The Night Shift

Imagine going to listen to classical music but being able to relax. Bring your drink in? Check. Clap and cheer? Sure. Snapchat it to your friends? No problem. Say hello to the Night Shift – classical music, minus the rules.

We're on tour, taking in pubs and gig venues across the UK. Normally in venues like these we might play some Purcell, a bit of Handel or Mozart if you're lucky. But this time things will be different...

The year is 1809, and Napoleon is bombing the heck out of Vienna. While his friends are busy fleeing the city, a surly Beethoven holes up in his brother's basement and complains about the noise. Losing his hearing, friends and money, he writes music that reflects his mood – increasingly heavy, dark, and insecure.

In the second set of this Night Shift, hear Beethoven's String Quartet No.11, Serioso, typical of what Beethoven boffins call his 'middle period' – erratic, experimental and dense.

And then in the first set, our musicians will take you through what (musically speaking) brought Beethoven to that point – Bach, Haydn and Mozart, some music that violinist Matt Truscott describes as 'heavy sh*t'.

Bach Contrapunctus XIX from Art of Fugue
Haydn String Quartet in D minor, Op 103
Satoko Doi-Luck World Premiere
Mozart String Quartet No.14 in D major, K387 (last movement)

Beethoven String Quartet No.11, Op. 95