I tried to stay out of this discussion ...  I really did, thinking
I should leave the matter to those with more expertise in this bit of
mine-filled arcana.  FTR (for the record), I am among those who stand
infrequently.  But last Tuesday night was an exception.  I heard a
performance by the Cypress String Quartet of Benjamin Lees' fifth string
quartet.  It has an incredibly energetic final movement and, in the
somewhat agricultural opionion of your scribe, is overall a very fine
quartet, one you don't have to have gone to conservatory to appreciate.
The president of the Kennedy Center, cellist Neal Perl, noted that Lees
was interested in surrealism and that one might observe the juxtaposition
of unusual elements during the performance.  I cannot say I particularly
heard that, but I did hear a sense of struggle reminiscent of and worthy
of Shostakovich.  What brought me to my feet was the presence of the
composer, who rose upon request of one of the members of the quartet.
I probably would not have stood had he not been there, but I thought
that measure of respect was called for on this occasion (so did most of
the audience).

Curiously, the program notes stated that the concert included the
Washington premier of a quartet called "Death and the Maiden" by somebody
named Franz Schubert, who I gather was not present in person last Tuesday.
Now I distinctly recall hearing this quartet in the Washington area a
couple of years ago, leading me to wonder if perhaps the notes had
intended to apply that description to the Lees work.

The Cypress String Quartet, a young quartet that has garnered widespread
recognition, performed admirably in a program that also included the
Razor quartet by one Joseph Haydn, who also did not indicate his presence
during the performance and so did not elicit a standing ovation from me.
But the third movement of his Razor quartet did give the violist, Ethan
Filner, an opportunity to shine, which he did.  Consummate musicians
that they are, the Cypress Quartet seemed equally at home in three
centuries of the string quartet genre.  Both my wife and I were drawn
to the sound of the first violinist, Cecily Ward.

As an encore, the quartet performed the third Dvorak's Cypresses, from
whom the quartet derived its name.

Larry (who also would have stood out of respect and possibly fled in
terror had this Schubert fellow indicated his physical presence)