It’s rare that the words “extreme” and “string quartet” are used in the same breath, but for the Emerson String Quartet, the pairing is commonplace. Named for the great philosopher/poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, this band of musicians formed more than 30 years ago. Just how wild and crazy are they? During their debut at Carnegie Hall, the foursome played six works of Bartók, slapped ’em on an album and won a Grammy. In fact, over the decades, the Emerson String Quartet have put out more than 20 albums and won eight Grammys. Known for their passionate and intense presentations of classical music, the group remind us why the genre is timeless.
Tue., Dec. 2, 8 p.m., 2008
