String Quartet No. 3

Cold shower? A cup of joe? Maybe a slap in the face? Nothing is more effective than the opening of Elliott Carter’s third string quartet—guaranteed to wake you up faster than smelling salts. The Arditti Quartet manages to capture every bit of potential energy contained in Carter’s score—feel the wallop! Of course Carter is no one trick pony, so the music evolves, tensions get released. You bet you’re going to be lulled and jerked in a million directions at once. Rollercoaster enthusiasts take note: this CD is for you.

—RN