The Dante Quartet and actor David Timson take us through Beethoven’s musical and personal life in Beethoven’s Quartet Journey at The Apex on 29 March.
The Dante Quartet will perform Beethoven’s three Razumovsky String Quartets, but this is more than just a concert; in this cross between a one-actor play and a concert, you can follow Beethoven’s personal and musical journey through his string quartets.
The narrative for Beethoven will bring new writing by concert-playwright Clare Norburn together with original sources and letters, including the famous Heiligenstadt Testament in which Beethoven expresses his despair at his growing deafness.
Programme:
String Quartet Op.59, No.1 in F
String Quartet Op 59, No.2 in E min
String Quartet op 59, No.3 in C
The Dante Quartet is one of the UK’s finest ensembles, known for its imaginative programming and impassioned performances. The name was inspired by the idea of an epic and challenging journey and the quartet has appeared at all the major UK festivals and concert societies, many European countries and has just made its first tour of Japan. The quartet have received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music, the Diapaison d’Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award, and has held a seven-year residency at King’s College, Cambridge.
David Timson (actor) has worked extensively in BBC Radio Drama since 1971 and has made over a thousand broadcasts. Television appearances include parts in ‘The Bill’, ‘Eastenders’, ‘Casualty’, ‘The Ruth Rendell Mysteries’ and ‘Poirot’. He has won the Spoken Word Publishers Association Awards for Best Original Production and the Audio-Book of the Year Award.
Beethoven’s Quartet Journey is at The Apex on Thursday 29 March at 7pm. Tickets are £20 and £15, with £5 tickets for those aged under 25. Ring the box office on 01284 758000 or see www.theapex.co.uk for details.
