John McEwen String Quartets Chilingirian String Quartet

Sir John Blackwood McEwen (13 April 1868 – 14 June 1948)
Performer: Chilingirian String Quartet
Label: Chandos
Released: 2004

Buy it here:
McEwen: String Quartets, Vol. 1  - AMAZON  - CLASSIC ONLINE
Quartet for Strings no 7 in E flat major "Threnody"
Quartet for Strings no 16 in G major "Provencale"
Quartet for Strings no 4 in C minor
Quartet for Strings no 17 in C sharp minor "Fantasia"

Vol. 2 - AMAZON  -  CLASSIC ONLINE
Quartet No. 13 in C minor
Quartet No. 3 in E minor
Quartet No. 6 in A 'Biscay'

Vol. 3 - AMAZON -  CLASSIC ONLINE
Quartet No. 8 in Eb major
Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Quartet No. 15 'A little quartet'

Chilingirian Quartet : Charles Sewart (Violin), Philip De Groote (Cello), Asdis Valdimarsdottir (Viola),
Levon Chilingirian (Violin)

A hazzy seaside of Scottish landscape is hidden another gem of classical music. Sir John Blackwood McEwen is a composer very little known today. This is a recording of about nine out of nineteen string quartet wrote by McEwen. The pieces were all melodious, late Romantic era style. Full of Scottish folk music.

My favorite is String quartet no. 16 in G, no.6 in A 'Biscay', and no.7 in Eb. All with great composition skill, very melancholy and truly bring us to the seashore of Scotland waters. The Biscay string quartet was performed in United States in few concert.

McEwen's Sixth Quartet (1913) has warmth of color and a keen sense of surroundings. But in no sense is the Biscay Quartet program music. although there is apparent in every bar the sunny climate of the south of France, the chilly early morn of "The Dunes" and of the cheery souls who rake the oyster beds (Les Racleuse). The opening movement, Le Phare (the lighthouse), an Allegro, is a strong and exhilarating movement depicting the wild and windswept Biscay shore. The second movement, Les Dunes, Andante mesto begins with a plaintive tune. The music gives the impression of solitude amidst a vast expanse of sand and sea. The finale, Les Racluese, Vivace, begins with a quaint tune which recalls the free and easy life of the Biscay oyster gathers." ---Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music

A Complete String Quartets cycle by John McEwen is as follow, he published seventeen of them, but there were two earlier string quartet that he himself 'didn't find it a great piece' and remain unpublished.

Quartet	Date	Grove	Cobbett	Chandos
Quartet in c minor		-	1
Quartet in f minor		-	2
Quartet in F	1893	1	3
Quartet in A min	1898-9	2	4
Quartet in E m	1901	3	5
Quartet in C min	1905	4	6	4
'Nugae' 7 Bagatelles	1912	5	[7]
Quartet in A Biscay	1913	6	[8]
Quartet in Eb 'Threnody'	1916	7	9	7
Quartet in Eb	1918	8
Quartet in B min	1920	9	14
The Jocund Dance	1920	10	11
Trivial tunes	1920
Quartet in e min	1921	11
Suite of Old National Dances	1923	12	10
Quartet in c min	1928	13
Quartet in d min	1936	14
Little Quartet 'In modo Scotico'	1936	15
Quartet 'Provençale'	1936	16		16
Quartet Fantasia	1947	17		17

 Source and detail Review of John McEwen String Quartet can be found here
Music-Web International - John France


an excerpt from String Quartet no.6 in A major 'Biscay' 1st movement - Chilingirian String Quartet

Pietro Nardini Complete String Quartets - Quartetto Eleusi

Composer: Pietro Nardini (1722 - 1793)
Performer: Quartetto Eleusi
Released: March 2013
Label: Brilliant Classics

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Pietro Nardini, famously as the pupil of Giuseppe Tartini, was a skilful violinist from the Italian Classical era. Numerous violin concertos from Nardini already recorded (one by Mauro Rossi on Dynamic label), but today we going to celebrate his complete string quartet, world premiere recording from  Quartetto Eleusi. Thanks to Brilliant Classics for making this available and on such budget price.

Six quartets with the taste of Italian, which is clear in melody. The quartet intended for amateur player, which explain why Nardini hesitate to include his virtuoso playing into the quartet. Nardini passed away in 1793, which mean a year later than Mozart, mean he probably listen to Mozart’s output to the medium. He was also had connection with Leopald Mozart.

The pieces performed by Quartetto Eleusi with its motto ‘No Guts No Glory’. They seems to have interest in exploring a ‘broader perspective’ of the repertoire in the Classical to early Romanticism era. They also studied the violin playing method of Cherubini, Cambini, Galeazzi, Tartini, Campagnoli and others in order to get close on the historical aspect of the repertoire. This recording of Pietro Nardini’s string quartet is a great addition to the string quartet of Classical era collection. We hope the ensemble will do more in the future.



Official teaser from Brilliant Classics - Pietro Nardini Complete String Quartet - Quartetto Eleusi

 

 

Quartetto Eleusi photo

Castillon and Saint Saens String Quartet - Quatuor de Chartres 2012

Composer: Alexis de Castillon (1838 - 1873), Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921)
Performer: Quatuor de Chartres
Label: 1-2-3-4 GO
Release: January 2013

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Camille Saint Saens composed two string quartets that nowday buried into obscurity. The quartet had been performed and record by few ensemble, notable the Viotti String Quartet. But then, lesser reference to these work and its shadowed by Camille others work. Quatuor de Chartres coming from French and as my research say they already form as long as in 1984. The violinist Gerald Conde is the founding member and they were since a prize winning quartet playing through out Europe. The ensemble bring this piece of Op.112 String Quartet in Em to fresh recording. The piece itself is 30 minutes composition, with intense Romantic style, faithful to Beethoven middle quartet.

Add in together is the main menu, Alexis de Castillon's String quartet in A minor, op. 3 by year 1867.  The description in Amazon say, Composed in 1867, this first attempt for strings shows Alexis de Castillon s gift for inventiveness. The work is juxtaposed with Saint-Saëns expressive Quartet, Op. 112, whose passionate gravity reminds one of Beethoven.

Fans of string quartet especially French region need to get this CD.

Piece:
de Castillon String Quartet in Am Op.3
Saint Saens String Quartet in Em Op.112

Beethoven Complete String Quartet Vol.1 - Belcea String Quartet

Beethoven
Performer: Belcea String Quartet
Label: Zig Zag Territoires
Release: October 2012

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Have been a devoted to Beethoven cycle for years on stage, the Belcea String Quartet is now putting their work into recording. They recorded with Zig Zag Territoires and their Beethoven programme is out now. Animated and fresh is their renderition to the cycle.

“Tuning remains pristine throughout...Faultless and unsettling.” - The Independent Nov 2012

"The profound and subtle way these young players engage with the later, greater music [of Schubert] is the most impressive thing I’ve yet heard from them." - Duncan Druce, Gramophone

"The Belcea Quartet is a young ensemble that, on the evidence of this disc, has an affinity for Brahms' often knotty chamber works...The Belcea's C minor quartet is trumped by its performance of the Op. 111 Quintet, where the opening movement is executed with a welcome sense of easeful power and direction. The middle movements receive a balanced sonority and relaxed fluidity that suits the music wonderfully"
- Dan Davis, ClassicsToday.com

"With this impressive Schubert release the Belcea Quartet has now firmly established their position within this premier league of chamber ensembles. Their splendid unison and beautiful tone is a consistent feature together with their impressive ability to communicate the music to the listener. [T]his release deserves considerable praise."- Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International

pieces:
CD 1
String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18 No. 6
String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127
CD 2
String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18 No. 2
String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 No. 3 'Rasumovsky No. 3'
CD 3
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op. 95 'Serioso'
String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
CD 4
String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18 No. 1
String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4

George Onslow Op.9,10, 21 - Quatuor Ruggieri

George Onslow (1784-1853)
Performer: Quatuor Ruggieri
Label: agOgique
Released: November 2012

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We have another Onslow incoming, this time by French ensemble Quatuor Ruggieri. George Onslow 36 string quartets and 34 string quintets is still a rarity today. Only few recording of them available. For Quatuor Ruggieri, they recorded Op. 10 no.2 and Op.21 no.3. For Op.9 no.3 in F minor we already listened to them with Mandelring String Quartet but of course extra interpretation is welcome for this very good piece.

from the Label disc narrations:
A look into the historical context and musical illuminates the strange destiny of this composer who could say he had the misfortune of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. In a market saturated with instrumental music "light" quartets Onslow undergo diffusion confidential in their time. When he died in 1853, composer Auvergne is the last representative of the French tradition of quartet and string quintet classics.

Pieces:
1-4 String Quartet op.10 n°2 in D minor 24.10
5-8 String Quartet op.9 n°3 in F minor 23.24
9-12 String Quartet op.21 n°3 Eb 22.18

Jan Kalliwoda Op.61 62 90 - Talich Quartet

Jan Křtitel Václav Kalivoda
(Johann Baptist Wenzel Kalliwoda in German) (February 21, 1801 – December 3, 1866)
Performer: Talich Quartet
Label: La Dolce Volta
Released: MP3, Album 27th November 2012

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We are now presented a massive back and new catalogue by the Talich String Quartet. But one of the special recording is string quartets by Johann Baptist Kalliwoda. Living in the finale years of Beethoven he composed three string quartets dubbed as "missing link between Beethoven and Schumann". It is also rich of Czech folk elements. The quartets are:
String quartet no. 1 in E minor op. 61 (pub. 1835)
String quartet no. 2 in A major op. 62 (pub. 1836 (published by Amadeus-Verlag in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1999)
String quartet no. 3 in G major op. 90 (Moderato - Scherzo (Vivace in G minor)

Talich quartet recorded for us the premiere (...perhaps) of these quartets. Other recording by Talich Quartet are as follow:

Digital

BRAHMS / 2 Sextets The String
BRAHMS - Mozart - Clarinet Quintets
Shostakovich / Piano Quintet - String Quartet No. 8
Borodin / Tchaikovsky - String Quartets
DVORAK / Quartet "American" - String Quintet Op.97
DVORAK / Quintets Op.81, 97
JANACEK / "Kreutzer Sonata" - "Intimate Letters"
Kalliwoda / String Quartets No. 1-3
MENDELSSOHN / Complete String Quartets (3 CD)
SCHUBERT / "The Maiden and Death" (Live 40)
SCHULHOFF / String Quartet No. 1
SMETANA / The 2 String Quartets and Fibich
Boccherini, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mica: 4 String Quartets

New
DEBUSSY, RAVEL / String Quartets
Beethoven / The Complete String Quartets (7 CD)

Reissue

MOZART / The Complete String Quartets
MOZART / The Complete String Quintets

Wolfl String Quartets Op.3 and Op.10 - Quatuor Mosaiques

Wolfl Joseph (1773-1812) / Joseph Woelfl
Performer: Quatuor Mosaiques
Label: Paladino
Released: August 2012

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Joseph Wolfl, the Salzburg who popular for piano duel with Beethoven. He studied under Leopold Mozart and friend to Michael Haydn. Composed around eighteen string quartets, Op.4, Op.10 were in dated 1798-1799. And Op.30, which is believe as his youth string quartet. Op.4 is known as Trois Quartet, is a quartet concertants.

Three recording of his string quartets are now available, and the latest is Quatuor Mosaiques with his Op.4 and Op.10 recording. The previous are by the Authentic String Quartet Op.3, the Pratum Orchestra with Op.30. Quatuor Mosaiques that the left behind Op.10.

(missed print as Op.5)