Ehnes Quartet Beethoven Cycle

Ehnes Quartet – The Beethoven Cycle, II

Program II – The second concert of the cycle
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4

Turbulent and dramatic, its restless Allegro ma non tanto and eccentric Andante scherzoso reveal Beethoven’s early flair for minor-key tension.
String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5

Warm and songful, highlighted by the tender, variation-rich Andante cantabile.
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 14, No. 1 (Beethoven’s own string arrangement of his Piano Sonata in E Major)

An intimate, transparent transcription showcasing his adept reworking of material across media.
String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6

A crowning achievement, culminating in the haunting “La Malinconia” Adagio prelude—brooding and introspective—before exploding into an exuberant Allegretto quasi Allegro, foreshadowing Beethoven’s later psychological profundity.