Divine and distinctive string quartets by Haydn and Beethoven. Haydn’s opus 50 quartets were dedicated to the Prussian King Frederick William II, with number 6 nicknamed as ‘The Frog’ after a special ‘bariolage’ effect in its final movement. Beethoven’s opus 18 string quartets were commissioned by the Bohemian prince Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz, and are widely acclaimed as some of the finest chamber works ever written.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

String Quartet Op. 50 No. 6 in D Major

I. Allegro

II. Poco Adagio

III. Menuetto (Allegretto)—Trio

IV. Finale—Allegro con spirito

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 in G Major

I. Allegro

II. Adagio cantabile—Allegro—Tempo I

III. Scherzo (Allegro) and Trio

IV. Allegro molto, quasi Presto

Artists

Rachael Beesley and violin Julia Fredersdorff (violins), Simon Oswell (viola), and

Daniel Yeadon (cello)