Credits:

Beethoven (1770-1827)

Description:

The third volume of the high-functioning ensemble led by James Ehnes! Nos. 12 and 14 from the string quartet collection recorded during the Beethoven Year! With overwhelming acclaim, including "one of the perfect violinists on the planet" (The Daily Telegraph), and a stunning "Best Instrumental Performance" at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019 for Aaron Jay Kernis' Violin Concerto (ONYX4189), Canada's virtuoso violinist James Ehnes. The Dream Team" (Stanford University Press, USA) is a group of virtuoso violinists, including Richard (Yonge) O'Neill, who performed with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra to great acclaim in 2015, and Amy Schwartz Moretti, who performed a stunning duo with Ehnes in the Bartók Duet Collection (CHAN 10820). The recording project planned for the Beethoven year of 2020 was forced to change due to COVID-19, and the recording in the UK was abandoned.Instead, the recording was done in the U.S., and the session was monitored in real time from London by the famous British recording producer Simon Kiln (who has been involved in over 400 recordings for many labels, and is also responsible for Ehnes' major albums), taking advantage of modern technology. This is the second recording from a session in which all of the string quartets from Op. 74 onward were recorded in a two-week period. Says Ames, "It was an intense two weeks, but the four CDs we have recorded will remind us of a brief period of artistic fulfillment and peaceful moments at a time when the world is in a terrible state." Tokyo M-Plus

Tracklisting:

1.String Quartet No. 12 in E flat Op. 127~I. Maestoso - Allegro
2.String Quartet No. 12 in E flat Op. 127~II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Andante con moto - Adagio molto espressivo - Tempo I
3.String Quartet No. 12 in E flat Op. 127~III. Scherzando: Vivace
4.String Quartet No. 12 in E flat Op. 127~IV. Allegro - Allegro comodo
5.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressivo
6.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~II. Allegro molto vivace
7.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~III. Allegro moderato - Adagio
8.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Piu mosso - Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice - Allegretto
9.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~V. Presto - Molto poco adagio
10.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
11.String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131~VII. Allegro