The Lydian String Quartet: Beethoven+ Concert 7

Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18, No. 6

Jörg Widmann: String Quartet No. 4

Beethoven: String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131

The conclusion of Beethoven’s early Opus 18 set is his most direct answer to the legacy of his former teacher, Haydn.  Bubbling with wit and rhythmic vitality, the work balances humor with melancholy in a way that foreshadows much of Beethoven’s later work.  The concert concludes with Beethoven’s magnum opus of the genre, the late masterpiece that he considered to be his greatest achievement in the string quartet form.  Composed in seven uninterrupted movements, Op. 131 is an entirely new world of profound expression and a journey unlike anything ever composed for string quartet.  Jörg Widmann’s 4th quartet is the perfect preparation for this journey with a sonic exploration of walking, steps, and breathing gestures in a compact work that perfectly balances complexity and simplicity.