THE HANGOVER REPORT — ARIEL QUARTET gives a full-bodied account of Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 131 in the Green-Wood catacombs

Presented by Death of Classical, Ariel Quartet performs Beethoven Op. 131 at the Green-Wood Cemetery Catacombs (photo by Steven Pisano).

Last week at the atmospheric catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery, I had the opportunity to catch the acclaimed Ariel Quartet’s account of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131. As typical of Death of Classical presentations, the evening felt more like an encompassing event rather than your run-of-the-mill concert — the uniquely immersive performance was preceded by light charcuterie and a whisky tasting (this time around, the pre-show gathering took place in the cemetery’s beautiful chapel, which was an upgrade to previous concerts), which was followed by a lovely walk to the catacombs through the gorgeous park-like grounds of Green-Wood (alternatively, attendees also had the option of taking a complimentary trolly to the destination).

Written during the twilight of the composer’s life when he was completely deaf, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 131 is a deeply personal masterpiece that mines the dark, tortured recesses of the soul. It’s also a quintessential example of his more somber and introspective late musical style. Comprised of seven movements, the piece is marked by its sprawling structure, considerable technical demands, and searching restlessness. Played continuously as if a single musical fabric, the piece seems a single deep existential musing rather than a patchwork of suggestive thoughts, a characteristic which distinguishes the composition from other quartets. Enhanced by the sublime acoustics of the tunnel-like catacombs, Ariel Quartet’s rendition of the piece was absolutely exquisite, the playing full bodied and assured throughout.

Suffice to say Ariel Quartet — comprised of the instinctual, tight knit group of Alexandra Kazovsky on violin, Gershon Gerchikov also on violin, Jan Grüning on viola, and Amit Even-Tov on violoncello — did the knotted work justice, fully fleshing out its complexity and beauty. Indeed, the players invariably performed with immense feeling and intelligence, conveying Beethoven’s spectrum of probing emotions with complete conviction — beginning austerely in the famously solemn opening fugue (the adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo), continuing with nuanced and insightful playing in the intricate theme and variation movements, and concluding with feverish vigor in the sonata form allegro finale. In summary, it was a cathartic performance of a transcendent piece.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

ARIEL QUARTET: BEETHOVEN’S STRING QUARTET OP. 131
Classical Music
Death of Classical / Green-Wood Cemetery
Performance run time of 45 minutes
Closed

Categories: Music, Other Music

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