Recorded live in Tokyo’s Suntory Hall in the space of only three weeks, the acclaimed Kuss Quartet has recorded the complete Beethoven quartet cycle. The Beethoven quartets reflect the journey of the composer; starting with the Haydn- and Mozart-influenced early works and tracing the mastery of his technique and style into the fully-fledged composer who today, now 250 years after his birth, still casts a colossal shadow of influence and occupies a special place in history reserved only for a select few genius. In a broader sense, the quartets encapsulate the multifaceted essence of humanity with all the sorrow, elation and unpredictability that comes with it. The Kuss Quartet brings a performance that is honest, powerful and provocative to match.

The release also features a contribution from French composer Bruno Mantovani, who has written Beethoveniana specially for the Kuss Quartet: it is based entirely on material from each Beethoven quartet.

The Kuss Quartet performs on the four Stradivarius instruments collectively known as the 'Paganini Quartet’. Among the most cherished possessions of the famed virtuoso, these superb instruments were loaned from the Nippon Music Foundation.