The Sarasota String Quartet throws a 250th birthday party for the irascible master Beethoven, born December 16, 1770. To celebrate, our foursome will present two of his most treasured quartets, from two vastly different periods in the composer’s life. The Quartet No. 4 was included in the very first set of string quartets Beethoven published, and he had toiled continuously for over two years to complete the set. The high drama that would come to be a hallmark of Beethoven’s music is already evident here, and the work is among his most popular. Nine years later the mature Beethoven produced his good-natured Quartet No. 10, nicknamed “Harp” due to the unusual usage of pizzicato string writing. Spend an hour with the birthday boy and marvel at the drama and energy of his glorious string quartets... certainly a cause for celebration in any year!