Search - Euclid Quartet :: String Quartets 2, 4 & 6

A great treat from a rising American quartet, in fantastic s

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/01/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here's a stunning new American quartet, formed in 1998, whose members come from the U.S., England, China, and Venezuela -- would it be fair to call them our first global string quartet? I had never heard of the Euclid, which comes, somewhat improbably, out of Kent State Univ. their name refers to Euclid Ave. in Cleveland, known to trivia hobbyists as the street where severance Hall is located, home of the Cleveland Orch. The group has won prizes and since 2006 has participated at the Aspen Music Festival.



No one would imagine that Bartok's quartets need a new recording, but in Qts. #2, #4, and #6 the Euclids bring to bear some toustanding qualities. the recorded sound is gorgeous, far and away the best I've ever heard in these works; it leaves the muzzy Alban Berg Qt. recording on EMI and the overly bright, even glaring Emerson Qt. version on DG in the dust, notwithstanding that both are outstanding accounts musically. Secondly, the Euclids are individual players with a compelling, even ravishing sound. You can taste the timbre of each instrument. finally, they are so skilled that these difficult works come off as second nature. This is a testament, I think, to a younger generation of post-Kronos, post-Emerson quartets who consider their calling to be hip. At their website the Euclids pose with the buzz cuts and body-hugging couture one might see on a sunny day along the Left Bank in Paris.



I don't know what tis group would do in late Beethoven or Mozart, but Bartok's quartets are amenable to to the kind of clean, precise, highly articulated style that the Euclids share with the Emersons. They are less aggressive, more witty and varied, and meticulous about capturing every hairpin turn in mood and texture, of which these three works are full to the brim. I won't detail the three performances, because anyone interested in the Euclid Qt. is highly likely to already know Bartok's output. If you fall into that category, here's a real treat awaiting you."