Beethoven’s creative life is divided into three neat sections, Early, Middle and Late. The Early Period is defined by his tendency to shake up convention and thwart expectations with persistent and needling harmonic escapades and emphatic rhythmic accentuations where they don’t belong. You may recognize this text from Portrait of an Artist I, Stephen Miahky 2.0, violin. Here at the Festival, we support recycling!

For our first Tasting Music presentation of the 2018 Season, we return to Walla Walla Vintners for an outdoor performance, weather permitting (bring a sweater or cardigan… it can be chilly, indoors or out!). We will explore Beethoven’s very first string quartet, his Quartet in D, Op. 18, No. 3 (don’t worry, we’ll explain all the numbers, and how something called “No. 3” can actually be No. 1).

With Haydn more or less out of the picture, Beethoven turned his attention from smaller forms like the string trio to the medium invented and perfected by Haydn before him, that of the string quartet. Publishing the work in 1801, Beethoven shows himself to be a quick study, seemingly mastering the sophisticated and conversational style of his former teacher with aplomb. Perhaps this will be your first string quartet… If so, like Beethoven before you, you have struck gold!