Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's First Chamber Music Concert of the Year on the 12th... Beethoven's 'Razumovsky' and More Performed

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (Seoul Philharmonic) will hold the '2020 Seoul Philharmonic New Chamber Music Series Ⅲ' at 5 p.m. on the 12th at Sejong Chamber Hall.

This concert is the first chamber music performance presented by the Seoul Philharmonic this year. Previously scheduled chamber music concerts in March and April were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this concert, violinists Kim Min-jung and Eom Ja-kyung, violist Kim Sung-eun, and cellist Kim So-yeon will perform Haydn's String Quartet "Dream" and Mozart's String Quartet No. 13. Violinists Wayne Lin and Kim Soo-young, violist Kang Yoon-ji, and cellist Shim Jun-ho will perform Beethoven's String Quartet No. 9 "Rasumovsky."

The string quartet genre was established by Haydn, expanded in potential by Mozart, and Beethoven later distinguished himself as a successor in this genre. Haydn composed six string quartets in his late twenties. At that time, the string quartet was an unfamiliar genre, but Haydn consistently presented string quartet works thereafter. The "Dream" performed in this concert is the fifth of Haydn's six "Prussian Quartets." The first theme, modestly and shyly presented by two violins, develops elegantly and briskly.

Mozart's String Quartet No. 13 is the sixth piece of the "Vienna Quartets" and the only minor key work among his early quartets. Mozart composed six string quartets in Vienna in 1773. At that time, Mozart showed attempts to imitate Haydn's works. Although these works were not mature, it is noteworthy that they successfully combined the then-popular galant style with the older fugue style. Unlike previous works, which were at the level of three-movement pieces, the String Quartet No. 13 performed this time consists of four movements, has a larger scale, and uses sonata form for the first time, enhancing its formal completeness.

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 9 "Rasumovsky" was commissioned by Count Andrey Kirillovich Razumovsky and is called the "Rasumovsky Quartet." Razumovsky was the Russian ambassador to Vienna and a music enthusiast who maintained good relations with Haydn and Mozart and used his palace as a chamber music venue. As an amateur violinist, he often enjoyed playing string quartets with famous violinists of the time, such as Ignaz Schuppanzigh. He commissioned Beethoven to compose string quartets using Russian melodies, and "Rasumovsky" was the result. The piece performed in this concert is the third of the set, which, unlike the other two, does not use Russian melodies.

The Seoul Philharmonic applies COVID-19 prevention guidelines for the safety of performers, implementing "distanced seating" on stage to ensure musicians are at least 1.5 meters apart. Audience members are also seated apart under a "distanced seating system." Additionally, in cooperation with the venue, temperature checks and mask-wearing confirmations are conducted for all entrants.