Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Calidore String Quartet
Number of Discs: 3
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Signum
Catalogue: SIGCD733
Release: 2023
Size: 3.49 gB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127
01. I. Maestoso
02. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
03. III. Scherzando vivace
04. IV. Finale. Allegro
String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
05. I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
06. II. Allegro molto vivace
07. III. Allegro moderato
08. IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
09. V. Presto
10. VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
11. VII. Allegro
CD 02
String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat major, Op. 130
01. I. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro
02. II. Presto
03. III. Andante con moto ma non troppo. Poco scherzando
04. IV. Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai)
05. V. Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo)
06. Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133
String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat major, Op. 130
07. VI. Finale. Allegro
CD 03
String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132
01. I. Assai sostenuto – Allegro
02. II. Allegro ma non tanto
03. III. Molto adagio
04. IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace
05. V. Allegro appassionato
String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135
06. I. Allegretto
07. II. Vivace
08. III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
09. IV. Grave ma non troppo tratto – Allegro
The Calidore Quartet return to Signum Classics for the first instalment of their Beethoven Cycle: The Late Quartets.
Their interpretation is informed by their diverse set of mentors, which include Alban Berg, Emerson, Guarneri, and yet still uniquely represents the sentiments, aesthetics and research of their generation. Their interpretations of Beethoven are already critically acclaimed, with future performances planned at prestigious venues to be announced.
“[Their Beethoven performance’s] were shockingly deep. I’ve never heard a quartet so young get so inside this ultimately inscrutable music” – LA Times
There is absolutely no shortage of Beethoven string quartet recordings, and a new set by the promisingly awarded but not terribly well-known Calidore String Quartet may not stir up much interest. Furthermore, the group plunges in with the late quartets for its opening volume; many quartets wait until well into mid-career to take on these profound works, but anyone giving this set a miss will be deprived of an extraordinary chamber music experience. The players have clearly thought through every phrase of the music, with electric results. Sometimes it is a matter of sheer clarity. Consider the difficult Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, all too often a mass of undifferentiated sound. Listeners may be surprised to find that the Calidore’s performance is half a minute faster than average, even with the careful separation of the polyphonic lines. Beethoven’s transcendent simple melodies and soaring variation sets are deeply felt; the magnificent Lydian prayer of the middle movement of the String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, is never overdone and is gripping indeed. In general, the Calidore String Quartet leans toward delicacy rather than extremity. Consider the Scherzo of the String Quartet No. 15 in F major, Op. 135, where the abrupt flat seventh unison is done in such a way that it can fade gracefully back to normalcy. Possibly those who prefer really radical versions of these works may find the Calidore a bit sedate, but there are so many wonderful moments to discover that even those listeners should hear these recordings. This is not the Calidore String Quartet’s debut release, but it announces a major new presence on the chamber music scene.