Quatuor Ébène

Beethoven’s wit, intensity, and daring are showcased in quartets that span the full course of his brilliant career. The D-Major Quartet’s contemplative tone is expressed in simple themes, but in the finale the composer lets loose with driving rhythms. The “Serioso” is the only quartet Beethoven nicknamed; it’s an impassioned work with tremendous intensity and stormy struggles. There’s also a tempest in the compelling Second “Razumovsky” Quartet, as well as novel touches that include a quote of a Russian folk tune in honor of its dedicatee.

Quatuor Ébène

Beethoven’s many moods are revealed in the works on this program. The B-flat Major Quartet is the most forward-looking of his early quartets and is particularly noteworthy for its finale, subtitled “La Malinconia” ("Melancholy")—an unforgettable dialogue between anguish and joy. The A-Minor Quartet was written at a time of personal tumult, and an uneasy tone runs through the work. Its magnificent third movement, however, is a heartfelt song of thanks for recovery from illness that becomes a radiant celebration of newfound strength.

Quatuor Ébène

The quartets on this program are eloquent bookends for a lifetime devoted to composing deeply personal musical statements. The mild side of Beethoven is showcased in the second quartet of his Op. 18, a work with a graceful quality reminiscent of his predecessor Haydn. At the start of the Op. 131 Quartet, Beethoven introduces a profound fugue—Wagner called it “the most melancholy sentiment ever expressed in music”—but it is only the beginning of an epic seven-movement journey that culminates in a tumultuous struggle and ultimately restless resignation.

Quatuor Ébène

Witness Beethoven’s musical evolution in works from the early and middle parts of his career. His first quartet’s second movement, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, reveals his genius for conveying tragedy, while the heartbreak of his hearing loss is conquered in the heroic double fugue that concludes his Third “Razumovsky” Quartet. The “Harp” Quartet’s first movement pizzicato (plucked) passage is the source of its nickname, but it’s only an episode in an emotional journey that culminates in one of his most boisterous finales.

Quatuor Ébène

The superb and intensely focused (The New York Times) Quatuor Ébène performs quartets from Beethoven’s early days to a work written near the end of his life. Beethoven’s Op. 18 quartets were written in the shadows of Haydn and Mozart, but in No. 5 he gives us something unique: a quartet simmering with restless energy that only finds relief in its whirling finale. The String Quartet in E-flat Major is quintessential late Beethoven, a daring exploration of the expanse of sound and of new harmonic ground.

Quatuor Ébène

Beethoven was not afraid to stir the waters. In the First “Razumovsky” Quartet, he broke convention in a chamber work that was more expansive and technically challenging than any heard before. It’s also notable for its melodic beauty and quote of a Russian folk theme in its exuberant finale. The lukewarm response by the premiere audience to the magnificent Grosse Fuge resulted in some scalding vitriol from the composer. Time has vindicated him; this epic journey to new musical frontiers remains one of his enduring masterpieces.