Arts Atlanta: Vega String Quartet Performs Beethoven work originally dedicated to George Bridgetower, the violinist who premiered the work with Beethoven

Arts Atlanta: Vega String Quartet
(Credit: DomBrothers Photography)

George Bridgetower

A detailed historical essay is found on the George Bridgetower page at AfriClassical.com. Its author is our principal adviser, Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

Arts Atlanta

Vega Quartet closes Emerson Series with works by Haydn, Janáček and Beethoven

May 5, 2015

By Mark Gresham

(Excerpt)

The String Quartet No. 1 of Czech composer Leoš Janáček closed the first half of the program.  It was inspired by Leo Tolstoy's novella, The Kreutzer Sonata, which was itself inspired by Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9, familiarly known as the "Kreutzer Sonata," because Beethoven dedicated it to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer.  However, Kreutzer never played Beethoven's piece.  It was originally dedicated to violinist George Bridgetower, who premiered it witgh Beethoven, but immediately after the concert, over a few drinks, Bridgetower insulted the moral behavior of a woman whom Beethoven adored.  Enraged, Beethoven changed the dedication.