Butter Quartet - Wait Till the Clouds Roll By - Works by Haydn and Shaw (Deluxe) - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Preparing a quartet turns abstract notes into a living, breathing musical world. Working on Haydn's Op. 77 and Shaw's Entr'acte felt like stepping through Alice's looking glass, where past and present meet. Performing both works on gut strings and classical bows created a shared expressive language across centuries. Shaw's piece, inspired by Haydn's sudden shift to D-flat major, plays with surreal transitions and rich, woody textures. Haydn's quartets, though few in number, reveal clarity, lyricism, and daring rhythmic exploration. Historical editions opened new interpretive possibilities, reminding us that each performance captures only one moment in an evolving tradition. Together, these works form portals into contrasting eras, emotions, and perspectivesPreparing a quartet transforms notes and structures from something abstract into a vivid, living form. As we shaped Haydn's String Quartets Op. 77 and Caroline Shaw's Entr'acte, Alice's Looking Glass became a fitting metaphor-a portal through which past and present coexist. As a historically informed quartet, we study how older works first resonated with audiences while approaching new compositions with the same curiosity. Playing both Haydn and Shaw on gut strings and classical bows allows a shared expressive language across centuries.Shaw's Entr'acte was directly inspired by Haydn's Op. 77 No. 2, especially it's unexpected shift to D-flat major. Structured like a minuet and trio, her piece explores playful, surreal transitions that feel like stepping through the looking glass. We relished discovering how harmonics, extended techniques, and historical bows create woody, textured colors unique to gut strings. The constantly shifting meters and the pavane-like middle section offered further opportunities for imaginative shaping.Haydn's Op. 77, though influential, is his shortest quartet collection. Commissioned as si