3. Opening Concert

Beethoven Cycle 1

Fanny Clamagirand and Roustem Saitkoulov are an established duo partnership and even filmed part of this cycle during Covid. It has been a very very dear project of hers to perform the full cycle. Beethoven begins with a determined call to attention, a flourish that becomes part of the movement’s structure, a young man making his mark as both composer and pianist. He responded scathingly to an uncomprehending reviewer: Let them talk, they will certainly never make anybody immortal by their twaddle, nor will they rob of immortality those whom Apollo has favoured. Rued Langgaard was born at the wrong time, his passionate, Romantic and visionary views clashed hopelessly with the sober conservative outlook of the Danish musical establishment in the first decades of the last century. The Nightingale Quartet have adventurously brought his quartets with their wild stylistic variations to life for us and fired our imaginations about the mysterious meeting at the Rose Garden. Schubert’s monumental G major was part of that incredible late surge during his last two years. This extraordinary quartet stands at the very pinnacle of the repertoire alongside Beethoven's C sharp minor that was composed at exactly the same time. Signum Quartet recorded it just over a year ago as part of their Schubert Series, which includes their own arrangements of many of the songs. Their recording of the G major Quartet takes no prisoners.