The Beethoven Project – Part 3, Elias String Quartet

The Elias Quartet continued this series of quartets with their distinctive vigour and exaggerated contrasts, again taking risks and indulging in what seems to be their trade-mark bold, emphatic phrasing. Perhaps it is Beethoven for these times of sound-bites, ‘music-on-the-move’, and short attention spans. Their interpretations certainly stand out against ambient music and academic norms. To me it seemed like Beethoven in primary colours. They could have trusted the composer to hold our attention throughout those three varied and well-chosen quartets. However, their calculated showmanship was greatly entertaining and garnered plenty of applause, so no doubt Beethoven would have approved.

St George’s Church, 20 May 2013

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