Beethoven’s birth celebrated by quartet

Playing Beethoven at Warkworth Town Hall will be, from left, Gillian Ansell, Monique Lapins, Rolf Gjelsten and Helene Pohl.

Lovers of Beethoven should head to Warkworth on November 15, as the New Zealand String Quartet will be in town to perform three of the composer’s works in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Violinists Helene Pohl and Monique Lapins, Gillian Ansell on viola and cellist Rolf Gjelsten will play three of Beethoven’s string quartets written between 1801 and 1825 – Opus 18, No 6; Opus 95, No 11, Serioso; and Opus 127, No 12.

The Warkworth Music event is part of the quartet’s 2020 national tour, Beethoven 250, during which they are playing all 16 of the composer’s string quartets throughout the country. Despite several dates having to be postponed or rescheduled due to Covid-19 restrictions, quartet members remain passionately committed to the tour, saying the anniversary deserves “a massive tour for a massive composer”.

“Two hundred and fifty years on, Beethoven’s music reverberates as loudly as ever. Few other composers have made such an enormous contribution to not only the string quartet genre, but also western music as a whole,” they say.

“Beethoven’s string quartets remain, like his symphonies, some of the most remarkable classical music ever composed. Because it offers something for everyone, we want to share this music with as many people as possible.”

The New Zealand String Quartet is considered to be one of the country’s leading professional chamber ensembles and has established an enviable international reputation since it was formed more than 30 years ago. Highlights have included performances at London’s Wigmore Hall, the Frick Collection in New York and in Washington’s Library of Congress. Members have also taught several generations of string players and recorded and released an extensive collection of albums.

Beethoven 250 will be held at the Warkworth Town Hall on Sunday, November 15 at 4pm.  Tickets cost $35, or $25 to Warkworth Music members, and are available online from warkworthmusic.org.nz  or at the door. Free entry for school students.