Elias String Quartet

String Quartet in B flat major Op.18 No. 6
String Quartet in E minor Op. 59 No. 2 ‘Rasumovsky’
String Quartet in F major Op. 135

Last year the Elias Quartet’s residency was a major stepping stone in its ambitious project to perform Beethoven’s String Quartets and we are delighted that they are returning to Brighton Festival to complete the cycle. As one of the most intense and intuitive young ensembles to have emerged in recent years, the Elias Quartet refuses to follow convention: the Beethoven Project is all about demystifying these intricate compositions, stripping away centuries of performance tradition to reveal them anew.

This opening concert begins with a quartet of contrasts: Op. 18 No. 6 progresses from exuberance to pathos, taking in sobriety and wild abandon along the way. The Op. 135 quartet is the composer’s last complete substantial work, smaller in scope and lighter in tone than his other late quartets. In between them, the Op. 59 No. 2 has a Russian feel in tribute to Beethoven’s patron Count Rasumovsky.

Join the Elias Quartet after this performance on 3rd May for a special insight into their experiences of performing this cycle at Brighton Festival and around the world