Abel Quartet Presents Second Stage of Complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle

September 20 at IBK Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center

The Abel Quartet, a string quartet, will present the second stage of its complete Beethoven String Quartet cycle at the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on September 20.

Over the course of five performances spanning seven months, the Abel Quartet plans to perform all 17 of Beethoven's string quartet works, including the 16 quartets and the "Grosse Fuge." The ensemble announced the start of this ambitious project in July, and this will be their second performance in the series.

For the second stage, the program will begin with Quartet No. 2, characterized by bright and lively Haydnesque humor, followed by No. 10, notable for its lyrical arpeggios reminiscent of a harp, and No. 8, the only minor-key work in the "Razumovsky" series, known for its tension and passion.

Beethoven's string quartets are generally divided into early (six works of Opus 18), middle (three "Razumovsky" quartets of Opus 59, Opus 74 "Harp," and Opus 95 "Serioso"), and late periods (Opus 127, 130-133, 135). The early works, while strongly influenced by Haydn and Mozart, already show glimpses of Beethoven's unique style. The middle quartets move beyond classical conventions, embracing larger forms and more liberal harmonies, while the late quartets, composed after Beethoven's hearing loss, are marked by freer structures and dense emotional expression, revealing the composer's inner world.

Comprising violinists Yoon Eunseol and Park Suhyeon, violist Park Hamoon, and cellist Cho Hyeongjun, the Abel Quartet is now in its 13th year. In 2015, they became the first Korean string quartet to win first prize at the 6th International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna. In 2023, marking their 10th anniversary, they released their first full-length album, "In nomine Domini" ("In the Name of the Lord"), featuring four Haydn string quartets, recorded in Vienna.

Last year, the Abel Quartet successfully completed a full Mendelssohn string quartet cycle and was awarded the "Porsche Frontier Award" in the music category at the 3rd Seoul Arts Awards.

The Abel Quartet will present their third performance in November, followed by the fourth and fifth stages in February next year, thereby concluding their journey through the complete Beethoven string quartets.