Benjamin Britten
Three Divertimenti for String Quartet

Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in B-flat major Hob. III:44 Op. 50/1

Josef Suk
Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale "St Wenceslas" for String Quartet Op. 35a

Antonín Dvořák
String Quartet in E-flat major Op. 51

Josef Suk’s close bond with his composition teacher Antonín Dvořák was not merely artistic—he was also his older colleague’s son­-in-­law. The Heath Quartet juxtaposes Dvořák’s String Quartet Op. 51, known as the “Slavonic” due to its many allusions to Czech folk music, with Suk’s meditation on an ancient chorale for Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. Written on the eve of World War I, the composition is a plea for peace and protection as well as an expression of new­ found Czech patriotism. Works by Benjamin Britten and Joseph Haydn complete the program.