CALIDORE STRING QUARTET BABEL

SCHUMANN | SHAW | SHOSTAKOVICH

SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 1 24/06/2020 08:50 BABEL Schumann | Shaw | Shostakovich SCHUMANN | SHAW | SHOSTAKOVICH

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) STRING QUARTET NO. 3 OP. 41 BABEL 1 I. Andante espressivo — Allegro molto moderato [7.25] 2 II. Assai agitato [6.20] he year 2020 is the most unsettling The result, a compilation of quartets by 3 III. Adagio molto [7.38] of our quartet’s decade-long Schumann, Shostakovich and Caroline 4 IV. Finale: Allegro molto vivace [7.19] existence. The inestimable impact Shaw, demonstrates the visceral forms of T of Covid-19 brought the entire world expression that exist at the intersection of to a near stand-still. On the exterior, traffic music and language. Furthermore, it shows Caroline Shaw (b. 1982) has diminished, the economy has slowed, the evolution and resilience of this duality THREE ESSAYS and most public gatherings, including over three periods of human history. 5 First Essay: Nimrod [8.34] our concerts, are cancelled indefinitely. 6 Second Essay: Echo [4.18] Thus, physical human interaction is at the The convergence of music and language 7 Third Essay: Ruby [5.24] lowest level of our lifetime. But within our is a phenomenon that fascinates Pulitzer homes and in the virtual realm, the world Prize-winning American composer Caroline Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) is buzzing with activity, evidence that the Shaw. In 2016, Shaw was deeply troubled will to express and communicate with one by the national unrest leading to and STRING QUARTET NO. 9 IN E FLAT MAJOR OP. 117 8 another is perhaps our strongest inner resulting from that year's presidential I. Moderato con moto [4.16] force, second only to our will to live. election. Much like in the Covid-19 epidemic, 9 II. Adagio [3.32] she saw language being used to spread 0 III. Allegretto [3.57] The desire to explore the innate human drive information about current events but also, q IV. Adagio [3.27] for communication is the focus of Babel. For and increasingly, to spread confusion and w V. Allegro [9.26] this recording, our quartet gathered music misinformation. This was the catalyst for which transmits ideas by imitating language; a collection of Three Essays, which were Total timings: [71.44] its rhythms, cadences and intentions. But written for and premiered by our quartet it also explores what happens when music at the BBC Proms in 2018. Shaw’s Three substitutes for language. When it fills the void Essays address language’s power to stir CALIDORE STRING QUARTET of forbidden speech or even how it carries emotion and spread information and ideas on when language has been exhausted. through written, spoken and digital forms. www.signumrecords.com 3

SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 2-3 24/06/2020 08:50 The ‘First Essay’ subtitled ‘Nimrod’ alludes which over time picks up tempo until it condemned and censored for its setting of Jewish idioms, a symbol of his own to the biblical figure of Nimrod, overseer reaches the climax, a loop ending in a of Yevgeny Yevtushenko’s poem entitled defiance. Polish cultural journalist Marlena of the construction of the Tower of Babel. frenzy of incoherence. The idea of our Babi Yar. The poem evokes the massacre Wieczorek writes of Shostakovich’s Jewish The story, which seeks to explain the social media accounts as an echo chamber of the Jews at Babi Yar (Ukraine) by the Themes: “The Jews’ fate was for him a origin of the world’s languages, takes for our own opinions is a well-documented Nazis. The Soviet government’s authorities metaphor of humanity’s lot; a symbol place following the Great Flood, when all trend across the globe. The cacophonous refused to recognize or allow remembrance beyond nationalism, an icon of the world’s of mankind speaks in a common tongue. climax of this movement demonstrates the of the atrocities committed at Babi Yar. meanness, a proof of how defenseless Led by Nimrod, the human race seeks to potential disintegration that comes from Yevtushenko’s text was laden with references man is. This same defenselessness and construct a tower tall enough to reach hearing only the echo of our own opinions. to Soviet and German anti-Semitism as well hurt in man could in fact be found in heaven. In response, God confounds their as the Holocaust and thus was interpreted Shostakovich himself. The suffering of Jews speech, making the builders unintelligible to The ‘Third Essay: Ruby’ brings the as having anti-Soviet sentiment. Despite was for the composer a representation one another and halting the construction. philosophical and musical elements of the its well-received premiere, the text was of his own situation, because many times first two essays together. Continuing in revised under tremendous pressure from the he was also rejected and condemned – Shaw takes the idea of language’s potential the vein of fragmentation explored in the government. Very few performances followed often as if an alien in his own country.” to communicate and miscommunicate and ‘First Essay’, the ‘Third Essay’ attempts to the premiere and Shostakovich’s masterpiece encodes it into a series of unrelated sections tame it into a logical order. According to sunk into obscurity in the Eastern Bloc. The work is constructed in five movements of material that imitate the lilt and flow of Shaw, “the title (Ruby) refers both to the which are connected without pause. The spoken language. Shaw then weaves these programming language Ruby (developed in For two years, Shostakovich did not compose first two movements have a searching yet disparate parts and disintegrating material Japan in the mid-1990s), as well the simple another concert work. But when he did, he optimistic sentiment to them. The third together with colorful and imaginative beauty of the gemstone for which the began work on his Ninth String Quartet. unleashes a crazed polka which continually transitions. The music of these transitions language was named.” The music is dotted Undeterred by the pressure of censorship revolves around a nearly obsessive quotation picks up where the language-like fragments with repeated and insistent D’s which seem surrounding the Thirteenth Symphony, of the famous theme from Rossini’s opera leave off in order to unite the work as almost like a binary code surrounding the he once again used his music as a way to William Tell. Only in the fourth movement a compelling and cohesive whole. melodic fragments. The ‘Third Essay’ points communicate that which he could not say. does the music become somber and to the increasing integration of language desolate; the lower strings intone a chant- Shaw writes that the ‘Second Essay: Echo’ and technology in our society’s future. On the exterior, the Ninth String Quartet like hymn punctuated by violent outbursts. “touches on a number of references: the is one of the most uplifting and optimistic The final movement is the focal point of concept of the ‘echo chamber’ that social While Caroline Shaw provides a commentary in the cycle of Shostakovich’s fifteen the entire work; filled with fireworks, an media fosters in our political discourse; the on our contemporary social dialogue, quartets. Such an aesthetic put it clearly extended cadenza for the cello and ripe with ‘echo’ function in the Hypertext Preprocessor Dimitri Shostakovich illuminates music’s within the strict guidelines of the Soviet the aforementioned Klezmer influence. It is programming language; and of course the power to substitute for language as an ‘Pure Music’ regulations, making it a thrilling and explosive conclusion to one effect of an echo.” This slow movement act of defiance in Soviet Russia. In 1962, immune to censorship. But beneath the of Shostakovich’s most celebrated works. follows a simple harmonic progression Shostakovich’s Thirteenth Symphony was music’s surface lies Shostakovich’s use

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SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 4-5 24/06/2020 08:50 Much like Shostakovich, Robert Schumann, soaring melody accompanied by syncopation. during the period of 1835 –1840, was He continues to utilize syncopations in stifled in communicating his true feelings. the opening of the second movement, a Schumann was in love with the young Clara theme and variations. Schumann displays Wieck, a piano prodigy and already famous a wide scope of expression throughout the concert artist. However, Clara was also the variations; from inward tender moments daughter of Schumann’s piano teacher, to wild raucous exclamations. The third CALIDORE STRING QUARTET Frederich Weick. Frederich vehemently movement provides a moment of reflection opposed their union. He made every effort with its hymn-like opening. Eventually he to keep them physically apart and even underpins this tranquil atmosphere with a involved them in a prolonged legal battle. steady yet insistent rhythmic backbone in During this tumultuous period much of Robert the second violin that at times disturbs and and Clara’s interaction was relegated to overwhelms the established peace. Perhaps letter writing. It wasn’t until three years after this is a manifestation of some of his angst he Jeremy Berry viola Estelle Choi cello Ryan Meehan violin Jeffrey Myers violin his dispute with Clara’s father over their felt as he realized he would perhaps be seen engagement, that they were married in 1840. as a footnote in Clara’s illustrious career. The last movement dispels this uncertainty with Fueled by their love’s victory, the summer a joyous off-beat dotted rhythm theme. of 1841 was one of Schumann’s most prolific. The Third String Quartet was The music encapsulated in Babel is a completed within a couple of months and manifestation of our human yearning to presented to Clara on her 23rd birthday. communicate with one another. These Through his music, Schumann expressed notes explore the crossroads of music and the relief of finally being able to freely language, encapsulating moments of unity communicate his love for Clara. The Third and divergence. Despite society’s physical String Quartet is saturated with a two-note withdrawal due to our current crisis, we descending motive, which opens the work, hope to use these recorded performances known as Schumann’s ‘Clara Theme’. to continue to connect with listeners through the persuasive and committed voices of After a brief introduction, the first movement Shaw, Shostakovich and Schumann. commences with a quicker version of the ‘Clara Theme’ that passes through all four Calidore String Quartet, 2020 voices. The theme then transforms into a

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SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 6-7 24/06/2020 08:50 The Calidore String Quartet has been praised the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, by The New York Times for its “deep reserves Denmark, Macedonia and the UK. In the year of virtuosity and irrepressible dramatic 2020, they will complete their Beethoven instinct” and the Los Angeles Times for its cycles at the Universities of Delaware and balance of “intellect and expression.” The Buffalo. They will premiere a new work Washington Post has said that “Four more by composer Hannah Lash which they individual musicians are unimaginable, yet will perform at the Concertgebouw, the these speak, breathe, think and feel as one.” Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Shriver Hall. The quartet will collaborate with Recipient of a 2018 Avery Fisher Career artists including pianists Andrea Lucchesini, Grant and a 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Yeol Eum Son and Sophiko Simsive and Emerging Artists, the Calidore String Quartet cellists Zlatomir Fung and Arnold Choi. first made international headlines as winner of the inaugural $100,000 Grand Prize of the Highlights of recent seasons have 2016 M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition. included performances in major venues The quartet was the first North American throughout North America, Europe, and ensemble to win the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Asia including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Fellowship, a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Hall, the Kennedy Center, Konzerthaus Artist, and is currently in residence with the Berlin, Brussels’s BOZAR, Cologne Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Philharmonie, Seoul’s Kumho Art Hall, and Bowers Program (formerly CMS Two). at significant festivals including the BBC Proms, Verbier, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, In the 2020-21 season, the Calidore Music@Menlo, Rheingau, East Neuk, and will make their debut at Amsterdam’s Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Concertgebouw, the Library of Congress, Penn State Concerts and the Schubert Club On the Calidore String Quartet’s 2018 of Minnesota. The quartet returns to many Signum release, Resilience, it “presents an of the US and Europe’s most celebrated impressive sense of ensemble” in a “cleverly concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Alice devised selection of quartets” (Strad) by Tully Hall (Lincoln Center), Kennedy Center Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Janáček, and and esteemed series in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Golijov. The Calidore’s other commercial Houston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In recordings include two albums recorded Europe, the Calidore will perform throughout live in concert at the Music@Menlo Festival;

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SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 8-9 24/06/2020 08:50 Serenade, featuring music for string quartet Günter Pichler, Guillaume Sutre, Paul Coletti, Recorded in Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden, from the Great War by Hindemith, Milhaud, and Ronald Leonard, among others. Essex, UK from 17th to 19th April 2019. Stravinsky, Ernst Toch, and Jacques de la Presleon the French label Editions As a passionate supporter of music Producer and Editor: Tim Oldham Hortus; and their 2015 debut recording education, the Calidore String Quartet is Recording Engineer: Mike Hatch of quartets by Mendelssohn and Haydn, committed to mentoring and educating Cover image and photos of the which prompted Gramophone to call the young musicians, students, and audiences. quartet: © Marco Borggreve Calidore String Quartet “the epitome of The Calidore serves as Quartet-in- confidence and finesse.” The Calidore’s Residence at the University of Delaware ℗ 2020 The copyright in this sound members were featured as Young Artists and the University of Toronto. It has recording is owned by Signum Records. in Residence on American Public Media’s conducted master classes and residencies © 2020 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and Performance Today, and their performances at Princeton, Stanford, the University of design is owned by Signum Records. have been broadcast on NPR, the BBC, Michigan, the Colburn School, Stony Brook the CBC, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Korean University, UCLA, and Mercer University. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, Broadcasting System, Bayerischer Rundfunk copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs (Munich), Norddeutscher Rundfunk The Calidore String Quartet was founded constitutes an infringement of copyright and will (Hamburg), and were aired on German at the Colburn School in Los Angeles in render the infringer liable to an action by law. national television as part of a documentary 2010. Within two years, the quartet won Licences for public performances or broadcasting produced by ARD public broadcasting. grand prizes in virtually all the major US may be obtained from Phonographic Performance chamber music competitions, including the Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may The Calidore has given world premieres of Fischoff, Coleman, Chesapeake, and Yellow be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or works by Caroline Shaw, Hannah Lash and Springs competitions, and it captured top transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, Mark-Anthony Turnage. Its collaborations prizes at the 2012 ARD International Music mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, with esteemed artists and ensembles Competition in Munich and the International without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. include Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Joshua Bell, Chamber Music Competition Hamburg. An David Shifrin, Inon Barnatan, Paul Coletti, amalgamation of “California” and “doré” Signum Records, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth David Finckel, Wu Han, Paul Neubauer, (French for “golden”), the ensemble’s Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LQ, UK. Ronald Leonard, and Paul Watkins among name represents its reverence for the others. The Calidore has collaborated and diversity of culture and the strong support Tel: +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 studied closely with the Emerson Quartet it received from its original home: Los E-mail: [email protected] and Quatuor Ébène, and also with David Angeles, California, the “golden state.” signumrecords.com Finckel, Andre Roy, Arnold Steinhardt,

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SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC booklet.indd 10-11 24/06/2020 08:50 CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN Customer SignumClassics MAGENTA YELLOW Catalogue No. SIGCD650 BLACK Job Title: Babel SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD650 BABEL CALIDORE STRING QUARTET

BABEL CALIDORE STRING QUARTET

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) 1 - 4 STRING QUARTET NO. 3 OP. 41 [28.42] CALIDORE STRING QUARTET STRING CALIDORE Caroline Shaw (b. 1982) 5 - 7 THREE ESSAYS [18.16] BABEL Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

8 - w STRING QUARTET NO. 9 IN E FLAT MAJOR OP. 117 [24.38] Total timings: [71.44]

LC15723

Signum Records, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road SIGCD650 2020 Signum Records Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LQ, UK. SIGCD650 ℗ b 2020 Signum Records www.signumrecords.com © 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 06502 0 SIGNUM CLASSICS

SIGCD650 Calidore - Babel JC inlay.indd 1 24/06/2020 08:36