For the Record, Op. 264: Dover Quartet, Sunmi Chang, Michelle Ross
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
The Dover Quartet. Photo by Roy Cox.
Complete Beethoven String Quartets
Dover Quartet
Joel Link, violin
Bryan Lee, violin
Julianne Lee, viola
Camden Shaw, cello
In 2020 - the year that marked the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth - the Dover Quartet embarked on what would be a three-year project to record all 16 of Beethoven's quartets, releasing them in three volumes: Vol. 1: The Opus 18 Quartets, Vol. 2: The Middle Quartets, and Vol. 3: The Late Quartets. This release is a set that includes all three volumes. "It remains difficult to describe the enormity of this Beethoven quartet recording project for us; the sheer effort — the weight of responsibility, the lightness of aspiration — all driving us toward the most thorough and meaningful interpretations we could achieve. Our friendship with this music will remain forever," said a statement by the quartet, which has served as quartet-in-residence at Chicago’s Bienen School of Music at Northwestern and at the Curtis Institute of Music, and holds residencies with the Kennedy Center, Artosphere, and Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. BELOW: Trailer for the first volume:
Mother Tales
Sunmi Chang, violin
Clara Yang, piano
"Mother Tales" pays tribute to four remarkable women composers – Florence Price, Gabriela Lena Frank, Liliya Ugay, and Amy Beach. Notably, the album shares the same title as Liliya Ugay’s commissioned work, an exquisite and heartwarming piece that reflects on motherhood. However, in this project, the concept of a "mother" transcends biological boundaries, encompassing all those who have had a profound influence and nurturing presence in the lives of others. BELOW: Liliya Ugay's "Perpetual Delight":
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Michelle Ross, violin
Odyssey Orchestra, Eric Jacobsen conducting
Here is a new recording of a perennial favorite, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, featuring violinist Michelle Ross, with an orchestra led by conductor Eric Jacobsen. Making it more interesting is why it was created: the recording was made to add to the library of a service called Epidemic Sound, a paid subscription service which provides royalty-free music to "content creators," ie. filmmakers, etc. It was released as part of a new music collection called "Classical Essentials," which also includes works such as Mozart's "Twinkle Variations," and selections from Schumann's "Novelletten." Interestingly, the company states that "this release comes in response to the recent surge in use of classical music in YouTube videos, with a growth of more than 90% in 2022, according to Epidemic Sound’s research." That kind of interest in classical music seems like good news! You can also simply listen to the recording on regular streaming services such as Spotify. BELOW: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons "Autumn": I. Allegro
If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.
You might also like:
- For the Record, Op. 263: Verona Quartet; Jaakko Kuusisto's Symphony Op. 39
- For the Record, Op. 262: ARC Ensemble; 'Maestro' Music of Leonard Bernstein
- For the Record, Op. 261: Anne Sophie Mutter; Nemanja Radulovic; Sacconi Quartet
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December 11, 2023 at 01:05 AM ·
Having "discovered" them on YouTube, I ventured down from Portland to Ashland, Oregon last year to see two consecutive performances (on consecutive days) of the Dover Quartet for the modest admission of about $65 total. (Camden Shaw has family there, as I understand it.) They were absolutely excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed both performances.
Soon after, I purchased all their Beethoven quartets. It's neat to binge listen to them and play more than one quartet, one after another.
Highly recommended.