Portsmouth Chamber Music Series – Mozart, Beethoven & Grieg

The Engegård String Quartet play Portsmouth Guildhall on Monday 30 November, as part of the Portsmouth Chamber Music Series. It's a three-work programme that pulls from the quartet's two main worlds: the Austro-German tradition of Mozart and Beethoven, and the Norwegian music they've made a career of championing.

They open with Mozart's String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421, which runs about 33 minutes. That's followed by Beethoven's String Quartet No.11, Op.95, known as the Serioso—a shorter, 20-minute piece that earns its name from its lean, intense character. The second half belongs to Grieg, whose only completed string quartet also clocks in at 33 minutes. It's a work he wrote with the hardanger fiddle—Norway's traditional folk fiddle—in mind, and you can hear that influence in the way it evokes singing, dancing and quarrelling in a distinctly Norwegian musical language.

The programme gathers the different strands of the group's life into one night. They've spent years working through Mozart and Beethoven, and they've just come off releasing a complete recorded cycle of Mozart's string quartets. Grieg, on the other hand, is the home turf they're known for. The Engegård are a multi-award-winning Norwegian quartet, and their commitment to their own country's music is a big part of why they're here.

The concert is presented by Music in the Round and The Guildhall Trust as part of the Portsmouth Chamber Music Series, which is built around the idea of sitting just a few metres away from some of the world's finest chamber musicians. Seating is unreserved, and under-14s need to be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are £23 full price and £21 for concessions. If you're planning on seeing more of the series, there's a 20% discount for all six concerts, which works out to £110.40, or £100.80 for concessions. Doors open at 7pm, and the music starts at 7:30pm.