A new video of the Belcea Quartet is available to view on YouTube now. In it, the Quartet perform Szymanowski’s string quartet no.2, op. 56 at Handelsbeurs, Gent.

January 2012 sees the Belcea Quartet perform the third instalment of their Beethoven string quartet cycle:

Beethoven, op. 18 no. 2 in G major.

Beethoven, op. 59 no. 2 in E minor.

Beethoven, op. 131 in C sharp minor.

UK tour dates include 20^th January at St. George’s Hall, Liverpool and Saturday 21^st January at Wigmore Hall, London, Thursday 26^th January at The Sage, Gateshead and Friday 27^th January & Sunday 28^th January at the Britten Studio, Snape.

For more information on the tour please click here.

To view the video please click below:

(Written on January 13, 2012 )

A new video of the Belcea Quartet is available to view on YouTube now.  In it, members Corina Belcea, Axel Schacher, Krzysztof Chorzelski and Antoine Lederlin discuss embarking on the mountainous task of performing all of Beethoven’s String Quartets in one year.

The Quartet is currently almost halfway through its Beethoven String Quartet cycle. Upcoming UK concert dates are:

Friday 20^th January 2012: St George’s Hall, Liverpool

Saturday 21^st January 2012: Wigmore Hall, London

Thursday 26^th January 2012: The Sage, Gateshead

Friday 27^th January 2012: Britten Studio, Snape

Sunday 28^th January 2012: Britten Studio, Snape

Programme:

Beethoven Op.18 No.2 G major

Beethoven Op.59 No.2 E minor

Beethoven Op.131 C sharp minor

To view the video please click here or see below:

(Written on December 22, 2011 )

New York Times

Emboldened Orchestras Are Embracing the New.

New music increases in popularity.

As New Composers Flourish, Will They Be Heard?

Club kids are storming music museums.

Gramophone

Belcea Quartet Sign to Zig-Zag Territories.

Label to release ensemble’s complete Beethoven Quartet cycle.

Slipped Disc

The Next Stradivarius Will Be Made Of Mushrooms.

Last week, scientists were using health authority CAT scanners to discover the secrets of Stradivarius violins and make a modern replica.

Chicago Classical Review

Lyric Opera Appoints Renée Fleming’s manager as director of public relations.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago announced late Friday that Alexandra Day has been appointed to the newly created position of director of public relations.

LA Times

James Levine Won’t Return To The Metropolitan Opera Until At Least 2013.

James Levine, the music director for the Metropolitan Opera, will not be back to conduct the orchestra for performances until at least 2013.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/12/james-levine-wont-return-to-metropolitan-opera-until-at-least-2013.html

(Written on December 13, 2011 )

The Belcea Quartet launched their new website this week.  The site has everything you need to know about the group including concert dates, updates and blogs from quartet members, videos and extracts from all of their albums.

The website will be constantly updated with information about what the ensemble are up to and where you can see them perform as well as information on the new Beethoven album which is currently being recorded.

You can also follow the group on facebook.

The next dates for the Beethoven series are:

Friday 20 January                           Liverpool, St George’s

Saturday 21 January                       London, Wigmore Hall

Tuesday 24 January                        Hamburg, Laeiszhalle

Thursday 26 January                      Gateshead, The Sage

(Written on December 12, 2011 )

The second set of concerts in the Belcea Quartet’s Beethoven cycle, once again went down a storm with audience and critics alike.  Some of the highlights include:

The Guardian

“…the Belceas still play like a young quartet, seizing the music’s energy, shocking us out of our seats with every fortissimo. There’s a huge range of colour in their quieter playing”

The Evening Standard

“The B flat Quartet, op. 18 no.6, was bursting with wit, lyricism and elegance of style; rhythms were buoyant, ensemble flawless and the overlapping dialogues seamless.”

Planet Hugill

“This was an impressive concert, serious in intention and big on achievement. The audience in the packed Wigmore Hall was rightly enthusiastic. And we have more to come!”

Boulezian

“The Belcea enthralled not only in the lively, Haydnesque opening movement, with a touch of Mozart here and there, but also in subsequent intimations of what we have come to consider ‘late Beethoven’. ”

Classical Source

“This second Wigmore Hall visit in the Belcea Quartet’s touring Beethoven cycle proved to be as riveting as the first; the programme, mixing early, middle and late works as enlightening as ever.”

You can also read more about the rehearsal styles of the quartet in this week’s Classical Music Magazine and the decision to leave EMI in Music Week Magazine.  The concert will be available to listen to on BBC Radio 3 on December 11th.  Stay in touch with the Quartet via their website or facebook.

(Written on December 5, 2011 )

The Guardian

Mahler in Beijing: classical luminaries celebrate centenary in China.

China’s growing influence in the world is mirrored by its classical music scene.

Belcea Quartet: Review.

Erica Jeal is impressed with the Belcea Quartet’s ‘career-defining’ moment of playing the Beethoven string quartets.

The Telegraph

Bravissimo! The best of opera on DVD.

Rupert Christiansen rounds up the seasonal divas on disc.

New York Times

Child’s play for voice and orchestra.

Philharmonic to present H.K. Gruber’s ‘Frankenstein!!’

Slipped Disc: Norman Lebrecht

Classical covers to cry for – part 2.

A round up of the best of the worst – again.

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/12/classical-covers-to-cry-for-2.html

(Written on December 5, 2011 )

Gramophone

Hvorostovsky signs to Ondine.

A Russian baritone for the Finnish label.

Slipped Disc: Norman Lebrecht

Arnold Schoenberg is declared UNESCO world heritage.

Arnold Schoenberg’s documentary estate was yesterday brought under the protection of UNESCO.

Thenews.pl

EU backs revamp of composer Szymanowski’s house.

The National Museum in Krakow has announced that the former home of Karol Szymanowski is set for a revamp with EU backing.

Evening Standard

My opera’s strictly for everyone, says Rory Bremner.

Rory Bremner on his adaptation of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.

Boulezian

Belcea Quartet at the Wigmore Hall, 1st December.

‘The Belcea enthralled’

Opera Chic

Thibaudet’s film cred grows.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet goes to Hollywood (again). Listen to his playing here:

(Written on December 2, 2011 )

WildKat PR caught up with the Belcea Quartet during rehearsals for the first round of their Beethoven series to find out how they view their individual roles within the ensemble.

The Belcea Quartet will be performing again in Liverpool, St George’s on November 28th, The Sage, Gateshead on November 30th, London’s Wigmore Hall on December 1st and in Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle on December 7th.

For more information visit their website www.belceaquartet.com

(Written on October 24, 2011 )

Audiences and critics alike positively received the first leg of the Belcea Quartet’s Beethoven concerts. The quartet took audiences in Hamburg, London, Liverpool and Gateshead though a personal and intimate interpretation of Beethoven’s coveted string quartet writing.

The program for this, the first concert in the quartet’s year-long exploration of all of Beethoven’s string quartets, consisted of three contrasting and prominent quartets: no.3, op.18, no.10, Op.74 and no.13, Op.130, the Belcea String Quartet’s interpretations were skillfully devoid of any over indulgence.

it was immediately clear from the opening phrases of this evening’s concert of Beethoven quartets that these four players enjoy an intensely powerful shared musical language, with an incredible level of communication between each other and with the audience. They immediately drew us right into the heart of Beethoven’s very personal music, as they took us on an introductory guide through his string quartet writing.

Throughout the concert, there was never any harshness, even in the more forceful parts of the latter quartets. The quiet passages were mesmerizing, almost vanishing at times

Backtrack

As versed as they are in the music, the quartet maintained a keen sense of spontaneity as they laid out the contrasting passages with razor-sharp articulation. The rich andante was beautifully phrased, while the presto brimmed with energy

The Northern Echo

The next leg of the concert series will begin on the 28^th of in Liverpool and moving on to revisit London, Gateshead and Hamburg with more of Beethoven’s string quartets. For more information, visit the Belcea Quartet’s website.

(Written on October 14, 2011 )

This weekend will see the start of the Belcea Quartet’s Beethoven cycle.  The quartet will be playing the complete set of Beethoven string quartets at the Wigmore Hall, London, The Sage, Gateshead, St George’s Hall, Liverpool and Laeiszhalle, Hamburg.  The series will see them play multiple concerts in each of the venues over the space of the year.

Krzysztof Chorzelski from the quartet describes Beethoven’s string quartets as being ‘amongst the highest challenges for any ensemble. They’re also one of the greatest musical journeys any listener or performer can ever undertake, ranging from mighty symphonic dramas to some of the most intimate and heart-wrenching moments in all of western music.’

Since forming 18 years ago, the Belcea Quartet have established themselves as one of the most exciting quartets in Europe. Their extensive collection of highly acclaimed recordings from Mozart to Dutilleux have won them multiple awards including the Gramophone Award for best debut album in 2001.

To compliment the concert series, the quartet will be recording the full Beethoven cycle, planned for release in December 2012. The  cycle will be the ensemble’s first live recording – previous studio recording of Bartok’s String Quartets saw the Belcea Quartet awarded the title of Chamber Music Ensemble of the Year by Germanys’ prestigious Echo Kassik Award and nominated for a 2008 Gramophone Award.

The concert’s start in Hamburg on Sunday and come to London’s Wigmore Hall on Monday evening.  Having formed in London and been resident quartet at the Wigmore Hall for 5 years running, the quartet are always delighted to play there and describe it as home.

Read Krzysztof’s Beethoven Blog on their Facebook page

Tickets for the concerts are available at:

http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/

http://www.thesagegateshead.org/

http://www.stgeorgesliverpool.co.uk/

http://www.elbphilharmonie.de/

(Written on September 30, 2011 )