My introduction to the Juilliard String Quartet came through their recordings. In particular, I remember a version of Schoenberg’s Fourth String Quartet, from an old recording on Columbia Records. It was as refined as one would approach Mozart—with beautiful, elegant phrases, a great wealth of character, and a sound quality that turned the naturally dissonant harmonies and intervals into a rich array of colors. This was quite a contrast from the cold, overly harsh treatment that this music often receives. The later Schoenberg style had never appealed to me until that day, and, after hearing a few other recordings, I sensed this was a great strength of the Juilliard Quartet: a unique voice that makes 20th-century and contemporary music come to life. I found out that they have always been great champions of contemporary music, premiering more than 60 American quartets worldwide and introducing the cycle of Bartók quartets to the American public.

The Juilliard Quartet (left to right: Samuel Rhodes, Ronald Copes, Joel Krosnick, and Joel Smirnoff) at the Koussevitzky Estate in July 2001. (Photo by Clemens Kalischer)

Later I had the chance to hear them live at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where I was studying at the time. The program included Hindemith’s Fourth String Quartet and the second “Razumovsky” Quartet by Beethoven. The Hindemith was given a wonderful performance, with rich, lush sonorities, finely etched lines, and visceral excitement. The Beethoven quartet’s dramatic structure came out vividly. The second movement took flight with spacious, soaring lines, recreating the “starry night” that supposedly inspired Beethoven. Of course, the audience would not let them leave without an encore. As they started the slow movement of the third “Razumovsky” Quartet, Joel Krosnick abruptly stopped in the middle of a phrase. An audible dialogue ensued on stage as to whether or not to continue. As it turned out, Krosnick was extremely sick! Ultimately, they didn’t let the audience down, and completed the movement beautifully.

I was very honored when the Avalon String Quartet was invited to work with the Juilliard String Quartet this year at The Juilliard School. We found that the four very distinct personalities that make up their performing style as a quartet translate into equally distinct teaching styles that complement each other. They are all very dedicated teachers. Joel Smirnoff tends to concentrate on harmony and the breathing of melodic lines, while Ronald Copes often works towards making the performance organic, not letting any moment go by without full musical commitment. Samuel Rhodes enjoys carving out a clear dramatic picture of the music, and Joel Krosnick revels in recreating vivid characters from the score. They recently finished working at their annual seminar week (which has now been permanently moved from late May to early January, and this year took place from January 7 through 11). It is a wonderful way to get acquainted with them and their teaching, starting with four days of coaching and culminating in two student performances in Paul Hall on the final day. We first took part in the seminar a few years ago. All the groups invited to participate were serious and committed, which allowed us to share experiences and help each other with specific quartet problems. String quartet playing is both an extremely rewarding musical experience and a very complex social one that can create all kinds of personal difficulties.

It is incredible that the Juilliard Quartet has been in existence for more than 50 years, despite all the typical challenges of interpersonal relationships, performance, and touring. Of course, there have been personnel changes through the years, but the transitions have never impeded the quartet’s evolution. In fact, each change has brought new life to the group, casting away any sense of routine.

The Juilliard Quartet is strongly connected to New York City. Their approach to music-making relates to the best this city has to offer. Their down-to-earth playing, combined with an intellectual edge, has a very immediate and intense emotional impact that never becomes shallow. They do not allow their imagination to be bound by extraneous rules, which is a reflection of how this great city works.

The Juilliard String Quartet will perform works by Mozart, Carter, and Schubert on February 7 at 8 p.m. in Alice Tully Hall, as part of the Daniel Saidenberg Faculty Recital Series. The concert is free but tickets are required; they may be obtained from the Juilliard Box Office.

Blaise Magniere is a violinist in the Avalon String Quartet, this year’s graduate string quartet-in-residence.