Stradivari Anniversary Concert

A recent focus in the Borromeo Quartet's intensive study of composers’ manuscripts is a concentration on the six magisterial quartets of Béla Bartók, including the Fifth Quartet, a landmark Library of Congress Coolidge Foundation commission.

Join us for this unique event—a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear all six Bartók quartets on the Library’s Strads.

Pre-concert lecture at 6:00 PM by Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo String Quartet on "Bartόk: Paths Not Taken."

String Quartet No. 1, Sz. 40

I. Lento
II. Poco a poco accelerando all'allegretto
III. Introduzione. Allegro - Allegro vivace
*Composed in 1909, when Bartók was around 28 years old
30 minutes (approximately)

String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67

I. Moderato
II. Allegro molto capriccioso
III. Lento
*Composed in 1917, when Bartók was around 36 years old
26 minutes (approximately)

INTERMISSION

String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85

I. Prima parte: Moderato
II. Seconda Parte: Allegro
III. Ricapitulazione della prima parte: Moderato
IV. Coda: Allegro molto
*Composed in 1927, when Bartók was around 46 years old
15 minutes (approximately)

String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91

I. Allegro
II. Prestissimo con sordino
III. Non troppo lento
IV. Allegretto pizzicato
V. Allegro molto
*Composed in 1928, when Bartók was around 47 years old
23 minutes (approximately)

INTERMISSION

String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102

I. Allegro
II. Adagio molto
III. Scherzo. Alla bulgarese
IV. Andante
V. Finale. Allegro vivace
*Composed in 1934, when Bartók was around 53 years old
30 minutes (approximately)

String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114

I. Mesto - Più mosso, pesante - Vivace
II. Mesto - Marcia
III. Mesto - Burletta
IV. Mesto
*Composed in 1939, when Bartók was around 58 years old
29 minutes (approximately)