The Consone Quartet: Our Journey to the Romantics

Since our formation in 2012, our aim has always been to explore the great wealth of string quartet repertoire from an historically informed perspective, whether that be using appropriate equipment—gut strings and historical bows—or studying the sources of the time. In this informal lecture-recital, we will discuss our own experience of discovering the music of the Mendelssohn siblings, Beethoven, and the lesser-known Carl Czerny, whose quartets remain unpublished. We will explore the relationship between these composers and the many ways in which they inspired each other. For us as performers, using period instruments and working from parts marked up by the players at the time (including violinist Ferdinand David’s famous blue pencil markings!) has drastically shaped our interpretation of this genre. We will share with you how we aim to capture the sound world and freedom of style that embodies this wonderful music.