Beethoven+ Concert I.

BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
ANDERS HILLBORG (b. 1954) - Kongsgaard Variations (2006)
BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 12 in Eb major, Op. 127

Beethoven’s early, dramatic, C minor string quartet (Op. 18, No. 4) showcases the boldness of the young composer’s voice where one can hear the roots of tension between classical form and a very personal kind of emotional expression. The majestic Op. 127, the first of Beethoven’s late quartets, is a culmination of this development where the rigors of classical form are subsumed by an intimate lyricism and profound expression. At the heart of this late masterpiece is a sublime set of variations, an archaic form which Beethoven returned to throughout his life, now elevated to a spiritual dimension. Swedish composer Anders Hillborg brings a similar transcendent quality to his own set of variations for string quartet. Based on a fragment from the Arietta of Beethoven’s last piano sonata, the Kongsgaard Variations inhabit the same expressive world as Beethoven’s late-period variations with a distinctively contemporary voice.

Ticket information coming soon!