Chiaroscuro Quartet Continues Beethoven Cycle with the Rasumowsky Quartets

New SACD

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Rasumowksy Quartets
String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 No. 1
String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2

Chiaroscuro Quartet
Alina Ibragimova & Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux, Violins
Emilie Hörnlund, Viola
Claire Thirion, Cello

March 2026 | BIS-2688 SACD
Wav Files | Cover | Booklet

“One cannot help but be continually enchanted” – German Radio SWR 2 Kultur on the Ensemble. This sentiment is widely shared: for over 20 years, the Chiaroscuro Quartet  has captivated audiences and press alike.

© Joss McKinley

Following their acclaimed recordings of Op. 74, Op. 130 and Op. 18, the Chiaroscuro Quartet now continues its Beethoven cycle with the first two Rasumowsky Quartets.

Dedicated to the Russian diplomat Count Andrej Rasumowsky, significant patron of the Viennese musical scene, these quartets represent a bold leap in Beethoven’s compositional career. It is thought that the composer may have been encouraged to undertake this ambitious cycle by his close friend, the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh.

With these works, Beethoven liberated the string quartet from the intimacy of aristocratic salons, bringing it decisively into the public concert hall. Their formal daring, expansive structures and radical expressivity initially confounded contemporary audiences, some even dismissing them as the “patchwork of a madman.” Today, they are celebrated as milestones of chamber music and herald a new era in the string quartet repertoire.

Selected Concert Dates
10. April, Heidelberger Frühling | Heidelberg
6. May, Wigmore Hall | London
8. May, Pierre Boulez Saal | Berlin
10. May, Wiener Konzerthaus | Vienna