A classic movement from the classical era. This favorite opening movement finds Mozart treating the string quartet as its own mini opera. The development even enters with three recitatives! This track was recorded live at the historic Old Saint Luke's just outside Pittsburgh. 

Mozart Quartet In G K 387 -- Allegro Vivace Assai

One word: Badass. If you play a stringed instrument this excerpt will have you reaching for your ax to play along. If you don't, you'll want to after hearing this. This excerpt features classic Beethovian c-minor in all it's glory. Including pyrotechnics! (check out the first violin part...)  

Beethoven String Quartet No. 4, Op. 18 No. 4, Mov I - Allegro ma non tanto

Beethoven String Quartet No.10 in E-flat Major, Op.74 "Harp" - IV. Allegretto con Variazioni

Mendelssohn String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80 - IV. Finale: Allegro molto

Mendelssohn String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80 - III. Adagio

Mendelssohn String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80 - II. Allegro assai

Mendelssohn String Quartet No.6 in F minor, Op.80 - I. Allegro vivace assai

Beethoven String Quartet No.10 in E-flat Major, Op.74 "Harp" - III. Presto

Beethoven String Quartet No.10 in E-flat Major, Op.74 "Harp" - II. Adagio ma non troppo

Beethoven String Quartet No.10 in E-flat Major, Op.74 "Harp" - I. Poco adagio - Allegro

The third movement of a visionary Beo project, composed by Sean Neukom. Beo performs on stage live, with projections of themselves on either side performing pre-recorded tracks. Everything interlocks and creates a unique "triple quartet" experience for the listener.

Projection1: Triple Quartet - Movement III

Written by composer Zvonimir Nagy, here are his notes about the piece:

Being my most personal piece to date, Anima Animæ depicts by musical means certain growth cycles of the human life, in part suggesting more spiritual ramifications of 'anima animae', or the birth of 'a soul of the soul'. The piece is constructed in two parts, the second of which redefines the musical structure and form of the first.

Part I Very fast, from "known" time

Anima Animae was commissioned by the 2018 Charlotte New Music Festival for the Beo String Quartet.

Anima Animæ - Part I

Written by composer Zvonimir Nagy, here are his notes about the piece:

Being my most personal piece to date, Anima Animæ depicts by musical means certain growth cycles of the human life, in part suggesting more spiritual ramifications of 'anima animae', or the birth of 'a soul of the soul'. The piece is constructed in two parts, the second of which redefines the musical structure and form of the first.

Part I Very fast, from "known" time
Part II Becoming fast, towards "unknown" time, like a lullaby

Anima Animae was commissioned by the 2018 Charlotte New Music Festival for the Beo String Quartet.

Anima Animæ - Part II

The first movement of a work titled 'Glass Blue Cleft', written by Max Duykers. Beo String Quartet selected it as the winning piece of the 2nd annual Charlotte New Music and Beo String Quartet Composition Competition.

Glass Blue Cleft - I. Glass

The second movement of a work titled 'Glass Blue Cleft', written by Max Duykers. Beo String Quartet selected it as the winning piece of the 2nd annual Charlotte New Music and Beo String Quartet Composition Competition.

Glass Blue Cleft - II. Blue

The third movement of a work titled 'Glass Blue Cleft', written by Max Duykers. Beo String Quartet selected it as the winning piece of the 2nd annual Charlotte New Music and Beo String Quartet Composition Competition.

Glass Blue Cleft - III. Cleft

The first movement of a string quartet titled 'Time Cycles' by composer Andrew List. About this movement, entitled "with intensity", Mr. List quotes the following:

"The stillness, as a Chinese jar still moves perpetually in its stillness, not the stillness of the violin, while the note lasts, not that only but the co-existence or say that the end precedes the beginning, and the end and the beginning were always there and all is always there before the beginning and after the end."
-from TS Eliot's 'Burnt Norton'

String Quartet No. 5 "Time Cycles" - i. With intensity

This is the second movement of Andrew List's String Quartet No. 5, titled "Time Cycles". Written in 2015, this string quartet is made up of five movements based on texts by TS Eliot. About this movement, entitled "Frantic", Mr. List quotes the following:

"At the still point of the turning world, neither ﬂesh nor ﬂeshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is."
-from TS Eliot's 'Burnt Norton'

String Quartet No. 5 "Time Cycles" - ii. Frantic

This is the third movement of Andrew List's String Quartet No. 5, titled "Time Cycles". Written in 2015, this string quartet is made up of five movements based on texts by TS Eliot. About this movement, entitled "Tranquil and serene", Mr. List quotes the following:

"Time past and time future allow but a little consciousness. To be conscious is not to be in time but only in time can the moment in the rose-garden, the moment in the arbour where the rain beat, the moment in the draughty church at smokefall be remembered; involved with time past and future."
-from TS Eliot's 'Burnt Norton'

String Quartet No. 5 "Time Cycles" - iii. Tranquil and serene

This is the fourth movement of Andrew List's String Quartet No. 5, titled "Time Cycles". Written in 2015, this string quartet is made up of five movements based on texts by TS Eliot. About this movement, entitled "Frenetic", Mr. List quotes the following:

"And all is always now. Words strain, crack and sometimes break, under the burden under the tension, slip, slide, perish. Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place"
-from TS Eliot's 'Burnt Norton'

String Quartet No. 5 "Time Cycles" - iv. Frenetic

This is the fifth movement of Andrew List's String Quartet No. 5, titled "Time Cycles". Written in 2015, this string quartet is made up of five movements based on texts by TS Eliot. About this movement, entitled "Mechanico", Mr. List quotes the following:

"Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future, and time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present, all time is unredeemable."
-from TS Eliot's 'Burnt Norton'

String Quartet No. 5 "Time Cycles" - v. Mechanico

With 45 world premieres to its credit and 100+ concert works played throughout the United States, South America, and Europe, the iconoclastic Beo String Quartet does what it loves best: playing classical repertoire, contemporary, rock, and experimental music. From the Latin “to make happy,” Beo started out as a lark. Two Mexican-American brothers, Jason Neukom and Sean Neukom, decided to record a song entitled “Happy, Happy,” composed by Sean, but for that they would need two more players. And so in 2015 the Beo String Quartet was formed. Touring the world, composing, performing, recording, teaching, and having fun, Beo has since then founded Beo Publishing, built a recording studio, and started its own recording label, NeuKraft Records.

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