The Late Quartets, Vol. 2: Beethoven & Shostakovich Alma Quartet Amsterdam

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130:
• 1 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro 14:12
• 2 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: II. Presto 01:58
• 3 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: III. Andante con moto ma non troppo. Poco scherzoso 06:58
• 4 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai 03:30
• 5 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo 07:06
• Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133:
• 6 Beethoven: Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133 17:44
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133:
• 7 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133: I. Moderato - Allegretto 07:59
• 8 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133: II. Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Allegretto 20:24
• Total Runtime 01:19:51

Info for The Late Quartets, Vol. 2: Beethoven & Shostakovich

Alma Quartet continues its ambitious Late Quartets series by bringing together two extraordinary works that share more than the same opus number. Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130, with the monumental Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, travels from dark humour and gentle melancholy to the profoundly moving Cavatina and a finale that was so radical in 1826 that audiences struggled to comprehend it. Nearly two centuries later, the Grosse Fuge still sounds astonishingly modern - music Stravinsky famously considered “contemporary forever."

Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 12, Op. 133 forms a fascinating counterpart. Built around a twelve-tone series, it transforms an ostensibly modernist technique into music that is lyrical, emotional and surprisingly accessible. Its expansive second movement moves from fierce virtuosity and almost symphonic intensity towards a visceral, liberating conclusion. In Alma Quartet’s hands, these two Opus 133 worlds become part of a larger conversation across time - the second installment of their multi-year project pairing the late quartets of Beethoven and Shostakovich.

Alma Quartet Amsterdam

Alma Quartet Amsterdam was formed in 2014 and quickly gained reputation as one of the most thrilling ensembles in Holland. Their debut album: Schulhoff Complete String Quartets has received stellar international praise. The Gramophone claimed "this set shoots straight to the top" and also admired the quartet for being "capable of the most seductive playing". The album was chosen for the 2017 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 'Bestenliste' and was also featured on several German national radio stations including Deutschlandfunk and SWR2, the latter hailing Alma's Schulhoff cycle as the "new reference recording". It has also received top reviews in the major Dutch newspapers such as NRC Handelsblad, De Volkskrant, and Luister Magazine.

The quartet has performed at prestigious concert halls including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, Süreyya Opera House Istanbul, as well as clubs and other venues such as Volksbühne Berlin, Theaters Tilburg, Paradiso, Melkweg, Sugarfactory, TrouwAmsterdam, Bimhuis and MCO Hilversum.

They have played during captivating events and festivals such as String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Schumannfest Düsseldorf, Festival Salon-de-Provence, Amsterdam Dance Event, XJazz Festival Berlin, Down The Rabbit Hole, Beyond the Pale Festival Ireland, Pop-Kultur Festival Berlin, Theater Spektakel Zurich and TEDx Amsterdam.

Alma Quartet has collaborated with diverse artists such as Klaus Mäkelä, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili, Martin Fröst, Denis Kozhukhin, Amihai Grosz, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Samuel Adams, Fabio di Càsola, Milica Djordjevic, Jörgen van Rijen, Hauschka, Julien Libeer, Lavinia Meijer, Ramon van Engelenhoven, Bugge Wesseltoft, Su Yeon Kim, Frank Braley, Mahsa Vahdat, Alma Sadé, Nicolas van Poucke, Ella van Poucke, Dominic Seldis, Caspar Vos, Nino Gvetadze and Frank Lammers.

This album contains no booklet.