«Au origines du quatuor à cordes, voyage au temps de Haydn et Beethoven» With its 28 years of existence, the Liger quartet, based in Nantes, has been revamped in recent years with the arrival of new members around the founding violinist Patrick Févai, allowing the encounter of four personalities from musical universes as eclectic as they are complementary. The Ligers' desire to transcend borders is at the heart of their artistic project. If they continue to resonate their chords along the Loire in traditional concert halls, the Ligers invest more unusual places in search of new audiences to whom they like to transmit their passion for Music. For this Viennese journey in the heart of the 18th century, the Liger quartet chose to interpret the works of these great composers on «period instruments» with strings in guts, and bows of the classical period (1760-1800), to approach a certain authenticity in the musical interpretation. The color of the gut strings and the bouncing lightness of the bows allow a better understanding of the writing of the works, a more thorough work of the articulation most just wanted by the composers, and a highlight of the rhythmic and musical contrasts of this changing era. 1st violin: Solenne Guilbert; 2nd violin: Patrick Févai; Viola: Gwenola Morin; Cello: Cédric Forré PROGRAM: - Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809. Quatuor op 20 n°3 en sol m: Allegro con spirito; Menuetto-trio; Poco adagio; Allegro di molto Haydn’s six Opus 20 quartets, composed in 1772, are considered the first major compositions of the string quartet genre, and make Haydn the undisputed father. Influenced by the current of thought of the «Sturm und Drang» (Storm and Passion) emerging in Europe at that time, Haydn developed compositional techniques that would define the main principles of string quartet writing. In this essentially Viennese current, the minor tone allows to express the passion or the pain, the chiaroscuro, the «strange and unexpected» effects that we find in this quartet in G minor, with a first and last very theatrical movements with dramatic accents, in contrast with the minuet and the slow movement more calm and cantabile. - Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827. Quartet op 18 n°3 en Ré M: Allegro; Andante con molto; Allegro; Presto The string quartets of opus 18 are the very first works for this formation composed by Beethoven in 1798-1799, and dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz, one of his most fervent admirers and supporters. These string quartets are in the continuity of the writing of the genre, inspired by Haydn (whom Beethoven met in 1792) and of which he was largely inspired, at the border between classicism, of which he is the last representative, and the romanticism he brought and developed in the early 19th century. This quartet 3 is actually the very first string quartet composed by Beethoven from a chronological point of view, and also recognized as the composer’s first masterpiece in the genre. Its major tone brings from the first notes a soft and luminous color, which will be quickly contrasted by a quivering frame of the four strings, opposing sound masses, registers, attacks, at times of great refinement.