Ligeti's String Quartet No. 2, according to Quartet Integra's Kyoka Misawa, is "wild and destructive, yet it holds a kind of breathtaking beauty," despite the common perception of contemporary music as difficult.
Composition History
Beethoven's String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135, featured on this album, was his last published work, written in 1826, and premiered in 1828, a year after his death.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Zipper Hall at Colburn School, a venue known for its magnificent acoustic space, which Yarlung Records has used for many previous recordings.
Compositional Technique
David S. Lefkowitz's "Green Mountains, Now Black" incorporates quotations from Monteverdi's operas, "Orfeo" and "The Coronation of Poppea," including the famous love duet.
Performer Biography
Quartet Integra, an international ensemble with members from Japan and Korea, is lauded as the most exciting ensemble to emerge from Japan since the Tokyo String Quartet formed in 1969.
Album & Artwork
The album cover features an image of the Toyosaki Kompira Shrine Torii Gate on Hokkaido, symbolizing a portal to the sacred in Shintoism, connecting everyday reality with transcendence.
