Seven Steps

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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - James Manheim
This may not look like it from the graphics, but it's a recording of Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131," paired with a group of contemporary works, one of them collectively composed by the members of Brooklyn Rider themselves. The general idea of pairing repertory works with modern compositions with which they share some structural or philosophical analogue is a good one. And the Beethoven performance itself is very strong, notable in view of the fact that the mainstream-work performances have often been the weak point in the recordings of Brooklyn Rider's chief model, the Kronos Quartet. It takes the slow movements largely without vibrato, ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - James Manheim
This may not look like it from the graphics, but it's a recording of Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131," paired with a group of contemporary works, one of them collectively composed by the members of Brooklyn Rider themselves. The general idea of pairing repertory works with modern compositions with which they share some structural or philosophical analogue is a good one. And the Beethoven performance itself is very strong, notable in view of the fact that the mainstream-work performances have often been the weak point in the recordings of Brooklyn Rider's chief model, the Kronos Quartet. It takes the slow movements largely without vibrato, early music-style, and heighten the dynamic contrasts throughout, hoping to give the work a kaleidoscopic quality that links it to the two contemporary pieces. The title track is a sort of multi-stylistic suite, in seven sections, ranging from Baroque to klezmer, while Christopher Tignor's "Together into This Unknowable Night" (the title refers to a Pink Floyd lyric) features samples, percussion, and an AM radio, and examines the possible relationships between the strings and the electronic elements. All this is convincing as far as it goes. But the overall concept works less well, perhaps because the massive Op. 131 quartet was not the best pick for the project. "The idea of creating 'Seven Steps' was partially born out of the need to define a place where the labyrinth of Beethoven's colossal Op. 131 could work itself out guided by a spirit of free play rather than the heavy weight of the auteur's pen," the group members wrote. So be it, but an emphasis on sevens and on short sections in diverse styles don't quite suffice to knit this material together, something that even listeners who've come to the album from the pop side have noted. Still, the album is undeniably stimulating, and Beethovenians may be interested in the fresh performance of the "String Quartet No. 14" itself.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/10/2012
  • Label: In A Circle Records
  • UPC: 707541435697
  • Catalog Number: 5

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Brooklyn Rider Primary Artist, String Quartet
Christopher Tignor Percussion, Sampling Instruments
Technical Credits
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer
Mary Frank Cover Art
Nicholas Cords Liner Notes
Johnny Gandelsman Executive Producer
Brooklyn Rider Composer
Christopher Tignor Composer
Jesse Lewis Producer, Engineer, Mastering
Jesse Brayman Engineer
Ayca Koseogullari Graphic Design
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