The Australian String Quartet present Vanguard

The Australian String Quartet present an enthralling program of music from Beethoven, Korngold and Sdraulig underneath Otto the blue whale at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

When premiered in 1825, Beethoven’s Op.127 quartet stunned listeners with its innovation of expression and form. This work heralded a dramatic shift in Beethoven’s trajectory, having already taken the string quartet to unprecedented heights. The first of his late quartets, here we glimpse a far more personal, philosophical, and inward-looking approach to musical rhetoric.

Korngold’s success as a Hollywood film composer cemented his place in history. As a serious composer of post-Romantic music, he produced some extraordinary works that have long been overlooked. His second string quartet is no exception—its highly romantic harmonies are sprinkled with surprises that imbue it with a fresh and highly original sound.

Australian composer Harry Sdraulig is making waves across the country with a string of compelling new works. We are thrilled to be giving the premiere performances of his second string quartet, a fitting companion for the dynamic powerhouses of this program.