Grand finale to concert series exploring Beethoven’s genius

The Galway Music Residency’s three-part Experience Beethoven series will conclude on Saturday, June 4, at 7.30pm in the City’s St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church.

This series has been exploring Beethoven’s early and late quartets by presenting a string quartet from both periods at each concert. This has allowed listeners to follow the progress of one of the world’s greatest composers.

The final concert of the series will be introduced by broadcaster with Lyric FM, Eamonn Lawlor, who will discuss his interpretations of Beethoven’s compositions and provide a context for the music to be performed during the concert.

The Galway ConTempo Quartet will perform String Quartets: No.6 – Op. 18, no. 6 and No. 14 – Op. 131.

Beethoven declared after completing the String Quartet No. 6 – Op. 18, no. 6 that it was “only now I have learned how to write quartets properly”.

This was the last of what we now know as his early quartets. Its remarkable final movement is the heart of the piece and often considered the highlight of the entire Opus 18.

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 was his favourite of the late quartets and it received high praise from his contemporaries and successors.

After listening to a performance of the work, composer Robert Schuman remarked that it stood “on the extreme boundary of all that has hitherto been attained by human art and imagination”.

The concert will run from 7.30pm-9pm on June 4. Tickets are €15/€12 or €10 for students, from Opus II, High Street, Galway City, or at the door.