Join us as we continue our Beethoven 250th Festival with a free, live-streamed concert featuring his String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130 in a performance by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Erin Schreiber & Shawn Weil, violins; Leonid Plashinov-Johnson, viola; and Bjorn Ranheim, cello.
Beethoven’s reputation as an artistic visionary, apt to defy convention, is on full display in his Op. 130 string quartet. Constructed in six movements, the untraditional work portrays vast stylistic differences throughout, including a quirky opening movement that oscillates between fast and slow tempi, a lively German dance, operatic cavatina and massive closing fugue that lasts almost as long as the preceding five movements. Following negative audience reaction to the original finale, the Große Fuge (Grand Fugue), Beethoven’s publisher urged him to write a substitute finale that is much smaller in stature and which casts a more celebratory tone. This substitute final movement, which you will hear tonight, was to be the last work that Beethoven completed only a month before his death. The original Große Fuge was separated from the work, given its own opus number, (Op. 133) and is traditionally performed as a stand-alone work.
2020 marks the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most beloved and influential composers of all time. Countless musicians, ensembles, and performing arts organizations around the world will honor his incredible legacy. The World Chess Hall of Fame celebrates with a multi-concert festival dedicated to some of the composer's greatest works, including his Late String Quartets performed by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
This concert will be available for viewing on our YouTube and Facebook Live channels.
Program:
String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130
I. Adagio, ma non troppo - Allegro
II. Presto
III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo. Poco scherzoso
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo
VI. Finale. Allegro
