Chamber music: Beethoven's shadow

The French composer George Onslow, composing in the shadow of Beethoven, was grappling, like his famous contemporary, with deafness. His was caused by a stray bullet to the head during a walk. Onslow translated his experience from his sickbed into music, giving evocative titles to his string quintet such as Fever and Delirium, Convalescence, and Cure. The listener seems to witness a story unfolding through sounds; this is pure program music. The ...