The influence of one musical master on others of subsequent generations cannot be overstated. This influence may reach forward a couple of years or a couple of centuries. On its Sono Luminus album, the
Jasper String Quartet celebrates this lineage as it appears in some of the string quartet literature, a genre that has inspired great advances and innovation while still remembering its roots. Although
Beethoven was already looking forward when he wrote his Quartet Op. 53/3 -- the last of the Razumovsky quartets -- the influence of the past is unmistakable. From the first movement introduction that reminds us of
Mozart's Dissonant Quartet to the masterful counterpoint in the fugal finale,
Beethoven remembered his roots. In much the same way, American composer
Aaron Jay Kernis drew inspiration from Baroque dance forms in the first two movements of his String Quartet No. 2, "Musica Instrumentalis." The final, third movement, however, is an homage to the fugal conclusion of 53/3. The
Jasper SQ members deliver striking performances of both quartets. Its sound is lean and focused, offering a clear picture of active inner voices of both quartets. It simultaneously highlights the similarities between the two works while producing a unique tonal quality in each that accentuates the differences.