Harvard Memorial Church
The Rita E. Hauser Forum for the Arts: The Eybler Quartet
All the Feelings: The Embodiment of Passion in the String Quartet in the 18th Century
Join the Eybler Quartet for a lively investigation of their creative process, which draws not only upon the music of the 18th century, but also uses the aesthetic, interpretive tools of the period. Suzannah Clark will join the Eyblers to animate the discussion as they delve into Mozart’s “Dissonance” quartet, exploring the emotional content of the music and its physical embodiment.
About the Performers
The Eybler Quartet came together in late 2004 to explore the works of the first century and a half of the string quartet, with a healthy attention to lesser known composers such as their namesake, Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler. The group brings a unique combination of talents and skills: razor-sharp ensemble skills, technical prowess, expertise in period instrument performance and an unquenchable passion for the repertoire. The Toronto-based ensemble’s live performances have consistently garnered praise as “glowing and committed”, “spirited” and “lively and energizing”. Their recording of Joseph Haydn’s Op. 33 String Quartets for the Analekta label was called “simply a treasure” by Early Music America, “the tempos are beautifully chosen, the ensemble perfect, and the intonation absolutely pure. This is music-making that reflects the deeply human and attractive qualities found in Haydn the composer—good humor, wit, and invention.” Their recording with clarinetist Jane Booth won praise from Gramophone for being “totally engaging performances that breathe life into Backofen’s music”. Their most, Beethoven Quartets, Opus 18 nos. 1-3 garnered this praise from Gramophone: “…the revelations flood in: the swiftness with which the Eyblers take the great Adagio of Op 18 No 1 allows violinist Aisslinn Nosky’s almost vibrato-free period-instrument tone to sound breathtakingly fragile.” Their next recording will be the world premiere of Franz Weiss’s String Quartets Op. 8, nos. 1-2, available soon.