Cypress Quartet comes full circle (Beethoven Opus 18 Quartets)
When I started interviewing musicians for my audio blog, violinist Tom Stone and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel were among my earliest guests, talking about their recording of Beethoven’s late quartets. Both are back to share their thoughts about their third and final installment: Beethoven’s Opus 18 quartets. Known as “early Beethoven”, the composer seems to be stating right from the first bars of Quartet No. 1, that he has something new to say. Cypress Quartet’s performance illustrates the wide range of emotions expressed by the composer, who at the time of this work had not yet experienced the life-changing effect of deafness. You’ll find a vivacious, optimistic, outgoing young man who could also share intimate thoughts through his writing. This recording was released just a few weeks before the quartet disbanded, so there is a poignancy felt as well in listening through these 6 works, but I can sense also that the individual members still have much they want to say in the world of music.
