How to be revolutionary without scaring away your public? How to announce yourself as a new broom without alienating the more stalwart connoisseurs? Beethoven faced these problems when presenting his first six string quartets for publication as opus 18; did he win his public and allay their fears with his choice of opening? The Wilhelm Quartet will present the evidence.

The Wilhelm Quartet comprises Marciana Buta (violin), Charlotte Skinner (violin), Daisy Spiers (viola) and Hetty Snell (cello).

This is a part of Christopher's 2011–12 series of lectures, The Making of a Masterpiece, in which he examines a number of acknowledged masterpieces, but each from a select angle only - their scoring, compactness, virtuosity, accessibility, memorability or other flavour.