this show for symphonies, that's great, but for me and many other musicians, Beethoven's string quartets are the greatest collection of pieces by any composer in any genre. I hope that today's exploration will help convince you of that! Join us!

Artistic Director Steven Isserlis introduces Open Chamber Music, one of IMS Prussia Cove's biannual seminars. Open Chamber Music began in 1976, four years after the Masterclasses, when founder Sándor Végh invited some of the students to stay on and play chamber music with him. It has since grown into a three-week seminar taking place every September, with more than 120 musicians rehearsing and performing over 60 works of chamber music together, in ensembles that combine younger musicians with more experienced performers. Artistic Director: Steven Isserlis  @StevenIsserlis Contributors in order of appearance: Stuart Arrandale Tim Crawford Jenna Sherry Tim Boulton Patrick Bailey Millie Ashton Laura MacDonald Susanna Patterson Helena Winkelman Amy Harman Alice Neary Erich Höbarth Melissa Phelps Tom Poster Alec Frank-Gemmell Narrator: Samuel West @exitthelemming Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg Music in order of appearance: Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh. Beethoven String Quartet in F major Op.135 Musicians: Daniel Phillips, David Adams, violin; Thomas Riebl, viola; Jeong Hyoun Christine Lee, cello Recorded OCM 2016, Friday 23 September, Richard Lander School in Truro Leoš Janáček String Quartet No. 1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata' Musicians: Maria Włoszczowska violin; Tim Crawford violin; Clare Finnimore viola; Tim Posner cello. Recorded OCM 2021, Saturday 25 September, St Michael's Mount, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Divertimento for String Trio in E Flat, K.563 Musicians: Maria Wloszczowska violin; Blythe Teh-Engstroem viola; Steven Isserlis cello Recorded OCM 2021, Saturday 25 September, St Michael's Mount ‘Chicken on a Fence Post' played by school children participating in the outreach workshops, alongside IMS musicians Lesley Hatfield, Millie Ashton, violins; Tim Boulton, violin; Laura MacDonald, cello Shostakovich String Quartet No.8 Musicians: Lesley Hatfield, Millie Ashton, violins; Tim Boulton, violin; Laura MacDonald, cello Helena Winkelman, Gott-Fa for Bassoon and String Quartet Musicians: Helena Winkelman, Tim Crawford, violin; Georgia Russell, viola; Tim Posner, cello;  Amy Harman, bassoon Recorded OCM 2021, during rehearsal Schumann Piano Trio in D minor Musicians: Barbara Doll, violin; Alice Neary, cello; Anton Kernjak, piano Recorded OCM 2022 Sunday 25th September, Princess Pavilion Falmouth, Reger String Sextet Musicians: Erich Höbarth, Corey Cerovsek, violin; Thomas Riebl, Celia Libertad Elíaz, viola; Christoph Richter, Natania Hoffman, cello Recorded OCM 2022, Sunday 25th September, Princess Pavillion Falmouth, Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) Musicians: Alessandro Ruisi, Larissa Cidlinsky, violin, Garfield Jackson, Anna Puig Torne, viola, Laura MacDonald, Bas Jongen, cello Recorded OCM 2023, Saturday 30th September – Trelowarren Chapel Bacewicz, Piano Quintet Musicians: Jackie Shave, Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin; Celia Libertad Eliaz, viola; Sam de Caprio, cello; Tom Poster, piano Recorded OCM 2022, Friday 23 September, St John's Hall Penzance. Johannes Brahms, Horn Trio in E Flat Op 40 Musicians: Arisa Fujita, violin; Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn; Alasdair Beatson, piano Recorded OCM Tour 2021, Thursday 1 October, Wigmore Hall, London Special thanks to Capriccio for the use of the recording of the Brahms Op.111 played by the Salzburg Camerata, conducted by Sándor Végh. Cover Artwork: Bananadesign Ltd Follow us on Instagram @ims_pc X @ims_pc www.i-m-s.org.uk

If you joined me last week, you heard about the severe intestinal illness that Beethoven suffered from during the year of 1825.  Beethoven thought that he was near death; he was spitting up blood, in terrible pain, and regularly begged his doctor for help.  Ensconced in Baden, a Viennese suburb known for its nature and calm, Beethoven slowly and miraculously recovered from the illness, giving him 2 more years to compose.  These two years brought us the quartets Op. 130 Op. 131, Op. 135, a series of canons, sketches for a 10th symphony. and of course, Op. 132.   Obviously, even as he suffered from this illness, Beethoven knew that he had much more in him left to compose.  The 4 quartets he wrote upon recovery from this illness ALL rank in the top 10 of the greatest musical compositions ever written by anyone.  During the slow movement of Op. 132, Beethoven takes the opportunity to thank the Deity, who or whatever that was to Beethoven, for his recovery.  This 15-20 minute movement is, as I said last week, beyond superlatives, but I'll do my best to quell my enthusiasm and look at this movements structure, its fascinating harmonic language, and of course, its spiritual dimension.  We'll then take apart the final two movements of the piece, two movements that teach us so much about Beethoven as a composer, as a person, and as a performer.  No piece of Beethoven's struggles for so long before finally reaching a glorious conclusion, but don't worry, we'll get there in the end. Join us to explore part 2 of one of the greatest masterpieces of music ever written!

I had long hesitated to write a show about any of Beethoven's late string quartets.  These are pieces that professional quartets spend the better part of their careers grappling with, struggling with, failing with, and much more rarely, succeeding with.  They are some of the most extraordinary pieces of art ever conceived of.  5 quartets, Opus 127, Opus 130, Opus 131, Opus 132, and Opus 135, all written near or at the end of Beethoven's life, arguably representing the pinnacle of everything Beethoven achieved. They explore not only every conceivable emotion, but they dig down into the core of those emotions, defiantly refusing to skim the surface and daring to ask and then answer the fundamental questions of life and death.  Everyone has a favorite Late Beethoven Quartet, but mine has always been Opus 132, and so this week I'm taking the opportunity to take the leap into Late Beethoven.  We'll discuss Beethoven's situation as he recovered from a life-threatening illness which he was sure was going to be his end, the unusual 5 movement structure of the piece, and this week, the first two movements of the quartet, the first of which, to me, defines everything that Sonata Form can do to express emotion and a narrative in a piece of absolute music. Join us!

Mozart, Beethoven & Mas presents the first of the 16 string quartets composed by Beethoven following the classical style of Haydn & Mozart.

Domenic Salerni of the Attacca Quartet joins us to chat about what it means to "live in the present…without rejecting the virtues of the past" and how the ensemble approaches breathes new life into traditional projects. We discuss the ins and outs of artist management, and how the ensemble approaches commissions. And, Domenic shares how the quartet searches for a recording label and how up-and-coming artists can develop the skills needed for the recording process. Grammy award-winning Attacca Quartet, as described by The Nation, “lives in the present aesthetically, without rejecting the virtues of the musical past”, and it is this dexterity to glide between the music of the 18th through to 21st century living composer's repertoire that has placed them as one of the most versatile and outstanding ensembles of the moment – a quartet for modern times. Touring extensively in the United States, recent and upcoming highlights include Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts, New York Philharmonic's Nightcap series, Lincoln Center White Lights Festival and Miller Theatre, both with Caroline Shaw, Phillips Collection, Wolf Trap, Carolina Performing Arts, Chamber Music Detroit, Red Bank Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Austin and a residency at the National Sawdust, Brooklyn. They recently performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, where they will return in 2020 and have performed a series of Beethoven String Quartet cycles both at the historic University at Buffalo's Slee Beethoven Quartet Cycle series and at the New York and Trinity Lutheran Church, Manhattan, where they have a longstanding partnership. The upcoming season will see them debuting at the Trinity Church at Wall Street as part as their 12 Night Festival where they will perform the complete cycle of the Beethoven String Quartets. Attacca Quartet has also served as Juilliard's Graduate Resident String Quartet, the Quartet in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Ensemble-in-Residence at the School of Music at Texas State University. The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about eighth blackbird, please visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Synopsis When your instrument is nicknamed “the burping bedpost,” it's hard to get respect in refined circles. So it's understandable that the bassoon section of, say, a major London orchestra might indulge in a bit of day-dreaming in which a gang of hot-rodding motorcycling bassoonists blow into town and take over a concert hall. And guess what? That is EXACTLY the scenario of a piece written for Britain's Philharmonia Orchestra by the American composer Michael Daughtery. “Hell's Angels” is a concerto for bassoon quartet that received its premiere in London on today's date in 1999, with Daughtery commenting: “I find the bassoon to be an instrument with great expressive and timbral possibilities, ranging from low and raucous rumbling to plaintive high intensity.” Daugherty often takes inspiration from icons of American pop culture, so it's not surprising that he should choose “Hell's Angels” for inspiration. After all, he writes: “the bassoon is similar in size and shape to the drag pipes found on Harley Davidson motorcycles … When the noise-curbing mufflers are illegally removed from the drag pipes, they create a deafening roar. I have removed the traditional mufflers on the bassoon repertoire in order to compose [my] concerto for bassoon quartet and orchestra. Music Played in Today's Program Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) — Hell's Angels (Oregon Symphony; James DePreist, cond.) Delos 3291 On This Day Births 1834 - German composer, pianist and organist Julius Ruebke, in Hausneindorf, near Quedlinburg; 1878 - Austrian composer Franz Schrecker, in Monaco; 1895 - French-born American composer, painter and mystical philosopher Dane Rudhyar, in Paris; Premieres 1731 - Bach: "St. Mark Passion" (S. 247, now lost) performed in Leipzig at Vespers on Good Friday; 1748 - Handel: oratorio "Alexander Balus" in London at the Covent Garden Theater; The event possibly included the premiere of Handel's "Concerto a due cori" No. 1 as well (Gregorian date: April 3); 1783 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 13 and final version of Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner"), at the Vienna Burgtheater, with composer as piano soloist and conductor; An earlier version of the symphony was performed in Salzburg at private concerts arranged by the wealthy Haffner family in the summer of 1782; 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise"), conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1828 - Beethoven: String Quartet in F, Op. 135 (posthumously, and almost one year to the day after the composer's death on March 26, 1827), in Vienna, by the Schuppanzigh Quartet; 1886 - Tchaikovsky: "Manfred" Symphony (after Byron), in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 11); 1912 - Gliere: Symphony No. 3 ("Ilya Murometz") in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 10); 1917 - Bloch: "Trois poèmes juifs" (Three Jewish Poems), in Boston, with the composer conducting; 1923 - de Falla: opera "El retrablo de maese Pedro" (Master Peter's Puppet Show) (concert version), in Seville at the Teatro San Fernando; 1935 - Barber: "Music for a Scene from Shelley," by the New York Philharmonic; 1939 - Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg conducting and Zoltán Székely as the soloist; A live recording of this premiere performance has been issued on both LP and CD; 1944 - Cowell: "Hymn and Fuguing Tune" No. 2 for strings, in New York on a WEAF radio broadcast featuring Henri Nosco and his Concert Orchestra; The first concert hall performance took place at Town Hall in New York on October 8, 1944, with the Daniel Saidenburg Little Symphony; 1945 - Copland (and 9 other composers): "Variations on a Theme by Eugene Goosens," by the Cincinnati Symphony; 1946 - Marc Blitzstein: "Airbourne Symphony," in New York City; 1962 - Irving Fine: "Symphony 1962" by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting; 1969 - Gene Gutchë: "Genghis Khan," by American Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1999 - James MacMillan: "Cumnock Fair" for piano and strings, at Cumnock Academy by members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Others 1703 - Antonio Vivaldi becomes a Roman Catholic priest at age 25; 1721 - Handel completes the composition of Act 3 of "Muzio Scevola," as part of a "competition" arranged by the directors of the Royal Academy of Music to settle the rivalry between their three house composers (Filippo Amadei composed Act 1, Giovanni Bononcinni Act 2, and Handel Act 3); Handel was deemed the victor in this "contest" (Gregorian date: April 3); 1729 - J.S. Bach visits Coethen to perform funeral music for his former employer, Prince Leopold; 1743 - London premiere of what is billed as "A New Sacred Oratorio" by Handel(Gregorian date: April 3); This was his "Messiah" which had its first performance in Dublin the previous year; Links and Resources On Michael Daugherty

Synopsis On today's date in the year 2000, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen gave the premiere of a new opera entitled “The Handmaid's Tale,” based on the dystopian novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. The book and opera tell of a nightmarish future: following a nuclear disaster in the United States, infertility rates have soared, and a religious sect has staged a military coup, enslaving the few fertile women who remain as breeders, or “handmaids,” for the military and religious commanders of their sect. Says Atwood, "There is nothing new about the society I depicted in The Handmaid's Tale except the time and place. All of the things I have written about have been done before – more than once, in fact." Despite its grim subject matter, Danish composer Poul Ruders says he saw "huge operatic potential" when he first read the book back in 1992. The original production in Copenhagen was sung in Danish, but Ruders says he conceived the work in English. The opera was staged in that language first in London at the English National Opera, and subsequently, at the opera's American premiere, in St. Paul by The Minnesota Opera, to great critical acclaim. Music Played in Today's Program Poul Ruders (b. 1949) — The Handmaid's Tale (Royal Danish Orchestra; Michael Schonwandt, cond.) DaCapo 9.224165-66 On This Day Births 1844 - Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Gregorian date: Mar. 18); 1870 - Austrian operetta composer Oscar Straus, in Vienna; Deaths 1932 - American composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa, age 77, in Reading, Pa.; 1967 - Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, age 84, in Budapest; Premieres 1791 - Beethoven: "Ritterballett" (Knightly Ballet), in Bonn; 1825 - Beethoven: String Quartet in Eb, Op. 127, in Vienna, the Schuppanzigh Quartet; This premiere was under-rehearsed and poorly performed (the Quartet had only received the music two weeks earlier), and Beethoven arranged for a second performance by a quartet led by violinist Joseph Boehm on March 26, which was better rehearsed and better received; 1831 - Bellini: opera "La Sonnambula" (The Sleepwalker), in Milan at the Teatro Carcano; 1853 - Verdi: opera "La Traviata" (The Lost One), in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice; 1896 - Arthur Foote: Suite in d, by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting; 1917 - Rachmaninoff: "Etudes-tableaux," Op. 39 (first complete performance of the set of nine), in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), by the composer (Julian date: Feb. 21); 1926 - Hindemith: "Concerto for Orchestra," by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1927 - Prokofiev: Quintet for winds and strings, Op. 39, in Moscow; 1933 - Varèse: "Ionisation," in New York City, with Nicholas Slonimsky conducting; 1934 - Piston: "Concerto for Orchestra," in Cambridge, Mass.; 1947 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 25, at the Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony, Alexander Gauk conducting; 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Raft," by the New Haven Symphony, Murray Sidlin conducting; 2000 - Poul Ruders: opera "The Handmaid's Tale," in Copenhagen, by the Royal Danish Theater, Mark Schönwandt conducting; 2003 - John Harbison: "Requiem," by vocal soloists Christine Brewer, Margaret Lattimore, Paul Groves, and Jonathan Lemalu, with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and the Boston Symphony conducted by Bernard Haitink. Links and Resources On Poul Ruders More on "The Handmaid's Tale"

Ludwig van Beethoven String quartet n°12 op.127 I. Maestoso - Allegro teneramente II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile III. Scherzando vivace IV. Finale The Budapest String Quartet (Joseph Roisman - Jac Gorodetzky - Boris Kroyt - Mischa Schneider) Studio recording, 5-9.V.1952

This week we're diving into one of the great movements ever written in Western Music with the slow movement of Beethoven's Op. 132 quartet. This is a movement that explores Beethoven's contradictory religious beliefs, his core optimism despite all that happened to him during his life, and his fascination with religious music. We'll then look at how Beethoven concludes this epic piece, using sketches of music that started out as being part of his 9th symphony, but not in the way you might expect. Enjoy!

I’ve long hesitated to write a show about any of Beethoven’s late string quartets.  These are pieces that quartets spend the better part of their careers grappling with, struggling with, failing with, and much more rarely, succeeding with.  They are some of the most extraordinary pieces of art ever conceived of.  5 quartets, Opus 127, Opus 130, Opus 131, Opus 132, and Opus 135 - all written near or at the end of Beethoven’s life, these pieces represent the pinnacle of everything Beethoven achieved, yes, even far beyond his symphonies in this conductors opinion.  They explore not only every conceivable emotion, but they dig down into the core of those emotions, defiantly refusing to skim the surface and daring to ask and THEN ANSWER the fundamental questions of life and death.  Everyone has a favorite Late Beethoven Quartet, but mine has always been Opus 132, and so this week I’m taking the opportunity of getting a Patreon sponsor request from Maria for a piece of chamber music to take the leap myself into Late Beethoven.  We’ll discuss Beethoven’s situation as he recovered from a life-threatening illness which he was sure was going to be his end, the unusual 5 movement structure of the piece, and this week, the first two movements of the quartet, the first of which, to me, defines everything that Sonata Form can do to express emotion and a narrative in a piece of absolute music.

Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 29 Harbison: Piano Trio No. 3 Dvorak: Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor For more information about this year's festival, please visit: https://www.lamusicafestival.org/

In Ep. 12 - "The Will to Power" we will explore Beethoven's life between the years 1787 and 1792. During these years, Beethoven will overcome personal and professional obstacles so that he might make his way back to Vienna, and pursue his dreams of becoming a virtuoso composer once more. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App!  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A complete bibliography for all episodes can be found on my website: www.kevinnordstrom.com Music in this episode: - Beethoven String Quartet op. 18 no. 4 in C minor mvt. 1 (development to end) (Pascal String Quartet) - Tchaikovsky 1812 overture... - Haydn - 'Surprise' Symphony no. 94 in G major mvt. 2 - Beethoven - 'Waldstein' Sonata for Piano op. 53 mvt. 1 (Schnabel) - Beethoven - String Quartet op. 18 no. 4 in C minor mvt. 4 (Pascal String Quartet) Found on - https://archive.org All material is meant for educational purposes only.

In Ep. 10 - The Life Of Ludwig van Beethoven, pt. 2 - 'The Dreams Of My Father' we will explore the character of Beethoven's father, Johann, and his impact upon his son's early life. ---------------- For all things GCP Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! The App!  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-great-composers-the-gcp/id1465809545?fbclid=IwAR0tQTElluT8I3jn6SYFcQst70IY0Ym52LjEz1Z3DR11oq5ZGDLV_URNyHk&ls=1 Like our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ A complete bibliography for all episodes can be found on my website: www.kevinnordstrom.com Introductory poem 'When We Two Parted' by Lord Byron -Music- 1. and 4. Beethoven String Quartet no. 7 mvt. 3 and 4 performed by the Pascal Quartet. 2. Beginning of Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona 3. CPE Bach Variazioni Sulla Follia di Espagna performed by Stefano Ligoratti on piano: https://musopen.org/music/3162/carl-philipp-emanuel-bach/12-variations-on-follies-of-spain-h-263/

Work for string quartet by Beethoven performed by Belcea Quartet on November 4, 2012.Beethoven: String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132In April of 1825, Beethoven became seriously ill. Bedridden, and in declining health, he feared his end might be near. As his health worsened, he wrote many of his so-called “Late Quartets” – his incredible final contributions to the art of the string quartet.But as the weeks passed, Beethoven made a remarkable recovery. The piece we’ll hear today—his fifteenth string quartet—celebrates his return to health.The piece’s center—emotionally, musically, and structurally—is the third of its five movements. The movement is subtitled, “Heiliger Dankgesang,” or in full: “A holy song of thanks to the divine, from one who has been healed.” The movement begins with chorale-like chords and depicts a slow but steady move from weakness to vitality and health. It is a radiant hymn of gratitude from a person who’s been given a second chance at life.The recording we’ll hear features the Belcea Quartet, from a performance in 2012. In full, the piece runs about 45 minutes.

Open rehearsal. Beethoven String Quartet op.130, with Grosse Fuge. The Doric String Quartet will rehearse and discuss with Murray Perahia one of the works in their concert on 20 January.

Doric String Quartet perform Beethoven's Quartet in B Flat op. 130 with Grosse Fuge at the West Road Convert Hall, 19 January 2015. Open rehearsal. Beethoven String Quartet op.130, with Grosse Fuge.

Martin Cotton compares recordings of Beethoven's String Quartet Op.131 in C# minor and makes a personal recommendation

Afiara String Quartet performs Beethoven String Quartet in F minor Op. 95 and Schubert String Quintet in C Major D.956 with Joel Krosnick, cello. Host Barry Shiffman.

Beethoven: String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No.1With the Wilhelm QuartetHow to be revolutionary without scaring away your public? How to announce yourself as a new broom without alienating the more stalwart connoisseurs? Beethoven faced these problems when...

Bach: Andante from Italian Concerto, BWV 971 Beethoven: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132First on today’s program is the Andante movement from Bach’s Italian Concerto. Surprisingly, while the piece is called a concerto, it is only played by one instrument: the harpsichord. Bach took the popular Italian concerto style—usually used for instrumental soloists and an orchestra—and transcribed it for harpsichord. Here, however, the piece is not performed by a keyboard player at all, but a harpist. Our second piece is Beethoven’s monumental String Quartet in A minor. The second of Beethoven’s famous late quartets, it is particularly well-known for its third movement, the “Heiliger Dankgesang,” which Beethoven composed just after recovering from a serious illness. The quartet as a whole is alternately fiery and charming—almost schizophrenic in its quick changes of tonality and temperament. But the “Heiliger Dankgesang” is of another character entirely: simple and austere, with incredible harmonies emerging as the instruments slowly move in unison.

Beethoven: Fifteen Variations and a Fugue in E-flat Major, Op. 35 Beethoven: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4Both of the pieces on today’s podcast were written by the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the early years of his career. Beethoven was a virtuosic pianist who often impressed patrons and audiences by performing his own compositions and then improvising extensively upon them. Today, his Fifteen Variations and a Fugue for solo piano is often nicknamed “The Eroica Variations” because Beethoven re-used the main theme of this piece for the finale of his Eroica Symphony. The String Quartet in C Minor, one of Beethoven’s first string quartets, is elegant and agile, while still displaying strong marks of the composer’s famously dramatic temperament. Right from the opening of the first movement, we hear a stormy melodic line over driving bass notes. The line rises and increases in intensity, spilling over into an abrasive and disruptive series of chords. Even in his early works, Beethoven chose confrontation over simple closure.