One hundred and fifty years ago, on 6 March 1825, Beethoven's Quartet in E flat was heard publicly for the first time in Vienna - the first in a series of five great string quartets that were to be his crowning achievement.
This week, on consecutive evenings, BBC2 presents the complete cycle (Op 127-135) recorded by The Aeolian Quartet who begin the series tonight with this
String Quartet in E flat, Op 127
Lighting SAM BRANTER Sound JEFF BAKER
Director RODNEY GREENBERG
Tomorrow at 10.25: B flat. Op 130. A BBC Music Guide on Beethoven's Quartets, by Basil Lam , is in preparation