Catalogue

Summary:

Following three acclaimed releases for AVIE surveying works by Dvořák, Schubert and contemporary Americans, the San Francisco-based Cypress String Quartet turns to the seminal string quartets of Beethoven, performing the five quartets from the composer’s middle period. Formed in 1996, the Cypresses added Beethoven to their repertoire early on. Their signature sound, which is clear and transparent, built up from the bottom register and layered like a pyramid, lends itself beautifully to the Middle String Quartets – the three “Rasumovskys,” the “Harp,” and the “Serioso.”

Tracklist:

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)

CD 1
String Quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1 “Rasumovsky”
I. Allegro
II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
III. Adagio molto e mesto
IV. Allegro (Thème russe)

CD 2
String Quartet No. 8, Op. 59, No. 2 “Rasumovsky”
I. Allegro
II. Molto Adagio
III. Allegretto
IV. Finale. Presto

String Quartet No. 9, Op. 59, No. 3 “Rasumovsky”
I. Introduzione. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace
II. Andante con moto, quasi Allegretto
III. Menuetto grazioso – Trio
IV. Allegro molto

CD 3
String Quartet No. 10, Op. 74 “Harp”
I. Poco Adagio – Allegro
II. Adagio ma non troppo
III. Presto – Piu presto quasi prestissimo
IV. Allegro con variazioni

String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95 “Serioso”
I. Allegro con brio
II. Allegretto ma non troppo
III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso
IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro

Cypress String Quartet
Cecily Ward, violin
Tom Stone, violin
Ethan Filner, viola
Jennifer Kloetzel, cello

Recorded December 17-19, 2012 (Op. 95); May 16-18, 2013 (Op. 59/3); August.9-11, 2013 (Op. 59/1); December17-20, 2013 (Op. 59/2); July 1-3, 2014 (Op.74), at Skywalker Sound, California
Producer: Cecily Ward
Recording Engineer: Mark Willsher
Assistant Engineers: Judy Kirschner (Op. 59/1); Dann Thompson (Op. 59/2, Op. 59/3, and Op. 74); Robert Gatley (Op. 95)