Janáček String Quartet No 2 ‘Intimate Letters’
Smetana String Quartet No 1 ‘From My Life’
Beethoven String Quartet in E minor Op 59 No 2

The Takács Quartet is respected worldwide for its lucid, dramatic performances and technical brilliance. The quartet's two Festival concerts contrast glittering Czech masterpieces with powerfully moving works by Beethoven.

The centrepiece of the ensemble's opening concert is Smetana's 'From My Life', a deeply Romantic, intimately autobiographical work. Janáček's passionate 'Intimate Letters' was inspired by unrequited love, and the Takács players end their first concert with the mystery and contemplation of Beethoven's second 'Razumovsky' quartet.

This concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.