21st Century String Quartets; Volume 1

(String Letter Publishing). In this collection of in-depth interviews, today's leading performers get to the heart of one of the most beloved forms of classical music: the string quartet. Representing both young groups and longstanding favorites, they all have insights into the joys and hardships of expressing themselves as part of a tight-knit ensemble. How they practice, how they come to consensus, their performance secrets and anxieties, what moves and inspires them all this and more comes to life in this series of revealing interviews with player and charter Strings magazine contributor Edith Eisler.

In reading Edith Eisler's ongoing contributions to Strings magazine, for which she serves as New York correspondent, one is instantly struck by the candid rapport the writer is able to establish with musicians. This book--part of an ongoing series on string players--gathers together a delightfully varied assortment of Eisler's articles and interviews spotlighting some of the greatest chamber music players alive today. Whether talking to the Emerson, Orion, Borodin, or Guarneri string quartets (to name just a few), the violin-trained Eisler is at heart a fellow musician discussing the craft. Don't expect the formality you'll find in many classical music interviews here: these are friendly "conversations." But conversation becomes an art, and one is reminded of the conversation rapport toward which all great chamber ensembles aspire. From the Manhattan String Quartet, we learn that the group has an affinity for performing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" as an encore; from the Mendelssohn, we get a fascinating story about the derivation of their name (fulfilling a residency at the Hebrew Arts School, they chose "Mendelssohn" because it referred to both the composer and his grandfather, philosopher Moses Mendelssohn). It's equally interesting to note the Russian groups' differing takes on the effects that Soviet and post-Soviet governments have exercised on their music, for better or worse. String players will delight in the details--there's a listing of each instrument the quartets use to perform, right down to the make and type of strings--and the rest of us will be happy to know that our favorite performers are just like everyone else, with disagreements, quirks, and all. --Jason Verlinde