YSAYE QUARTET TEMPERS BEETHOVEN'S DRAMA WITH GALLIC RESERVE

Concert Review, Buffalo Spree, March 5, 2011, Slee Beethoven Quartet Cycle

Although Beethoven's symphonies and concertos have earned their prominent roles in the symphony hall canon, it is in his cycle of sixteen quartets that Beethoven's genius finds its most complete expression. As a body of work, Beethoven's quartets form a sonic diary of his musical development. Thanks to the generosity of Buffalo attorney Frederick Slee and his wife Alice, since 1955 this entire cycle, in six concerts, has been annually performed here in Buffalo by the world's best ensembles.

Friday, March 4's performance by the Ysaye Quartet at Slee Hall at UB was the third performance of 2011, featuring Quartet in D Major Op. 18 No.3; the "Grosse Fuge" in B-flat Major, Op. 133; and the Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No.1, the first of the three "Razumovsky Quartets." First Violinist Guillaume Sutre led the Quartet in a flawless performance. They captivated from the beginning with a cohesive ensemble sound which I can only describe as "woody" and "crisp." They never overplayed, even during…