The Quatuor Arod, praised for its energy and rapport on stage, presents a programme built around three turning points in the history of the string quartet.
The evening opens with Haydn's String Quartet Op. 76 No. 4 in D major, which pairs luminous clarity with dramatic contrasts, from playful finales to a serious minor-key Largo.
Bartók's String Quartet No. 4 in C major follows, with five movements arranged symmetrically around a nocturne, snapping pizzicati, Bulgarian rhythms and a percussive sound.
The programme closes with Fanny Hensel's String Quartet in E-flat major, an intimate and daring Romantic work with surprising modulations and feverish lyricism. Hensel was the sister of Felix Mendelssohn and long remained overshadowed.