Beethoven String Quartets
The Quatuor Ébène performance at Auditorium Parco della Musica was the “inauguration” of Rome Chamber Music Season. Entitled Beethoven 2027. Complete String Quartets Part I. it’s the first in a series of concerts commemorating the 2027 bicentenary of Beethoven’s birth. The second Ébène concert, Complete String Quartets Part II, will be performed in March. The year 2027 will mark Ludwig van Beethoven’s 257th birthday.
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“International Beethoven Day is celebrated on December 16, commemorating Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Major events worldwide feature performances, competitions, and festivals honoring his music.”
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Last night, Ébène performed:
Quatuor Ébène
“For the past two decades, Ébène Quartet has explored everything from Beethoven and Bartók to Astor Piazzolla and Wayne Shorter. The ensemble’s telepathic understanding, artistic daring, and musical individuality make for edge-of-the-seat concert experiences, intensely focused and touched by visionary insights.”
Over the years, I’ve attended several Ébène Quartet concerts. Musicians in the group change, but their top-notch performances never disappoint. Talented members of the current group include:
Pierre Colombet – Violin
Gabriel Le Magadure – Violin
Marie Chilemme – Viola
Yuya Okamoto – Cello
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“The Ébène Quartet has brought Beethoven’s music to world concert halls for over a decade. The group received the patronage of the Commission Nationale Française de l’UNESCO with their Beethoven Around the World project.”
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Parco della Musica
The venue for the performance – Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone – is “one of Europe’s largest cultural and entertainment centers”. The massive complex hosts dance, theater, and art performances. It’s considered the “most significant urban and cultural project in Rome since the 1960s”. The National Academy of Santa Cecilia, founded in 1585 by Emperor Sixtus V, is headquartered in Parco della Musica.
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“Twenty years ago, Rome decided to give a home to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, its Orchestra and Choir, after seventy years of wandering.” Artribune
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The interesting history of the venue began in 1936. When unearthing the remains of the Mausoleum of Augustus, Mussolini ordered the destruction of Augusteo Auditorium Concert Hall. After the Augusteo was destroyed, Rome began a new project to build today’s Parco della Musica, a world-class auditorium dedicated to music.
The hulking auditorium is located on the outskirts of Rome, and isn’t serviced by Metro. With ridiculously expensive taxi rates, I decided to take a bus instead – maybe a mistake… Rome bus service is a bit sketchy, especially at night, but I finally made it back to my apartment about midnight. It was an evening of magnificent classical music in Rome!