Ariel Quartet - Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2 (2025) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

The Ariel Quartet (Alexandra Kazovsky, violin; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; Jan Grüning, viola; and Amit Even-Tov, cello) – distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight, and impassioned performances – will release the complete Beethoven String Quartets over two years on the Orchid Classics label, culminating in 2027, the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death. The Quartet released the first volume of the series on April 4, 2025, and will release volume two on November 7, 2025, with volume three arriving in June 2026 and a special box set release in March 2027.

Volume two of the cycle, recorded across three CDs, includes Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartets – String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 No. 1; String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 No. 3; and String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 – as well as his String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74; and String Quartet No.11 in F minor, Op. 95, “Quartetto serioso.” The first single from the album, movement one of Op. 95, is available now.

The Ariel Quartet’s first volume of this Beethoven Cycle has been met with considerable critical acclaim, with positive reviews in The New York Times, Gramophone, The Whole Note, Classical Voice of North America, and more. Richard Wigmore wrote in Gramophone magazine that the album included, “supremely skillful, deeply considered performances . . . no one could deny the physical and intellectual energy of the Ariel’s playing, or their sheer technical brilliance.”

Formed when the members were just teenagers studying at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance in Israel, the Ariel Quartet has a long history with the quartets of Beethoven. His String Quartet in C minor, Op.18 No.4 was the very first piece that the group tackled together as thirteen year olds, and the members credit the work for hooking them on the genre, for life.

The Quartet recounts an early experience with Beethoven’s Op. 59, the Razumovsky Quartets, which left a long-lasting impression. They write, “A memorable milestone in our personal journey with Beethoven was a concert at Frankfurt’s Kaisersaal during the 1999-2000 season, where we performed all three Razumovsky Quartets in a single evening. At sixteen, we approached the challenge with youthful excitement, and through countless hours in rehearsal we began to understand the depth and demands of this music – gradually developing not only the stamina, but the artistic maturity required to bring over two hours of this intricate music to life. Youthful enthusiasm (let’s be honest: fearlessness) alone allowed us to commit to the repertoire for this important concert without hesitation – and luckily, all went well. In hindsight, preparing this music for increasingly demanding opportunities played a crucial role in forging a confident and lasting relationship with this extraordinary canon.”

In 2013 to mark its 15th anniversary, the Ariel Quartet performed its first complete Beethoven cycle – a landmark for the group, which has been performing Beethoven’s music since its inception. Since then, the Ariel has performed the complete cycle on six occasions throughout the United States and Europe. They view the complete quartets as part of their personal life-long journey reflected in Beethoven’s music – works that are interwoven with the evolution of the string quartet genre as well as the group’s own genesis story.

Tracklist:
CD1
01 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 _Razumovsky No. 1__ I. Allegro
02 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 _Razumovsky No. 1__ II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
03 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 _Razumovsky No. 1__ III. Adagio molto e mesto
04 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 _Razumovsky No. 1__ IV. Thème russe. Allegro
05 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 _Razumovsky No. 3__ I. Introduzione. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
06 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 _Razumovsky No. 3__ II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
07 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 _Razumovsky No. 3__ III. Minuet
08 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 _Razumovsky No. 3__ IV. Allegro molto

CD2
01 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 _Razumovsky No. 2__ I. Allegro
02 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 _Razumovsky No. 2__ II. Molto adagio
03 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 _Razumovsky No. 2__ III. Allegretto
04 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 _Razumovsky No. 2__ IV. Finale. Presto

CD3
01 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 _Harp__ I. Poco adagio - Allegro
02 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 _Harp__ II. Adagio ma non troppo
03 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 _Harp__ III. Presto
04 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 _Harp__ IV. Allegretto con variazioni
05 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 _Serioso__ I. Allegro con brio
06 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 _Serioso__ II. Allegretto ma non troppo
07 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 _Serioso__ III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
08 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 _Serioso__ IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato


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