One of the most appreciated chamber ensembles in Romania, Voces quartet, adds another exceptional achievement to its record. On January 12th, the four members of the quartet launched the recordings of the first live integral of Beethoven's quartets at the Eduard Caudella hall of Balş House in Iaşi.
Dan Prelipcean, the band's cellist, spoke to us about this event and the renowned ensemble's future plans.

What is special about these recordings?
The exceptional quality of the recording was made by sound technicians from Bayerischer Rundfunk. On the other hand, there is also, and pardon my lack of modesty, the quality of the interpretation. We should also bear in mind that this Beethoven integral follows at least 15 other recordings and I see that moment in 1998 as a pivotal one in which all the members of the Voces quartet felt together, in a monolith of instrumental form and of musical mind and feeling, so I feel that this live recording is at truly remarkable heights in terms of interpretation. I urge you again to pardon my lack of modesty.

What brought about the initiative to perform the concerts in the Tuscany Room of the Würzburg Residence in Germany?
The initiative - and I'm glad you asked - is a personal one. It is a form of art patronage endorsed by important figures of the medical world, music lovers, thanks to some personal relations of ours, a friendship which connects us to these two people, Prof. Franz Gern, chief of the Ophthalmology Clinic in Würzburg, and Klaus Stoica, PhD, chief of the Neurology Department at Würzburg University, both remarkable and accomplished music lovers, and both play the violin and the viola, respectively. And starting from this initiative, having known one another for a long time, there have been concerts and, eventually, we had the idea of the recording. With the help of the two persons mentioned, who hold a certain influence in the Würzburg University, which sponsors whatever actions take place in the Tuscany Room, we were able to book it. The Beethoven integral was in our hands, minds and souls and so began a series of concerts dating back to 1998 - and so, this year marks 14 years of collaboration. Each year brought a different repertoire. When we celebrated 25 years of existence, we performed the Beethoven integral in eight days (March 21st - 28th), six recitals in eight days. This is also an accomplishment. The next years brought on the stage in the Tuscany Room classical music by Haydn, Mozart, and subsequently Romantic music and guests. This way, and to make a joke, we didn't pay attention and 13 years passed and 45 CDs were made. But if we are going to transpose selections from this huge series of 45 at Electrecord or any other record company, is not only a matter of the future, but also of financing.

Despite being launched as part of Electrecord, the recordings were made by sound technicians from Germany. Who ensured this technical aspect?
The technical aspect was provided by the two persons - our sponsors in Germany, and we came to Electrecord with the final tape. Our collaboration with this Romanian record label is old, and I would like to thank its director, Ms. Cornelia Andreescu, who was quite thoughtful and facilitated the production of this record, this CD case which contains 9 disks with Beethoven's 17 quartets, together with a booklet with explanations about the quartets and a brief history of Voces quartet.

What does 2012 hold for Voces?
2012 is the year before our fortieth anniversary. In 2013, Voces quartet celebrates, as I said, 40 years of activity; a figure to envy, even a record in the world. Few ensembles can take pride in such longevity. And we don't necessarily want to end our activity, far from it! But our supreme goal for this anniversary year, which coincides with next year's edition of the "George Enescu Festival", during which we will be celebrated, is for it to contain, at least this is our wish, one of Johann Sebastian Bach's monumental works for quartets, The Art of Fugue.