At the end of 1809, Ludwig van Beethoven was commissioned to compose music for J.W. von Goethe’s drama Egmont. This was the impetus for the last great creative wave of his middle period. Many of the works written at this time, especially the chamber music, make the years 1809-1812 the most romantic period of the composer’s life.

The String quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, written in 1810, is saturated with heroic ideas, melodiousness, grandeur, bold contrasts, and the ideas of Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), declaring the triumph of creation and its renewal. Beethoven’s shortest quartet, Serioso (Serious), eventually took its title from the tempo indication at the beginning of the third movement. This movement was also notable at the time for its complex harmonic language, illustrating the composer’s attempts to deconstruct traditional solutions.

On the Lithuanian National Philharmonic stage, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra performs the quartet’s version for string orchestra. Martynas Stakionis, a young Lithuanian conductor who has successfully performed abroad and is confidently diving into international musical waters, graces the conductor’s podium.