Quatuor Modigliani performs early Mozart and Beethoven string quartets in a Lunchtime Concert that promises to be full of joy – and some surprises.
These quartets burst with energy from the first notes. Beethoven’s opening chords demand attention and lead to drama and emotion. His slow movement takes us beyond human interaction to the ethereal – inspired, apparently, by his staring at the stars one night. One of three quartets he wrote for Count Razumovsky, the work is full of sounds that were incomprehensible to audiences at the time and they still have the power to surprise and astonish now.
Mozart’s Third Quartet is more straightforward and joyful, zipping along with youthful zest from the start – he was only 16 when he wrote it. Living in Milan, he was working on Lucio Silla and it’s full of operatic characters – the slow movement could be a love aria. Quatuor Modigliani’s interpretations have been described by The Guardian as ‘fresh, enthusiastic and ephemeral’ – the perfect approach to two pinnacles of chamber music.
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