By Shala Carlson

Few look to the realm of classical composition for a bona fide blockbuster any more, but this weekend the University of New Orleans hosts the second half of what some have called the Olympics of chamber music: a series of concerts devoted entirely to the 16 string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven. Back in December, the UNO Music Department presented the first half of this extremely rare series of concerts that is built to showcase what is considered to be the greatest body of work for the string quartet written by any one composer. Friday through Sunday, the New York-based, all-female Colorado String Quartet returns to complete the task.

Colorado String Quartet violinist Julie Rosenfeld finds endless fascination in the way Beethoven's loss of hearing affected his writing through the years and sees the quartets as a spiritually uplifting body of work. "I think that we see, through his quartets, this incredible giving of himself to humanity," says Rosenfeld. "There's a quote from Beethoven, saying that those of you who divine the meaning of my music are delivered from the misery that is this existence. I think that's a very powerful thing."

Anyone who loves live music performances will benefit from this opportunity. "In a city that loves to go hear ensembles, people really enjoy the interaction," says Jeff Cox, chair of the UNO Music Department. "This is sort of one of the ultimate interactions. To me it is so rare, it is so exciting, to be able to go and realize that this small and subtle experience in a classical world is here for you with one of the world's greatest geniuses of music."

Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 UNO faculty, staff and alumni; $10 seniors, and $5 students. For more information, call the UNO Department of Music at 280-6381.

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