Fry Street Quartet shows its mastery of Beethoven
The Fry Street Quartet once again showed its artistry as it finished Saturday what it began a week earlier — a marvelous perusal of Beethoven's complete string quartets over six concerts, an event made even more memorable by the fact that this was the first time the cycle was performed in Utah.
A decade after its founding, the group (violinists William Fedkenheuer and Rebecca McFaul; violist Russell Fallstad; and cellist Anne Francis) decided it was time to tackle what arguably is the greatest challenge facing a quartet — performing the complete Beethoven cycle, 16 quartets that span his entire creative life.
These works put players to the test in terms of interpretation, technique and musicianship. And the Fry Sreet Quartet, which is the quartet-in-residence at Utah State University where these concerts took place, made it look easy. They exhibited the highest standards of their craft both weekends. Solid technique, wonderful musicality and fabulous artistry combined to make the six concerts they played special. The Fry Street Quartet is without question to be reckoned with among today's quartets. It has arrived.
The two early op. 18 quartets were played with classically proportioned lines and phrases. But the foursome also drew out the distinctly Beethovian stylistic characteristics that were beginning to manifest themselves in these pieces. Consequently, these readings were infused with a depth of emotion and romantic sentiment that gave them new meaning.
The three middle period works (op. 59 and 74) were played with intensified expressions and a robustness that captured the boldness of the music wonderfully. Yet they also brought out the inherent lyricism of these quartets as well. It was a fine balancing act, but their artistry and interpretative skills are such that the Fry Street Quartet gave superbly crafted three-dimensional readings that were nuanced and sensitive to all the minute details in the scores.
This also held true for the op. 135. Beethoven's last completed quartet, the op. 135 returns to his roots in classicism, but with the expanded vocabulary and thematic material that typify his late works. The op. 135 certainly can't be mistaken for an early quartet, but neither does it conform to the ones immediately preceding it.
The foursome captured this musical dichotomy wonderfully. It was a very expansive reading and very nuanced in terms of dynamics and expression. It was delightfully lucid — seamless, eloquent and, in the slow movement, beguilingly tender and poignant.
Recent comments
I am a student of the Frystreet's at Utah State University and attended…
Tiffany Stamm | Oct. 13, 2008 at 2:38 p.m.
I am a student of the quartet at Utah State and attended every concert…
Tiffany Stamm | Oct. 13, 2008 at 2:33 p.m.
