Alban Berg Quartet plays Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 2 in G major, op. 18, No. 2. The quartet was composed between 1798 and 1800 and published in 1801.
There are four movements:
- Allegro
- Adagio cantabile – Allegro – Tempo I
- Scherzo: Allegro
- Allegro molto, quasi presto
It was also named “Komplimentierquartett” especially due to the extremely jovial character of the first theme, often interpreted as a sequence of ceremonial salutes. In its expression, the G major quartet pays tribute to the preclassical period, but also to the atmosphere of entertainment specific to the works of Haydn or Mozart.
Alban Berg Quartet:
Günter Pichler, violin 1
Gerhard Schulz, violin 2
Thomas Kakuska, viola
Valentin Erben, cello
Sources
- String Quartet No. 2 (Beethoven) on Wikipedia
- Beethoven’s String Quartets on All-About-Beethoven
