Sacconi Quartet & Tom Morris: Beethoven in the Dark

This two-part concert begins with a conversation and intimate musical performance which will plunge you into the centre of the sound of one of the most extraordinary pieces of musical technology ever invented, the string quartet, and culminate in one of the greatest pieces ever written for it, Opus 131.

Enhanced by lighting and elements of theatricality and played from memory by the virtuosic Sacconi String Quartet, this evening is created in collaboration with theatre and opera director Tom Morris (War Horse, Touching the Void, Death of Klinghoffer, L’Orfeo) and lighting designer Mike Gunning (Grace Jones on Tour).

“I loved the music so much I wanted to jump into it and disappear”
-Audience member, Bristol Proms, 2014

“I felt as if the musicians were reading my mind”
-Audience member, Bristol Old Vic, 2011.

"There is an intensity to playing op. 131 even in a conventional setting, with the manuscript and stage lights. Remove the music stands and plunge us into the dark, and this intensity is heightened. Our awareness of each other has to be even greater. We are listening out for each other’s breath, not just musical gestures. Performing like this is never the same, but time often compresses and forty minutes feels like a few seconds. We are fully present in the moment and the experience of playing as one.” Sacconi Quartet 2022

Concession tickets are available for under 16s, full time students, senior citizens (aged 65+), registered unemployed and registered disabled. Concessions are also available for residents of CT19 & CT20 postcodes too - but please be prepared to show proof of address on arrival.

www.sacconi.com
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