Cypress Quartet
Four Seasons Arts Presents The Cypress String Quartet
February 13, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 7:30pm
Regents' Theatre at Valley Center for Performing Arts at Holy Names University
3500 Mountain Blvd. | Oakland, CA
Concert Program:
Haydn's String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3, The Bird
Barber's String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11
Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, Death and the Maiden
Tickets: $35–40 at http://fsarts.org/ or 510-845-4444
"artistry of uncommon insight & cohesion" – Gramophone
Cypress Quartet online: www.cypressquartet.com
Oakland, CA– At 7:30pm on Saturday, February 13, the Cypress String Quartet (Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello) will perform at the Regents' Theatre at Valley Center for Performing Arts (3500 Mountain Blvd). Presented by Four Seasons Arts, the concert will include Haydn's String Quartet, Op. 33, No. 3 ("The Bird"); Barber's String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11; and Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor ("Death and the Maiden").
Known for their elegant performances, the Cypress's sound has been called "beautifully proportioned and powerful" by The Washington Post, and the ensemble has been singled out by Chamber Music Magazine as "a Generation X ensemble to watch." In August 2009, the Cypress released a recording of Beethoven's Late Quartets Op. 131 and 135 to critical acclaim. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, "the Cypress players converse with such rare sincerity as to make long-familiar music sound utterly fresh." The recording was also featured in the Denver Post's "Classical music: The year's best discs of 2009." The recording is the first of a three volume set. Volumes two and three will be released in 2010 and 2011. (Review copies of Vol. 1 are available upon request.)
In 1781, Haydn wrote Op. 33 for Grand Duke Paul of Russia – the third Quartet has the nickname, "The Bird," due to the repetitive melody in the violin part in the first movement. Schubert's string quartet No. 14 in D Minor, known as "Death and the Maiden," was written in 1826 and was inspired by the melody that Schubert composed for an art song in 1817 based on a poem by German poet, Matthias Claudius. Samuel Barber wrote String Quartet Op. 11 in 1936, the Adagio section of which he later re-wrote for orchestra. The resulting piece, Adagio for Strings, became one of his most celebrated works.
More about the Cypress String Quartet: 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.
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 in San Francisco when the quartet came together. Jennifer Kloetzel and Ethan Filner relocated to San Francisco to form 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.
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 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America's list of 101 Great American Ensemble Works.
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 Vittorio Bellarosa (1947), 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 Dvořák.
For more information and the Cypress Quartet's most up to date concert schedule, visit www.cypressquartet.com.
