Celebrity Series of Boston presents Meta4: For Those Departed

Renowned for their openness, curiosity, and versatility, Finnish quartet Meta4 makes their Celebrity Series debut with a program steeped in remembrance and reflection. They begin with an evocative work by Kaija Saariaho, a composer with whom they’re deeply associated. Saariaho’s second string quartet, bearing the descriptive name “Terra Memoria” and the dedication “For Those Departed,” sets a poignant tone for the program.

Shostakovich’s Fourth Quartet, written in memory of a friend and composed during a period of Stalinist repression, sets a lamenting yet somber and restrained tone. Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, with a third movement that ranks among the most sublime in classical music, offers a final hymn of thanksgiving.