In 1998, the members of the Ariel Quartet forged some of their earliest bonds playing Beethoven together at age 14 as middle schoolers at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. A quarter century later, they juggle their responsibilities as faculty quartet in residence at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music with a busy international touring schedule. Like many string quartets, Ariel (the name means “Lion of God”) devotes sizable blocks of their time to Beethoven, whose 16 string quartets they have often performed as a cycle and are now in the process of recording. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the last three of the series are in a league of their own. “The physical structure of all three late works is absolutely unconventional and revolutionary in every respect,” the Ariels have written. “Op. 131, however, takes the crown by consisting of seven movements, each following another without any break or interruption. The effect is that the listener is taken by the nose and forced to go through some kind of Aristotelian catharsis experiencing consecutive worlds of contrasting characters and multifaceted emotions. It is also said to be Beethoven’s favorite amongst his own string quartets.” In short, the pitch-perfect choice for one of Death of Classical’s signature outings into the catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery. —Matthew Gurewitsch