The Beethoven Trilogy

Each of Beethoven’s string quartets is an artistic triumph, which stands apart from any other work of music and shines with dazzling brightness. This season-long celebration of Beethoven’s influence pairs quartets from his three distinct periods—performed by the Calidore String Quartet—with works by other composers that echo his innovative spirit and the trajectory of his career.

Beethoven Trilogy I - Early Period

Beethoven’s ambitious early works join music by composers in similar stages of life and career. Each program blooms with the rich musical vision showcased in his provocative early compositions.

Beethoven Trilogy II - Middle Period

Beethoven emerges from crisis, resolving to fulfill his artistic destiny in the face of deafness. Picking up where Haydn and Mozart left off, he expands what is possible in music and elevates the role of the composer to new, heroic heights—both in his string quartets and in other chamber works heard here.

Beethoven Trilogy III - Late Period

The Beethoven Trilogy’s final chapter offers works of closure and departure, epilogues and visions of he future, and a sense of the contemporary from multiple ages and styles, affirming his lasting impact. As a last word, Beethoven closes his incomparable quartet cycle with his personal favorite, the unbroken, seven-movement Op. 131.

The Complete Beethoven String Quartets

CMS returns to the Complete Beethoven String Quartets, performed by an ensemble which has rapidly risen to international prominence and which is familiar to CMS audiences: the Calidore String Quartet.

Beethoven Trilogy I: Early Period

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Beethoven Trilogy Packages

Beethoven Trilogy I - Early Period

Beethoven Trilogy II - Middle Period

Beethoven Trilogy III - Late Period

The Complete Beethoven String Quartets