BEETHOVEN Grosse Fuge in B flat Op.133
HOSTAKOVICH Piano Quintet in G minor Op.57
CARMEN HO The Way It Is for string quartet, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society
BEETHOVEN String Quartet in G Op.18 No.2
An evening of music that takes us to the extremes of Beethoven’s character. The Grosse Fuge is celebrated for its dramatic nature – Stravinsky declared it to be “an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever” – while the early Quartet in G is rich in wit and humour. These works are complemented by Shostakovich’s popular Quintet, featuring its own remarkable fugue, and a short new string quartet by outstanding young composer Carmen Ho.
This is the second concert in our Beethoven 250 series, a celebration of the composer’s anniversary. Performances by Ensemble 360 will include all 16 of his monumental quartets alongside many of his other chamber works; the series continues through 2020 and into spring 2021.
