Beethoven's Op. 131 is a demanding piece, a quartet to be played without rest, and a composition so legendary it was reportedly the final piece of music Franz Schubert heard as it was played live at his deathbed. This piece is set to kick off a new season of touring for the much renowned string quartet The Fugue, but unfortunately its cellist and oldest member recently lost his wife and has been diagnosed with early Parkinson's. What A Late Quartet captures is not so much the technicalities of performance or the intricacies of Beethoven's composing, but the fractured elements of this quartet drifting offstage who must somehow unite in performance as one voice. That is the central dramatic tension here, the ensuing dramatics that will need to sublimated in service of the piece and each other. It's a tidy script elevated by a group of fantastic performances though it leaves everything a bit unresolved at the end. Perhaps that's the point, I'm not sure, but what is here is strong enough to be worth a watch and maybe explore a bit more classical music along the way.
Beethoven's Op. 131 is a demanding piece, a quartet to be played without rest, and a composition so legendary it was reportedly the final piece of music Franz Schubert heard as it was played live at his deathbed. This piece is set to kick off a new season of touring for the much renowned string quartet The Fugue, but unfortunately its cellist and oldest member recently lost his wife and has been diagnosed with early Parkinson's. What A Late Quartet captures is not so much the technicalities of performance or the intricacies of Beethoven's composing, but the fractured elements of this quartet drifting offstage who must somehow unite in performance as one voice. That is the central dramatic tension here, the ensuing dramatics that will need to sublimated in service of the piece and each other. It's a tidy script elevated by a group of fantastic performances though it leaves everything a bit unresolved at the end. Perhaps that's the point, I'm not sure, but what is here is strong enough to be worth a watch and maybe explore a bit more classical music along the way.
