Saturday, January 2, 2016

Bruch Complete String Quartets - Diogenes Quartett (2016)

Max Bruch
Performer: Diogenes Quartett
Label: Brilliant Classic
Release: January 2016 - BUY

Max Bruch finally can has his own "Complete String Quartets" CD. This improvement happened because his third string quartet had been discovered and recorded! To be precised, the new string quartet is actually his first, composed during his youth at the age of 14! The notes :

In 2013 an unknown quartet was discovered in the archives of the Mozart-Stiftung in Frankfurt, further research made it clear it was by the 14-year old Max Bruch! This fresh and spontaneous youth work clearly has its roots in the romantic tradition going back to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann.

If you thrilled about two Max Bruch string quartets that already known (as I am!), this new piece is very much welcome for string quartet fans. Brilliant Classic recorded this with Diogenes Quartett, who done lot of little known Romantic era string quartet in their repertoire. The new quartet is written in C Minor key, exactly the same as his first string quartet. Is this the proto type of the first quartet? Let's wait till the CD being released then we will write review on it.





Max Bruch : Complete String Quartet
BUY IT HERE

    1.    String Quartet in C Minor, Op. Posth.: I. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro molto
    2.    String Quartet in C Minor, Op. Posth.: II. Adagio
    3.    String Quartet in C Minor, Op. Posth.: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto
    4.    String Quartet in C Minor, Op. Posth.: IV. Finale. Presto agitato
    5.    String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 9: I. Andante – Allegro ma non troppo
    6.    String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 9: II. Adagio
    7.    String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 9: III. Allegro molto energico
    8.    String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 9: IV. Molto vivace
    9.    String Quartet No. 2 in E Major, Op. 10: I. Allegro maestoso
    10.    String Quartet No. 2 in E Major, Op. 10: II. Andante quasi adagio
    11.    String Quartet No. 2 in E Major, Op. 10: III. Vivace non troppo - Un poco meno vivo
    12.    String Quartet No. 2 in E Major, Op. 10: IV. Finale. Vivace

Diogenes Quartett
Stefan Kirpal violin
Gundula Kirpal violin
Alba González i Becerra viola
Stephen Ristau violincello


Boccherini - 6 String Quartets Op. 26 (2016)

Luigi Boccherini (1745-1805)
Performer: Ensemble Symposium
Label: Brilliant Classic
Release: January 2016
BUY IT HERE

The collection of Luigi Boccherini string quartet is keep coming. This time the good news coming from Ensemble Symposium which done six string quartet as Op.26 or G 195 to 200. This is indeed the first recording, as the CD stated, and true I can't remember it had been recorded elsewhere. The website include some important notes on this:

About this release
Generally known as Boccherini’s Op.26, this set of two-movement ‘quartettini’ was first published as Op.32, but confusion has continued down the years, which may be one reason why these delightful works have remained little-known and under-recorded; the only extant version on CD is of arrangements for keyboard and piano quartet, so this set offers a valuable first chance to acquaint oneself with Boccherini’s original scoring.   more HERE

another notes:
The first recording for string quartet of the 6 Quartets Op.26 by Boccherini.
Boccherini was in the service of the Infante Don Luis, the brother of King Charles III of Spain. He was required to write 3 sets of 6 pieces every year, a duty which led to the rich and substantial oeuvre of chamber music by the Italian master.

The quartets are small scale, consisting of usually two movements, the first Allegro in sonata form followed by a Menuetto plus Trio. The style, “Classical Pure”, is here and there infused by Spanish elements, such as certain syncopations suggesting Spanish dances, like the Fandango: high class entertainment!

Let's wait until this CD been released and will write review for it.

 


    1.    Quartet in B-Flat Major, G. 195: I. Allegro moderato
    2.    Quartet in B-Flat Major, G. 195: II. Minuetto con moto – Trio
    3.    Quartet in G Minor, G. 196: I. Larghetto
    4.    Quartet in G Minor, G. 196: II. Minuetto – Trio
    5.    Quartet in E-Flat Major, G. 197: I. Allegro vivace
    6.    Quartet in E-Flat Major, G. 197: II. Minuetto – Trio
    7.    Quartet in A Major, G. 198: I. Larghetto
    8.    Quartet in A Major, G. 198: II. Minuetto con moto – Trio
    9.    Quartet in F Major, G. 199: I. Allegretto
    10.   Quartet in F Major, G. 199: II. Minuetto allegro – Trio
    11.   Quartet in F Minor, G. 200: I. Andante appassionato ma non lento
    12.   Quartet in F Minor, G. 200: II. Minuetto – Trio

Ensemble Symposium
Igor Cantarelli violin
Gian Andrea Guerra violin
Simone Laghi viola
Gregorio Buti violoncello