We offer all 17 Beethoven quartets, either in balanced programmes or as a cycle in 6 concerts, together with a broad range of Classical and Romantic favourites. Little known early French classics are a speciality, as are British quartets of the last 100 years – some well known, others, like Boughton and Holbrooke rather less so. We have many fine short pieces for a lighter occasion, and can present a Classical programme with gut strings and appropriate bows – in true “classical” mode. Quintets with clarinet, piano or a second viola can lend further variety and colour.
Sample Programmes
Mozart in A K464
William Alwyn no 1 in D minor
Webern Langsamer Satz
Schumann op 41 no 2 in F
One of Mozart’s most elegant quartets and Schumann’s lyrical F major frame a neglected twentieth century masterwork and Webern’s early romantic piece.
Beethoven in F op 18 no 1
Mendelssohn Scherzo
Puccini Crisantemi
Alwyn 3 Winter Poems
Gluck Allegretto
Dvorak in Eb op.51
A classical start, an entertaining variety of short essays and a Bohemian conclusion.
Boccherini in G minor, op 6 no 4
Haydn in D op 20 no 4
Schubert in G op 161
The Quartet make room for Schubert’s masterpiece by opening with two shorter works of individuality and character.
Mozart in D minor K421
Schumann op 41 no 2 in F
Bartok 6th quartet.
Mozart in serious mood and Schumann’s sunny approach set the scene for arguably the finest quartet of the 20th century.
Haydn in Eb op 76 no 6
Janacek Quartet no 1
Beethoven in F op 59 no 1
Mature Haydn and Janacek’s portrayal of intense suffering, with Beethoven’s largest Rasumovsky quartet (including his own grief at his brother’s death.)
Haydn in C op 20 no 2
Arensky in A minor op 35a
Beethoven in E minor op 59 no 2
Haydn in inventive form leads to Arensky’s tribute to his friend Tchaikovsky, which shares an important theme with Beethoven’s Second Rasumovsky quartet.
Mozart in D K499
Schumann op 41 no 1 in A minor
Beethoven in C op 59 no 3
Mozart’s strong compliment to his friend Hoffmeister and the first of Schumann’s op 41 are balanced by Beethoven’s Third Rasumovsky, which begins mysteriously but ends in a hurry.