Beethoven, Britten, and Ligeti

Overview

The range of the French horn was once limited to certain notes and scales before the addition of valves. Beethoven’s Horn Sonata, written for one of the best horn players of the day, defies this reality with virtuosic arpeggios and scales whizzing up and down the instrument. Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet—a set of bold, inventive miniatures—was once censored by the Soviets for being too “dangerous.” And Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2, filled with lyrical melodies and rich Romantic harmonies, stands as a heartfelt tribute to his wife and a cornerstone of the string quartet repertoire.