Belcea Quartet & Beethoven's Razumovsky Quartet No. 3

Belcea Quartet

The press about the Belcea Quartet: 'The purity of sound and the perfect intonation have distinguished this quartet from the beginning'. Passion, coupled with precision, unheard-of expressiveness and pure emotion, characterize the concerts of the Belcea Quartet, a beloved guest in the Small Hall. Their repertoire spans centuries, and their profundity applies to every piece, whether it is Mozart, Beethoven or Britten.

Beethoven's Razumovsky

Beethoven's Opus 59 revolutionized string quartet writing. The four-player conversation of Haydn and Mozart gave way to heroic remonstrances. The Third Razumovsky Quartet was written in 1806, a year after the Eroica, and the spirit of that symphony is palpable. Works by Mozart and Britten frame Razumovsky III. The polyphony of Mozart's K. 499 is revolutionary, and Britten's swansong, his Third String Quartet, sounds as detached as Beethoven's late string quartets.