Eybler Quartet - Beethoven String Quartets Op. 18, Nos. 4-6 (2019) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Opus 18 needs little introduction and is often revered as demonstrating Beethoven’s total mastery of the Classical String Quartet. The Eybler Quartet completes its exploration of these iconic quartets in an album that showcases radiantly Beethoven’s fiendishly difficult tempi and his genius for finding contrast within a single pulse as well as highlighting the depths of his humour, wit and irony. This second volume features the String Quartets nos. 4-6.

The Eybler Quartet came together in 2004 to explore the works of the first century -and-a-half of the string quartet and plays on instruments appropriate to the period of the music it performs. The Toronto-based ensemble’s live performances have consistently garnered praise as “glowing and committed”, “spirited” and “lively and energizing”. The Eybler Quartet harnesses a unique combination of talents and skills: razor-sharp ensemble skills, technical prowess, expertise in period instrument performance and an unquenchable passion for the repertoire.

The group’s five other recordings feature world premieres of Eybler’s Opus 1, world premieres of Backofen quintets coupled with Mozart’s clarinet quintet featuring Jane Booth, Haydn's six quartets Op. 33, complete on 2 CDs, the world premiere of Johann Baptist Vanhal’s op. 6 on period instruments and volume one of Beethoven’s Opus 18 the companion to the present album.

Tracklist:
01. String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: I. Allegro ma non tanto
02. String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: II. Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
03. String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: III. Menuetto-Allegro
04. String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: IV. Allegretto
05. String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5: I. Allegro
06. String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5: II. Menuetto
07. String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5: III. Andante cantabile
08. String Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5: IV. Allegro
09. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: I. Allegro con brio
10. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: II. Adagio ma non tanto
11. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: III. Scherzo-Allegro
12. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: IV. La Malinconia. Adagio-Allegretto quasi allegro

Personnel:
Eybler Quartet:
Aisslinn Nosky, violin
Julia Wedman, violin
Patrick Jordan, viola
Margaret Gay, cello