Pavel Haas String Quartet

Veronika Jarůšková, Violin • Marek Zwiebel, Violin • Pavel Nikl, Viola • Peter Jarůšek, Cello

One of the most exciting developments in chamber music over the last ten years has been the emergence of the Czech Republic-based Pavel Haas Quartet. They have come to be known as the foremost arbiters of their homeland’s rich Romantic-era repertoire, with acclaimed recordings of the great quartets by Czech natives Dvorák, Smetana, Janácek, Martinu, and of course Pavel Haas himself. Time and again, critics have noted their nearly orchestral sound, which fills concert halls with its tremendous intensity and has already earned them Gramophone’s Record of the Year award three times in their young career. London’s The Sunday Times says, “Their account of [Dvorák’s] ‘American’ Quartet belongs alongside the greatest performances on disc”—quite extraordinary, for such a well-worn and recorded piece of music. They visit Princeton for the first time with a few gems from this repertoire, followed by Beethoven’s titan Quartet Op. 59, No. 2 “Razumovsky.”