By Randi Bjornstad

The Delgani String Quartet opens its 2022-23 season on Oct. 14 in Corvallis, continuing on with a concert in Salem on Oct. 15 before returning to Eugene for performances on Oct. 16 and 18 and closing out its first in its new concert series in Portland on Oct. 20.

This first set of shows is called Creative Revolutions, and it features works by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), Béla Bartók (1881-1945) and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Specifically, the choice of works offers a musical listen — and yes, for all you language mavens, “listen” in the context of music apparently has been considered an acceptable noun since 1738, although I’ve never used it as such before — that captures what Delgani refers to as “pivotal moments of artistic breakthrough” in the careers of all three composers.

In Haydn’s case, his Opus 20 No. 4 helped redefine the purpose of the string quartet in the 18th century, moving it from an expectation of “light” music to more meaty, satisfying compositions. Some music critics consider that Haydn’s six string quartets served to “define the medium for the next 200 years.”

For his part, Bartók used his background and talent to musically meld the rich tradition of folk music in his rural Hungarian upbringing with what then was considered “modernist” music, resulting in a distinct new-but-yet-familiar sound.

Works by Beethoven are represented here by his String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Opus 59 No. 2, considered part of the “middle period” of his string quartet compositions. Alexander Wheelock Thayer, a Beethoven biographer, described the second movement as a “contemplation of the starry sky and (Beethoven’s) thoughts of the “music of the spheres,” with its blending of drama and lyricism.

Delgani String Quartet presents Creative Revolutions

When and where:

  • Corvallis — 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14; First Presbyterian Church, 114 SW 8th St., Corvallis, OR 97333
  • Salem — 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15; Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5090 Center St. NE, Salem, OR 97317
  • Eugene — 3 p.m. on Oct. 16 (also virtual); First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1390 Pearl St., Eugene OR 97401
  • Eugene — 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 (also virtual); First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1390 Pearl St., Eugene OR 97401
  • Portland — 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 20; Portland State University, Lincoln Recital Hall, Room 75 (basement level), 1620 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
  • Virtual only, www.delgani.org/live/, both Eugene performances

Tickets and general information: $28 general admission, $5 students includes access to virtual performances and pre-concert activities, available online at delgani.org