Cypress String Quartet - Beethoven: The Middle String Quartets

Following three acclaimed releases for AVIE surveying works by Dvor�k, Schubert and contemporary Americans, The San Francisco-based Cypress String Quartet turns to the seminal string quartets of Beethoven, performing the five quartets from the composer's middle period.

Formed in 1996, the Cypresses added Beethoven to their repertoire early on. Their signature sound, which is clear and transparent, built up from the bottom register and layered like a pyramid, lends itself beautifully to the Middle String Quartets - the three Rasumovskys, the Harp, and the Serioso.

Personnel: Cecily Ward, Tom Stone (violin), Ethan Filner (viola), Jennifer Kloetzel (cello)

Critical acclaim for the Cypress String Quartet:

A tender, deeply expressive interpretation. - The New York Times (on Schubert's String Quintet)

Arresting clarity of sound...this young quartet is among the most impressive I have heard...[combining] the utmost scrupulousness and seriousness with a sense of discovery. - Stereophile

Intensity that will melt your heart. - Fanfare