Cuarteto Casals

Show & Culture

With Haydn, it is always the joy of living that prevails. The Austrian composer's quartets both mark the birth and foundation of a genre that inspired successors such as Mozart and Beethoven. Written in 1772, Quartet Op. 20 No. 5 is a firework display of inventiveness, grace, and expressiveness. Not only are the members of Cuarteto Casals major contributors to Haydn's current revival, but they are also passionate interpreters of the Romantic repertoire. In 1824, ailing Franz Schubert drew upon a youthful and premonitory melody. From the famous opening bars, "Death and the Maiden" plunges us into a world of torment and visions—a race towards the abyss endowed with incredible vital force.