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Since Quatuor Mosaïques met, performing with Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s ‘Concentus Musicus’ in the 1980s, they have spent over 30 years honing their craft on period instruments. In September, they returned to The Lammermuir Festival as resident artists to perform all of Beethoven’s ‘Razumovsky’ quartets and today we hear the second – his String Quartet in E minor Op 59, No 2. With its startling opening chords and volatile digressions, it’s easy to see why some musicians struggled with the direction that Beethoven was taking the quartet form.
Today’s Lunchtime Concert starts with a Haydn quartet recorded in the mediaeval surroundings of St. Mary’s Parish Church, Whitekirk. His String Quartet in E flat major Op 64, No 6 is radiant and mellow, developing into a finale that is a tour de force of wit and virtuosity.

Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat major Op 64, No 6
Beethoven: String Quartet in E minor Op 59, No 2 ‘Razumovsky’

Quatuor Mosaïques

Presenter: Kate Molleson
Gavin McCollum