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For The Fry Street Quartet's debut
CD, the members
of the quartet chose to record
the Beethoven String Quartet in C major Op. 59
No. 3, and Leos Janacek's String Quartet
No. 1, after Tolstoy: The Kreutzer
Sonata (1923).
A giant undertaking, considering we had
only four days in the studio, The Fry was well
prepared as usual. The two pieces were part of their
Carnegie Hall debut concert in November of 2000. Our
sessions were booked for August 6, 7, 8, and 9,
2001, at the Carriage
House Studios in Stamford, CT.
Jon Altschiller of 'chillersound,
New York, was chief engineer. For microphones, Jon
chose Neumann 87's for the violins, an Elam
Telefunken 251 for the viola, and a Lawson for the
cello. We recorded on Pro Tools with an SSL board
and analog backup.
We decided to record the Beethoven
first. We began by recording short sections, with
contrasting dynamics, and then listening back
together in the control room. This enabled us to
decide as a team whether subtle corrections in
balances would best be made by moving microphones or
by adjustments from the players. The basic strategy
was to get as many complete takes of whole movements
as reasonably possible each day. Rather than take up
studio time with a lot of listening, we made jukebox
mixes at the end of each session and took them back
to Bogmoor each evening for review. In this manner
we could determine what we had and what we
had to do over. It was a highly focused and intense
four days.
We were quite fussy about tempos and
about intonation. Borderline intonation was not
tolerated. We were all in agreement that weak
intonation simply spoils everything immediately. As
an aside, I will say that many well known string
quartets apparently assume their intonation
is adequate, when in fact, it isn't. Both the
Beethoven and the Janacek have particularly
challenging sections in terms of intonation,
especially where two instruments are in unison or in
octaves. One of The Fry Street Quartet's goals is to
be the most "in tune" string quartet on
the concert stage, as well as on recordings.
I am particularly proud of the majestically
slow tempo of the first movement chorale in the
Beethoven as contrasted with the lightning fast
fugue in the last movement. The Fry Street Quartet's
sense of ensemble and feeling of "oneness"
in interpretation, along with their awesome
dynamics, are defining qualities of the group that
make them stand out on the world stage.
Janacek's first string quartet is a
complex piece. Anyone perusing this score for the
first time will find a bewildering array of musical
markings, tempo changes, complex rhythms, arcane
interpretive directions, and fiendish, anti-string
key signatures. The Janacek, however, has become a
signature piece for The Fry Street Quartet. They
play it with the passion and confidence of
interpretation necessary for a convincing
performance. The piece jumps to life in their hands.
I believe part of the reason for the life-giving
resonance they bring to this piece is that each
individual player has a deeply felt connection, a
private feeling about what the piece is about. The
Janacek allows each player moments of individual
expression and each of the Fry Street players rises
to the occasion brilliantly. At the same time The
Fry are able to bring a consummate ensemble to the
piece as a whole. Note in particular the wonderful
growls and howling overtones achieved in the third
movement. This was a magnificent and startling
moment in the studio.
After an interval of reflection on the
rough mixes—about two weeks—final mixing
sessions took place at 'chillersound, Jon
Altschiller's perfectly equipped studio in New York.
Mr. Altschiller's engineering prowess and production
skills together with his excellent ears and memory
were an invaluable asset to the entire project.
Working with The Fry Street Quartet on
this project was a pleasure and a privilege. A world
class string quartet is emerging from these young,
gifted, and above all, musical artists.
—T. McFaul
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