Written in the same year, in the same city, by two of history's most prominent musical figures, Schubert's String Quartet No. 15 in G major and Beethoven's final string quartet, No. 16, shares much overlap despite the fact that the two men likely never met. This intriguing Bridge album encourages listeners to compare the sometimes subtle similarities and equally stark differences in these two quartets whose authors shared a mutual admiration but approached the string quartet from different directions. The Schubert quartet ...
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Written in the same year, in the same city, by two of history's most prominent musical figures, Schubert's String Quartet No. 15 in G major and Beethoven's final string quartet, No. 16, shares much overlap despite the fact that the two men likely never met. This intriguing Bridge album encourages listeners to compare the sometimes subtle similarities and equally stark differences in these two quartets whose authors shared a mutual admiration but approached the string quartet from different directions. The Schubert quartet is filled with energy and sharp contrasts, while Beethoven's focuses more on the fine level of detail and intimacy he had mastered in his string quartet writing. Performing these magnificent works is the New Orford String Quartet, an ensemble that shares many of the positive attributes of the original Orford String Quartet. The group's two violinists, who share duties on the first stand, possess a bright, penetrating sound that is tempered by the punchy, rich tone produced by cellist...
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