大象传媒

Live from the West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge

Presented by Katie Derham

The music of 20th century Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (after whom tonight's quartet is named) is suffused not only with a heady romanticism and folk music but also with classical elements - epitomised by the quartets of Haydn - so it's fitting that Szymanowski's 2nd String Quartet is preceeded in tonight's concert by one of Haydn's great quartets. Beethoven wrote his opus 132 quartet after recovering from a serious illness which he had feared was fatal and so he titled the third movement 'A Convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity' it contains some of the composers most sublime and transcendental music.

Haydn: String Quartet in G major, Op 76, No 3 "Emperor"
Szymanowski: String Quartet Op 56, No 2

Szymanowski Quartet.