Beethoven Quartets, Vol. 2: Middle String Quartets

September 13, 2024

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The second in their award winning series, the Calidore Quartet return with a three disc album of the Middle Quartets. Their Beethoven performances have been described as ‘shockingly deep’ by LA Times. The first album of Late Quartets won the Chamber Music Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2024. Their interpretation is informed by their diverse set of mentors which include Alban Berg, Emerson, Guarneri and yet still uniquely representing the sentiments, aesthetics and research of their generation. Their interpretations of Beethoven are already critically acclaimed with performances at the Lincoln Centre planned as part of their residency.

Acclaim
November 1, 2024

“The works played here reflect the intense experimentalism of Beethoven’s middle years – the leading Viennese critic of the day declared the ‘Razumovskys’ ‘not generally comprehensible’ – and the Calidore Quartet are well up to all the challenges…this album set is highly collectible.”

“The works played here reflect the intense experimentalism of Beethoven’s middle years – the leading Viennese critic of the day declared the ‘Razumovskys’ ‘not generally comprehensible’ – and the Calidore Quartet are well up to all the challenges…this album set is highly collectible.”

Michael Church
,
BBC Music
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Feature
November 1, 2024

Balancing the Light and the Dark

As a group, we worked very hard to find a stylistic and sound aesthetic that was different but related when moving from the early quartets to the late quartets, because we also wanted our sound concept to evolve toward the later works that point toward Romanticism. And we also wanted to honor the traditions of the Classical style, which we studied quite a lot, and to emphasize the idea that all of these influences were in one person and to show where Beethoven went with them.

As a group, we worked very hard to find a stylistic and sound aesthetic that was different but related when moving from the early quartets to the late quartets, because we also wanted our sound concept to evolve toward the later works that point toward Romanticism. And we also wanted to honor the traditions of the Classical style, which we studied quite a lot, and to emphasize the idea that all of these influences were in one person and to show where Beethoven went with them.

Thomas May
,
Strings Magazine
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Feature
October 1, 2024

Recording of the Month

"What cannot be denied is the sophistication and sheer polish — in tuning, rhythm and ensemble — of the Calidore's Beethoven." & "...Beethoven-playing of rare vividness and technical aplomb."

"What cannot be denied is the sophistication and sheer polish — in tuning, rhythm and ensemble — of the Calidore's Beethoven." & "...Beethoven-playing of rare vividness and technical aplomb."

Martin Cullingford
,
Gramophone
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Acclaim
September 8, 2024

The Very High Class of Calidore

"Guest artists from the American west coast, the Calidore Quartet, launched the season under the best auspices.Sunday's program was unforgiving, with two Beethoven quartets, Opus 18 no. 4 and Opus 127, and Korngold's 3rd Quartet. The Calidore Quartet is certainly among the ensembles most likely to serve up unforgettable experiences. From the outset, in Opus 18 no. 4, we are struck by a form of sonic sweetness. The Calidores are not those who will physically fight with music, but rather play with it." & On Korngold: "Coming from Hollywood, the Calidore Quartet magnificently played the (serious) setting and this duality of the in-between worlds."

"Guest artists from the American west coast, the Calidore Quartet, launched the season under the best auspices.Sunday's program was unforgiving, with two Beethoven quartets, Opus 18 no. 4 and Opus 127, and Korngold's 3rd Quartet. The Calidore Quartet is certainly among the ensembles most likely to serve up unforgettable experiences. From the outset, in Opus 18 no. 4, we are struck by a form of sonic sweetness. The Calidores are not those who will physically fight with music, but rather play with it." & On Korngold: "Coming from Hollywood, the Calidore Quartet magnificently played the (serious) setting and this duality of the in-between worlds."

,
Le Devoir
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