The Beethoven Project – Part 2, Elias String Quartet

The Elias Quartet continued to stamp their distinctive mark on Beethoven’s quartets, perhaps too distinctly for my taste. The dynamic contrasts were exaggerated and the very expressive legato phrasing of Monday’s concert was even more pronounced this evening. It gave unexpected surprises in opus18 No3 quartet, which rather spiced it up. However, the spirited performance of opus95, the ‘Quartetto serioso’, often seemed just angry.

The excellent programme notes explain that opus130 ‘is built on extreme contrasts’. In this performance they were immoderate. The ‘queasy feel’ of the ‘Alla danza tedesca’ was too strong for me. Part 3 on 20 May.

St George’s Church, 11 May 2013

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