Takács Quartet & Angie Milliken

The Takács Quartet shines through masterpieces by Beethoven and Haydn framing a new commission from Australian composer Cathy Milliken, inspired by Bertholt Brecht’s ‘Sonnet of an Emigrant’.

Narrated by Angie Milliken. Expect music to console, to inspire and to make sense of an ever-shifting world.

The string quartets of Haydn and Beethoven are at the heart of the chamber music repertoire, works to which we return time and again, because they are, quite simply, timeless. Haydn’s ‘Rider’ Quartet, written by a master at the peak of his powers, and Beethoven’s third ‘Razumovsky’ Quartet have been a solace to generations of musicians forced to leave their homes in times of war, including many of the founding members of Musica Viva Australia.

But, over time, everything changes.

No one knows this better than the Takács Quartet. Formed in 1975 by four students of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, this much-loved ensemble has remade itself artistically, geographically and personally across five decades on the classical stage. Now, in its 50th year, the Quartet returns to Australia with undimmed brilliance to present a major new work for string quartet and spoken voice.