Haydn’s corpus of nearly 70 string quartets testifies to his standing as the genre’s foundational figure. Without question, the quartets of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and all who have followed over the subsequent two centuries descend from those of Haydn. At this summer’s second Encounter, violinist Aaron Boyd gets under the hood of Haydn’ string quartets, illuminating the compose’s singular ingenuity in this form. This event features live musical illustrations performed by a quartet of festival artists.
This Encounter lecture is preceded by a free afternoon Prelude Performance at 5 p.m. by the 2022 International Program artists. Prelude programs will be announced in May.
About the Encounter Lecture series:
Music@Menlo’s Encounter series of full-evening lectures was inaugurated during the festival’s first season. Designed not for musical experts, but rather for those wishing to become musical experts, the Encounters dive deeply into the themes of each festival. Music@Menlo’s Encounter leaders offer both great expertise and accessible appeal, presenting evenings filled with fascinating facts, musical examples, and often surprising revelations. The series is dedicated to the memory of musicologist Michael Steinberg, who as a regular Encounter leader during the festival’s first decade combined encyclopedic knowledge with enveloping warmth in a way that has set the standard ever since.
View the full 2022 festival program book online, including events listings, program notes, and artist biographies.