‘The dark timbre of their gut strings allows for an astonishing range of dynamics and colours’ BBC Radio 3

Led by Alina Ibragimova, Chiaroscuro Quartet is revered as one of Europe’s leading period instrument ensembles today. In this concert, they present two mid-career quartets by two Viennese masters: the first of Haydn’s six ‘Russian’ quartets, Op. 33, written in 1791, and the Op. 74 quartet by Beethoven from 1809, famous for the prominent use of pizzicato in its first movement, prompting its nickname ‘Harp’. The work is also known for the theme-and-variations structure of the finale, a harbinger of the stylistic trajectory of Beethoven’s late quartets. All prefaced by a selection of Fantasias by Purcell.