SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER, 8pm
Methodist Church, Wine St, Sligo

Haydn String Quartet 'The Bird'
Les Vendredis*
Rimsky-Korsakov Allegro in B flat
Borodin Scherzo
Tchaikovsky String Quartet No. 3

Opening the concert is Haydn's String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 from a collection now recognised as the first true string quartet masterpieces. This quartet was probably nicknamed 'The Bird' on account of the trills and 'chirping' sounds on the first violin.

On hearing his third quartet premièred during a soirée at Nikolai Rubinstein's apartment, Tchaikovsky remarked 'At first I didn't much like the Finale, but now I see that it is quite good.'

Tickets: €20 (students €10)
Booking: The Hawk's Well Theatre 071 916 1518

*Les Vendredis
The 'Beliayev Fridays' were a feature of St. Petersburg's music scene in the late 19th century. With composers including Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Taneyev and Skryabin in attendance, the music making usually went on until the small hours. Notes have been preserved in which Mr. Beliayev, a well known patron of the arts, set down precisely the program of his musical parties. Usually, four or five quartets were performed, augmented with several chamber instrumental pieces and some piano music. Compositions dedicated to celebration days, creative impromptus, and musical gifts were often a result of the joint efforts of composers of the Beliayev Circle. 'The Fridays' has since become a popular collection of musical surprises and offerings that were presented at some of the parties.