Open menu
Close menu FR
Con Spirito
Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn

2:00 with intermission

This witty, energetic and playful program gathers three Germanic composers. We can draw from them characteristics common to music from across the Rhine: structure, power, explosiveness and virtuosity.

Listening to the three slow movements makes us measure the evolution from classical style to romantic style. The purity and equality of the choral writing in Haydn’s Adagio sostenuto, the interiority of feeling in the sad lament of Beethoven’s Adagio molto e mesto and the sweet and dreamy melancholy of Mendelssohn’s Andante espressivo ma con moto.

  1. Haydn — quartet Op. 76, No. 1 (1797)
  2. Beethoven — quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1, “Razumovsky” (1806)
  3. intermission
  4. Mendelssohn — quartet No. 3, Op. 44, No. 1 (1838)
Beethoven
Beethoven

1:50 with intermission

Do you really think I give a damn about your miserable little violin when the Muse speaks to me?

This is what Beethoven is said to have replied to the Schuppanzigh quartet, when it complained about the technical difficulty of his string quartets. From trio to quartet, explore the universe of a Beethoven with no concessions and no limits. From the infinitely small to the immensity of the universe, from the most intimate introspection to the most total transcendence, (re)discover his contrasting and eternally modern writing.

  1. Trio Op. 9, No. 3 (1798)
  2. Quartet Op. 18, No. 4 (1799)
  3. intermission
  4. Quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1, “Razumovsky” (1806)
Sound universes
Brahms, Shostakovich, Ravel

1:40 with intermission

We invite you to discover three works all of textured games which explore the rich sonority of the string quartet and take us on a journey into their composers’ universes.

Brahms’ universe: tender then sensitive, generous and finally fiery. Shostakovich’s: mysterious, then intense until shock and obsession before resignation in the face of mourning. Finally Ravel’s: dreamy then whimsical and luminous which becomes melancholic before an explosive finale.

  1. Brahms — quartet Op. 51, No. 2 (1873)
  2. Shostakovich — quartet No. 11 (1966)
  3. intermission
  4. Ravel — string quartet (1903)
Champagne
Mozart, Mendelssohn, Ravel

1:50 with intermission

Discover a sparkling, effervescent and luminous repertoire.

These quartets written by three composers from three different centuries remind us of all the characteristics of champagne: nobility and majesty with Mozart, feast and intoxication with Mendelssohn while Ravel contemplates the flow of bubbles and light.

  1. Mozart — quartet No. 17, KV. 458, “Hunt” (1784)
  2. Mendelssohn — quartet No. 3, Op. 44, No. 1 (1838)
  3. intermission
  4. Ravel — string quartet (1903)
360°
Haydn, Bartók, Brahms

1:50 with intermission

This panoramic vision provides an exploration of the string quartet’s repertoire with three great composers representative of the aesthetics of their time.

This program will take you on a journey across centuries and styles, from the elegant and inventive classicism of Haydn to the mysterious and flamboyant modernism of Bartók, passing via the sometimes tender, sometimes tumultuous sentimental romanticism of Brahms.
Three contrasting quartets that highlight the universal and timeless aspect of musical language.

  1. Haydn — quartet Op. 76, No. 1 (1797)
  2. Bartók — quartet No. 2, Op. 17 (1917)
  3. intermission
  4. Brahms — quartet Op. 51, No. 2 (1873)
18th century
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

1:40 with intermission

This program offers you three quartets by the geniuses of the 18th century, composed over a fifteen-year period.

It gathers the three leading composers of this transitional period: the Master Haydn and his two illustrious pupils, Mozart and Beethoven. It allows us to (re)discover the quintessence of the classical style and the beginning of romanticism that appears with Beethoven.
We find here a Haydn full of wit - sharp, gentle, meditative and then explosive. A cheerful, elegant and mischievous Mozart who also knows how to be deeper and contemplative. Lastly, Beethoven, already fully dramatic, playing with contrasts and surprise in great rhythmic rigor.

  1. Haydn — quartet Op. 76, No. 1 (1797)
  2. Mozart — quartet No. 17, KV 458, “Hunt” (1784)
  3. intermission
  4. Beethoven — quartet Op. 18, No. 4 (1799)
The precursors
Beethoven, Bartók

1:15 with no intermission

This concert brings together two virtuoso quartets that have marked the history of music. Today they are considered masterpieces of the repertoire.

Beethoven played a major role in the development of the string quartet. Through his sixteen quartets composed over nearly thirty years, he pushed the boundaries of the genre, sharing his deepest feelings. During its creation, the 7th quartet encountered the incomprehension of both the public and the performers. To the violinist Radicati, who told him it wasn’t music, Beethoven replied: “It’s not for you! It’s for times yet to come.”
Advancing from a different perspective, Bartók sought to innovate in form while anchoring his work in the popular tradition of his country. He undertook an innovative approach which led him to collect folklore themes from local populations. His cycle of six string quartets, also composed over the space of thirty years, is the completion of the quest for this new musical language, inspired by popular music with the richness of construction specific to Western written music.

  1. Beethoven — quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1, “Razumovsky” (1806)
  2. Bartók — quartet No. 2, Op. 17 (1917)