| Label: NAXOS Catalog: 8559628 Format: CD Cypress String QuartetWholenote Discoveries - September 2009
The Cypress String Quartet’s recording of Benjamin Lees’ String Quartets Nos. 1, 5 and 6 is a great introduction to the chamber music of a composer better known for larger works, most recently the Grammy nominated Symphony No. 5 and the Violin Concerto. These quartets date from 1952, 2002 and 2005 respectively and give a good idea of where Lees was coming from – he was 28 when the first quartet was written – and where is now. Interestingly, the fifth was written for the Cypress Quartet’s “Call and Response” series, where a composer is asked to create a work influenced by two standard quartet pieces which would be performed alongside the premiere, in this case quartets of Shostakovich and Britten. The lyricism of this work is juxtaposed with the more abrasive Sixth Quartet. David Olds Price: $19.98 |