Cypress Quartet
Announces release of Beethoven Late Quartets Vol. 1
August 25, 2009
Beethoven Late Quartets, Vol. 1
String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
Release date: August 25, 2009
***Audio Album Preview***
www.cypressquartet.com/listen.html
"I've always considered this to be a dark work, tinged with mockery aimed at the face of fate, but the Cypress brought out a light, playful and exuberant tone I never really noticed before in the first movement.The second movement was played with great propulsion, with cellist Jennifer Kloetzel creating great churning currents of sound. The slow movement was played with a tender grace, while the fourth movement's motive wasn't scary, but pugnacious and pushy. It was a terrific reading of the work." Examiner (SF) on a performance by the Cypress of Beethoven's String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
2009-2010 tour cities include: Tuscaloosa and Montevallo, AL; San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Gualala, Saratoga, Carmel, Mill Valley and Manteca, CA; Jacksonville and Sanibel, FL; Augusta, GA; Rockford, IL; Iola and Lawrence, KS; Ruston, LA; Wellesley, MA; Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, and Rolla, MO; Syracuse, NY; Brookings, OR; Harrisburg and Annville, PA
New York, NY--The Cypress String Quartet (Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello) is recording the six quartets written by Beethoven between 1822 and 1826 (historically known as Beethoven's Late Period) for commercial release. The first disc of this three-volume set includes Beethoven's String Quartets in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131 and F Major, Op. 135, both written in 1826. It will be available on iTunes, CDbaby.com, Amazon.com, and other major retailers on August 25, 2009. The disc was produced by Cypress first violinist Cecily Ward, engineered by Mark Willsher, and recorded at Skywalker Sound. Volumes two and three will be released in 2010 and 2011.
The Cypress String Quartet formed in 1996 in San Francisco and during its first rehearsals together created a now-signature sound through intense readings of J.S. Bach's Chorales. Built up from the bottom register of the quartet and layered like a pyramid, the resulting sound is clear and transparent, allowing the texture of the music to be discerned immediately.
Traditionally, Beethoven's complex and epic Late Period quartets are thought to be the territory of older, long-established ensembles, but in their first summer together the Cypress began rehearsing these works immediately, applying the same principles they had discovered in their rehearsals of the music of Bach. Cellist Jennifer Kloetzel explains, "People thought we were crazy, but we wanted to dive right in. We had each been waiting a long time to meet the right people to play this music with, and really saw no reason to postpone it any longer."
For more than a decade since then, the Cypress String Quartet has explored Beethoven's Late quartets in rehearsal and live performance, and in this recording they share what they have discovered. Violinist Tom Stone says, "I think we have revealed Beethoven's general humanity, rather than just his drama and idiosyncrasies. The harmonic structure and form of this music are what we focused on, and I think the result is a recording that glows in a very organic and positive way."
The Cypress String Quartet's unusual approach to their career is informed by their fierce dedication to the ensemble. Violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone were studying with Donald Weilerstein when they held auditions for violists and cellists. Jennifer Kloetzel and Ethan Filner were chosen, relocated to San Francisco to play with the group, and the foursome made a commitment to each other to only perform as a quartet (meaning that they would not take on teaching or freelance jobs as orchestral members or with other chamber ensembles). They realized early on that they needed to create their own performance opportunities and organized as a non-profit - the Cypress Performing Arts Association - rather than signing with a management agency. Eventually, they hired a small administrative staff.
This independent spirit is evident in their music as well. Cecily Ward explains, "We found our common ground in the music. Because we had not all gone to school together and had no common past or anyone shepherding us along, we were forced to find out who we are as an ensemble on our own - both in how we made a career and in how we create our sound."
Now, on top of a busy schedule of over 90 concerts each year at venues across the US and internationally, including major concert halls and series such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival, the Cypress String Quartet is a vibrant member of the San Francisco arts community and is dedicated to reflecting and enriching the city's cultural landscape. During the 2008-2009 season, in addition to several Bay Area performances including a debut on the Cal Performances series in Berkeley, the Cypress returned to the Montalvo Arts Center for a series of eight concerts exploring the Late quartets of Beethoven and the inspirational influence of visual arts on composers from Debussy to George Tsontakis.
Through its Call & Response commissioning and outreach program, the Cypress String Quartet has created a dialogue between the old masters and living composers, performing known and loved repertoire in a fresh context and introducing ground-breaking new works to the chamber music genre. Over just a decade, the Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered more than 25 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music Americas list of 101 Great American Ensemble Works.
In January 2007, the Cypress String Quartet fused tradition with technology in its critically acclaimed premiere of Inspired by America, a spirited multimedia collaboration with best-selling author Jacob Needleman and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Schwarz. Inspired by America combines live music, original film, spoken word and dramatic lighting to present an evocative, thought provoking portrait of the American spirit. As comfortable playing Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven in recital halls as it is being the foundation of multi-media collaborations, the Quartets artistic excellence brings enjoyment, passion and inspiration to every audience.
The Cypress Quartet members trained individually at institutions including The Juilliard School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music. They play exceptional instruments, including violins by Antonio Stradivarius (1681) and Carlos Bergonzi (1733), a viola by Nicolò Amati (1677), and a cello by Hieronymus Amati II (1701).
The Cypress Quartet takes its name from the set of twelve love songs for string quartet, The Cypresses, by Antonin Dvorak.
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Beethoven Late Quartets
Cypress String Quartet
Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello
Release date: August 25, 2009
Album preview: www.cypressquartet.com/listen.html
Tracks:
[1-7] String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
[8-11] String Quartet in F Major, Op. 13
Selected 2009-2010 Concerts
Oct. 2 Lebanon Valley College | Annville, PA
Oct. 6 University of Montevallo | Montevallo, AL
Oct. 8 Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, LA
Oct 10 University of Missouri, KC | Kansas City, MO
Oct. 12 University of Missouri, Columbia | Columbia, MO
Oct. 14University of Missouri, Rolla | Rolla, MO
Oct. 25 Bowlus Fine Arts Center | Iola, KS
Oct. 28 Lied Center of Kansas | Lawrence, KS
Oct. 30 Mendelssohn Performing Arts Ctr. | Rockford, IL
Nov. 1 University of Missouri, St. Louis | St. Louis, MO
Nov. 20 Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Soc. | Augusta, GA
Jan. 6-10 San Jose Chamber Orchestra | San Jose, CA
Jan. 12-15 Residency | Ashland, OR
Jan. 24 Market Square Concerts | Harrisburg, PA
Feb. 13 Four Seasons Concerts | Oakland, CA
Feb. 14 Gualala, CA
Feb. 16 BIG ARTS | Sanibel, FL
Feb. 19 University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL
Mar. 17 Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA
Mar. 20 Chamber Music Syracuse | Syracuse, NY
Apr. 11 Brookings, OR
Apr. 17 Chamber Music Monterey Bay | Carmel, CA
Apr. 18 Mill Valley Chamber Music | Mill Valley, CA
