New Orford String Quartet: Music of Schubert and Beethoven <BR> BRIDGE 9363

In spite of sharing the same city streets during the same epoch and making acquaintances with many of the same people, Schubert and Beethoven never had any direct contact. By the time Schubert was beginning his musical career, Beethoven was almost completely deaf, and because of this, increasingly shut off from society. The two masterful quartets on this disc were composed in the same year, 1826; in the same city, Vienna. They are performed here by the superb New Orford String Quartet. Forty-five years ago a new Canadian string quartet was formed at the Jeunesses-Musicales du Canada (today the Orford Arts Centre). Through its many recordings and tours both at home and abroad, the Orford String Quartet became one of Canada's best-known and most illustrious musical ensembles. After 26 years and more than 2000 concerts on six continents, the Quartet disbanded, giving its last concert on July 28, 1991. In July 2009 the New Orford String Quartet arose from the fame and tradition of its glor