ando here

It was Hawk's idea to do the quartets - and boy, Op. 131 has been a challenge.


As a sidebar Yaron Zilberman directed a 2012 film titled A Late Quartet which features 131 and a nice ensemble of actors mimicking The Bretano Quartet's performance of the piece. The piece isn't played in its entirety, of course, but the soundtrack contains the full performance:



The sound is much warmer than the Juilliard and the Berg quartets but I don't know which I prefer yet. First, I need to fully understand how and where certain themes are repeated and their relationship to the whole - the structure of this highly unusual seven movement piece then I can cut that part of my brain off and enjoy. Though I suppose the point is that understanding and pleasure occur simultaneously. And, obviously, after many listens.