Cassatt String Quartet's new recording "Toward Light" to be released on October 17 on New Focus Recordings
Three quintets by longtime collaborator Daniel Strong Godfrey feature Cassatts with pianist Ursula Oppens, guitarist Eliot Fisk, and cellist Nicole Johnson
New release comes on the heels of the quartet's 40th anniversary celebrations, adding to their extensive discography of over 30 albums
The Cassatt String Quartet continues its 40th anniversary year with the release of "Toward Light," (rel. October 17, 2025 on New Focus Records). Three quintets by Daniel Strong Godfrey reflect on the long association between composer and the Cassatts, with guest performers Ursula Oppens (piano), Eliot Fisk (guitar), and Nicole Johnson (cello).
"It's been a delight to work with the Cassatt String Quartet over nearly four decades. Their supreme ability and versatility bring out the best in my compositions. It's a pleasure to have these works recorded, two of which were commissioned by the quartet," says Godfrey. Cassatt violinist Muneko Otani says "We have been so fortunate to have Daniel as our friend and artistic partner since our early days an ensemble. He really understands us, and the works on this album reflect that."
Godfrey has earned awards and commissions from the J. S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm Music Foundation, and many others. He's also the founder and co-director of the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music on the coast of Maine, where the Cassatt String Quartet is a long-time ensemble in residence.
The two pieces commissioned by the Cassatts were written nearly 20 years apart. Ricordanza-Speranza was written for the quartet's 20th anniversary in 2006, and reflects an intense period of looking back ("ricordanza") and also looking ahead to the future with hope ("speranza"). Toward Light was written in 2023, and similarly shares the sense of looking toward the future with fear, exasperation, and tenuous optimism. The final work on the album, To Mourn, To Dance (2013) was written to feature Vermeer Quartet cellist Marc Johnson and his daughter Nicole, who is also a cellist. Father and daughter performed together at the premiere, but Mr. Johnson passed away soon thereafter. Nicole Johnson is featured on this recording, which is dedicated to her father’s memory.
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