The Silent String Quartet

Julien Navoigille String Quartet in Eb Score Transcript

2019-08-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Julien Navoigille (ca.1749 — 19 November 1831) is French composer. He wrote six string quartet concertante in Opus 3. This is one of his string quartet movement that I re-transcript to Muse Score. The source is taken from imslp library under his name.

Here are the scores. I urge every string quartet ensemble to play this and upload to Youtube so we can listen again these neglected string quartet. This is movement one of the quartet :

Julien Navoigille String Quartet in Eb Score Transcript

this score was played with Muse Player in this video :

I will upload the 2nd and 3rd movement soon after I re-notated it to Muse. At this moment, I will not share the original xml muse file, unless under certain circumstances.

tag: string quartet , classical string quartet, neglected string quartet, Julien Navoigille String Quartet in Eb, muse score string quartet

Geijer & Randel - Works for String Quartet - Norrköpingskvartetten

2019-01-08T01:59:00.001-08:00

Composer : Erik Gustaf Geijer (12 January 1783 – 23 April 1847), Andreas Randel (6 October 1806–27 October 1864)
Performer : Norrköpingskvartetten
Label : Sterling
Release : January 2019
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This is a rarity. The two composers are : Erik Gustaf Geijer and Andreas Randel. Erik was a historian, poet, philosopher who happened to be a composer also. In his short wikipedia entry, it is listed two string quartet , in B and in F written by Erik. We have heard one of them now.

Andreal Randel was Swedish composer and violinist. His chamber music is now unearthed to be heard in 2019. Thanks God for the performer, Norrköpingskvartetten, who performed this for all of us.

The CD notes :
Geijer was one of the prominent figures in the formation of Götiska förbundet (The Geatish Society), who took the task of promoting archaeology, but also Swedish patriotism. As editor of the society’s magazine, he published his own poems in the spirit of the time and also his music settings of these. Geijer showed early a great talent for music and studied at times with different teachers. Although he seems to have considered to attempt a career in music, it remained an activity for spare time. His mind was for chamber music a nd the smaller format, as well as songs. In 1816 the first piano trio was created and in 1822 the first two string quartets in F Minor and B flat Major, a nd during the rest of the decade, among other things, a piano quintet, a piano quartet and two violin Sonatas.

Geijer & Randel: Works for String Quartet

1. String Quartet No. 2 in B Flat Major: I. Allegro moderato assai 9:57
2. String Quartet No. 2 in B Flat Major: II. Molto vivace 5:03
3. String Quartet No. 2 in B Flat Major: III. Andante quasi 6:50
4. String Quartet No. 2 in B Flat Major: IV. Finale 9:56
5. String Quartet in F Minor: I. Allegro moderato 11:37
6. String Quartet in F Minor: II. Scherzo Vivace 6:54
7. String Quartet in F Minor: III. Adagio con espressivo 7:40
8. String Quartet in F Minor: IV. Allegro scherzando 7:57

tag: album review

Bargiel - String Quartets & String Octet - Orpheus Quartet (2018)

2019-01-08T01:47:00.001-08:00

Woldemar Bargiel (3 October 1828 – 23 February 1897)
Performer : Orpheus Quartet , Yume Sato (violin), Amane Horie (violin), Julia Rebekka Adler (viola), Eva Freitag (cello)
Label : CPO
Release : 2018
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Woldemar Bargiel was German composer. According to his timeline, he was living in the post famous string quartet where Beethoven's and Schubert's string quartet exist. It should be interesting to listen for another Germany composer string quartet from this era. There are four piece of string quartet and one string octet from this recording. They are recorded in the 2013 and 2016.

the CD notes:
Woldemar Bargiel was Clara Schumann's half-brother and Robert Schumann's brother-in-law. In the nineteenth century hardly any references failed to note these relational circumstances, surely more to Bargiel's disadvantage since it for many years led to his relegation to the 'second ranks'. It is only recently that the study of his private papers, which somehow miraculously managed to survive two world wars, has inspired increasing interest in his oeuvre. His papers include manuscripts as well as more than 1,500 letters demonstrating that he was a sought-after personality in the European music world. Moreover, in 2010 Dean Cáceres published a study based on analytic methods laying the foundation for what is an impressive demonstration of Bargiel's personal style – which the Orpheus Quartet now thoroughly confirms on its complete recording of the composer's string chamber music.

Bargiel: String Quartets Nos. 1-4 & String Octet

DISC 1
String Quartet No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 15b
1 I. Allegro ma non troppo 00:06:47
2 II. Allegretto commodo 00:02:48
3 III. Andante sostenuto 00:03:49
4 IV. Vivace ed energico 00:04:34
String Quartet No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 47
5 I. Molto moderato ma passionato 00:08:31
6 II. Andante 00:07:25
7 III. Allegro energico, impetuoso 00:06:14
8 IV. Allegro ma non troppo 00:07:54

DISC 2
String Octet in C Minor, Op. 15a
1 I. Adagio - Allegro passionato 00:18:23
2 II. Andante sostenuto - Allegro 00:07:10
3 III. Allegro 00:08:39
String Quartet No. 1
4 I. Allegro vivace 00:06:08
5 II. Andante con moto 00:03:21
6 III. Scherzo - Trio 00:02:53
7 IV. Finale. Presto 00:04:30
String Quartet No. 2
8 I. Allegro appasionato 00:09:04
9 II. Adagio 00:04:27
10 III. Scherzo - Trio 00:03:38
11 IV. Finale. Allegro vivace 00:05:25

Orpheus Quartet
Emile Cantor viola
Mark Gothoni violinist
Timothy Summers violinist
Laurentiu Sbarcea cello

Beecke: 2 String Quartets & Piano Quintet - Diogenes String Quartet (2019)

2019-01-08T01:32:00.002-08:00

Ignaz von Beecke (1733-1803)
Performer: Diogenes String Quartet
Label : CPO
Release : January 2019

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As I aware, Ignaz von Beecke (1733-1803) has one popular string quartet recording under CPO label already. Those are three string quartets performed by Arioso-Quartet recorded way back to 1997. God bless us all and now there is another von Beecke's string quartet to be heard. The new string quartet was recorded by Diogenes String Quartet. In this CD there is one Piano Quintet in A Minor and two string quartet, in G Major and C Major. Now that I check, the G Major string quartet is different from Arioso's recording , so hurray another brand new string quartet for all of us.

This is the CD notes :
The lexicographers Gerber and Lipowsky vouched for Ignaz von Beecke’s fame as a pianist and composer during his times, but today, we regret to say, hardly anything of his former renown remains. And yet this musician, whose early creations continued to be obliged to the style galant but whose late oeuvre from the 1790s already began to open the door to romanticism, created works of great originality and considerable quality offering opportunities for rewarding new encounters in the concert hall or on sound carriers. Very substantial creations are also found in von Beecke’s string quartet oeuvre, and his quartets prove to be eloquent examples of his richly inventive compositional style, which again and again also tended toward unconventional solutions. The most interesting work among the pieces presented here, however, is his Piano Quintet. Although the piano gladly appears as a solo instrument here, the composer is concerned not so much with the display of technical brilliance; the coordinated effort of the entire musical ensemble occupies the foreground.

Beecke: 2 String Quartets Piano Quintet - Diogenes String Quartet (2019)

1. Piano Quintet in A Minor: I. Allegro con affetto 00:11:22
2. Piano Quintet in A Minor: II. Andante più tosto la 00:09:21
3. Piano Quintet in A Minor: III. Allegretto 00:04:31
4. String Quartet in G Major: I. Allegro 00:04:06
5. String Quartet in G Major: II. Menuetto I - Trio 00:02:58
6. String Quartet in G Major: III. Adagio 00:04:14
7. String Quartet in G Major: IV. Menuetto II - Trio 00:01:26
8. String Quartet in G Major: V. Presto 00:01:57
9. String Quartet in C Major: I. Larghetto e maestoso 00:10:33
10. String Quartet in C Major: II. Siciliana. Un poco 00:05:15
11. String Quartet in C Major: III. Allegro 00:06:21

Diogenes String Quartet
Stefan Kirpal, violin
Gundula Kirpal, violin
Alba González i Becerra, viola
Stephen Ristau, cello

Veit: Complete String Quartets - Kertesz String Quartet (2018)

2018-07-19T02:40:00.000-07:00

Composer : Wenzel Heinrich Veit (19 January 1806 - 16 February 1864)
Performer : Kertesz String Quartet
Label : Tocatta Classic
Date : July 2018

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Another unknown string quartet from early Romantic composer resurrected. This is from Czech composer, Wenzel Heinrich Veit (19 January 1806 - 16 February 1864). There are two volume of his string quartets being recorded by Kertesz Quartet from UK. This is indeed their world premiere recording of Veit's String Quartet.

You can listen to sample of Veit String Quartet in Kertesz String Quartet website HERE

As I listen to their sample, these are beautiful piece. The string quartet in D minor IV Finale Presto, provided an energetic piece. There is actually distinguished style from the composer which I really think not very much influence by his contemporary. There aren't Beethoven, Mendelssohn or Schubert attached to the music. This is quite original by itself.. The other quartet that in sample is String Quartet no. 2 in E Major, III. Scherzo movement. This one sound very grande as it is composed to be played in large concert room. I listen to this and feel like a big orchestra accompanying a scherzo dancing crowd. Very tasteful.

The two volume of Wenzel Heinrich Veit are :

Vol. 1
String Quartet No.1 in D minor Op.3 (1834)
1. I. Allegro moderato 09:54
2. II. Menuetto: Allegretto 06:16
3. III. Hymne russe: Andante con moto 08:24
4. IV. Finale: Presto agitato 07:06

String Quartet No.2 in E major Op. 5 (1835)
5. I. Introduzione (Sostenuto) - Allegro vivace 09:37
6. II. Adagio cantabile quasi Andante 06:33
7. III. Scherzo: Presto 05:50
8. IV. Rondo: Allegro non tanto 08:41

Vol . 2
String Quartet No.3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7 (1838)
1. I. Allegro moderato e patetico 09:50
2. II. Menuetto. Allegretto 05:40
3. III. Andante 07:30
4. IV. Finale. Allegro molto 09:12

String Quartet No.4 in G Min, Op.16 (1840)
5. I. Allegro molto ed appassionato 10:01
6. II. Menuetto. Allegretto ma non troppo 04:25
7. III. Adagio 10:14
8. IV. Allegro assai - Andante con moto (Air de Bohème) - Allegro assai 09:50

tag: wenzel heinrich veit string quartet review, forgotten string quartet, romantic string quartet release 2018

Luigi Boccherini - String Quartets (2017) - Ensemble Trifolium

2017-09-09T03:59:00.002-07:00

Luigi Boccherini (Lucca, 1743 - Madrid, 1805)
String Quartets
Performer : Ensemble Trifolium
Release : 2017
Label : Lindoro
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Ensemble Trifolium hailed from Spain recorded four Quartets of Luigi Boccherini in this recent CD. They are doing four popular works from Boccherini in Gm G205, in G "La Tirana" G223, in Gm G194 and in Cm G159. You can hear it samples from this widget :

The CD notes translation :

The present recording allows to overthrow the myth of Luigi Boccherini (Lucca, 1743 - Madrid, 1805) as author of works of light tone, gallant and even superficial and brings us to a deeper facet of the composer, which runs parallel to the aesthetic- of the Central European Sturm und Drang.

Luigi Boccherini is an essential but controversial figure in the history of music in Spain. On the one hand, his birth in Lucca (Italy) marginalized him from the discourses elaborated by Spanish musicology with a nationalist tinge of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, despite the fact that most of his life and career are under the protection of Spanish institutions. In addition, the supposed Italian invasion that "contaminated" Spanish music throughout the eighteenth century also made it an uncomfortable figure to tackle. On the other hand, traditional historiography has considered Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) as the "inventor" of two instrumental genres of great importance in all later European music: the symphony and the string quartet. This supposed invention, which in reality consists in the adoption of a local model (the Viennese) as a universal (European) model of composition, helped to establish a German-centric canon that considered all other compositional traditions, among which the Italian-Spanish Boccherini, as less developed links. Popularly, the knowledge of Boccherini's music has been reduced to the celebrated minuet of his string quintet in Mi Mayor (G. 275) and his quintet titled La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid (G. 324). These pieces have portrayed the composer as a gallant and superficial author. Fortunately, numerous musicologists have worked on several facets of the life and work of Boccherini, offering a renewed image of the musician. This historiographical revision, along with the elaboration of the critical edition of his works, evidences the high quality and depth of his music and contradicts the idea of the supposed isolation that Boccherini suffered in Spain.

Boccherini composed string quartets over forty years: his first opus (opus 2) was dated in 1761, while the last completed (opus 58) is from the year 1799. The four quartets chosen for this work present different chronologies. The earliest is dated in 1761, when Boccherini traveled to Vienna and to various Italian cities where he earned his living as an interpreter in orchestras or playing his own music. The two intermediate quartets were composed between 1778 and 1780, during his stay in Arenas de San Pedro (Avila) under the patronage of the infant Don Luis de Borbón (1727-1785). The later quartet is of the year 1792. After the death of Don Luis, Boccherini returned to Madrid, obtaining of Carlos III an annual pension for having been in the service of the infant. He also obtained the favor of other aristocratic patrons: he was appointed chamber composer of Prince Frederick William of Prussia, a position he held between 1786 and 1797, and worked as conductor and composer of the orchestra of the Duchess of Osuna and Benavente, Maria Josefa Alonso Pimentel (1750-1834), between March 1786 and December 1787.

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String Quartet in G minor Op. 32 no 5 (G. 205)
1 Allegro comodo 4’45’’
2 Andantino 3’58’’
3 Menuetto con moto 4’48’’
4 Allegro giusto 4’24’’

String Quartet in G Major "La Tirana" Op. 44 no 4 (G. 223)
5 Presto 5’02’’
6 Tempo di minueto 4’49’’

String Quartet in G minor Op. 24 no 6 (G. 194)
7 Allegro assai 5’29’’
8 Adagio 6’59’’
9 Menuetto 3’56’’

String Quartet in C minor Op. 2 no 1 (G. 159)
10 Allegro comodo 6’18’’
11 Largo 7’29’’
12 Allegro 5’55’’

Total time: 63’58”

Ensemble TRIFOLIUM

Carlos Gallifa, violín
Sergio Suárez, violín
Juan Mesana, viola
Javier Aguirre, violoncello

Franz Xaver Gebel - String Quintet and Cello Sonata (2017)

2017-01-14T00:28:00.001-08:00

Franz Xaver Gebel (1787-1843)
Performers : Hoffmeister String Quartet, Beni Araki (Piano), Martin Seeman (Cello)
Label : Profil
Release : January 2017
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We already have the Hoffmeister String Quartet doing Franz Xaver Gebel string quartet in this recording back in 2015. As for this new CD, Hoffmeister Quartet continue to dig FX Gebel works which is his String Quintet no.8 in B flat major and Cello Sonata in E-flat Major. There are also already recordings of two string quintet in HERE. So, we will have at least three solid string quintet from meister Franz Xaver Gebel. He was grown up in Breslau and them moved to Russia in 1817.

Here are the CD notes :
"Franz Xaver Gebel was born in Fürstenau (Milin) near Breslau (Wrocław) in 1787 and received his musical education in Vienna, as did many of his Silesian peers. His list of teachers included Abbé Vogler and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. In Vienna, Gebel was engaged at first as the director of music at the Theater in Leopoldstadt and published some compositions including the Great Sonata for pianoforte and violoncello. After working as a director of music in Vienna, Pest, Hermannstadt (Sibiu), and Lemberg (now Lviv in Western Ukraine), he ended up in Moscow in 1817, where he spent the rest of his life and gave private lessons for piano and composition. Some of his famous students included young philosophers and literati like Nikolai Stankevich and Nikolai Ogaryov, and other individuals who were significant for the later musical culture in Moscow: The author and music critic Nikolai Melgunow and the pianist Alexander Villoing, who was engaged as a teacher to the young Anton Rubinstein from 1837 and can be considered the founder of the Russian school for pianists. Of the pieces Gebel composed in Moscow, seven string quintets and one string quartet were printed in his last years in Moscow. Also a Russian translation of his composition studies was published – this was the first textbook on musical composition in Russian! We can find considerable appreciation of Gebel’s merits for the Moscow musical culture in the obituary by the anonymous Muscovite correspondent in the Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung from June 23, 1843. The “adored and respected composer and pianist” was eulogized there as follows:

“Gebel was born in Breslau and lived here [in Moscow] for 35 years, in ceaseless dedication to improving musical tastes. As a pianist and theorist, he taught for 10 rubles an hour in the best homes and was highly esteemed as a master of his art. He lived - as every true artist - more for heaven than for earth. He did not worship money. If a poetic thought surprised him, he often forgot for weeks to give his lessons and sat at his desk putting his thoughts onto paper […]. Earlier, a select circle of art connoisseurs and art lovers, who purchased season tickets during the winter, were treated to a cycle including Gebel’s own work and that of other masters. These performances were composed of quartet and quintets and moved audiences into rapt awe by transporting them with truly beautiful pieces. Participants in these soirées look back on those occasions with great pleasure.”

Subscribers to Gebel’s evenings of chamber music had purchased tickets to what was probably the first public chamber concerts in Moscow, where they heard sophisticated pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven, and also quartets and quintets by Gebel himself. Gebel’s compositions apparently made quite an impression on his contemporaries. Almost 20 years after Gebel’s death, the String Quintet No. 8 and the Double Quintet Op. 28 were published at the Julius Schuberth publishing house in Leipzig in 1862. Today, this composer has mostly been forgotten in Russia as well as everywhere else."

Which read as very appealing background story. Fans of Classical period chamber music should rejoice upon this newly arrived quintet and cello sonata.

Franz Xaver Gebel - String Quintet and Cello Sonata (2017)

Franz Xaver Gebel: String Quintet No. 8 in B-Flat Major, Op. 27

I. Allegro agitato
II. Adagio espressivo
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Finale: Andante - Allegro

Franz Xaver Gebel: Cello Sonata in E-Flat Major

I. Allegro
II. Romance: Adagio
III. Scherzo: Allegro moderato
IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Pleyel String Quartet Op.41-42 Nos 1-2 - Authentic Quartet

2016-09-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1837)
Performer : Authentic Quartet
Label : Hungaroton
Released : Aug 2016
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It's been a while since we last heard about Authentic Quartet and Ignaz Pleyel. The Hungaroton front line period quartet ensemble finally dedicated some work on Ignaz Pleyel string quartet. This time we got four quartets, from Opus 41 and 42, both two quartets. I'm not sure what is the Ben catalog on this one. The consequent of C Major and F Major can be found at Ben 346 and 347, then the G Major and B-Flat Major in Ben 349 and 350. But the year of released are seemingly not consistent. The front cover CD also suggested as "First Recording".

the CD blurb :

Authentic Quartet, the ensemble playing on period instruments, has released another world premiere recording featuring Ignace Pleyel's two string quartets. The pieces are most likely to have been written during the composer's concert tour in England, or maybe a bit later as the melodies and rhythmic structures remind the listener of Scottish folk music. Owing to their simple structures and lyrical melodic lines, the compositions can be classified as easy violin music offering a highly enjoyable listening experience.

Pleyel String Quartet Op.41-42 Nos 1-2 - Authentic Quartet

String Quartet in C Major, Op. 41 No. 1
I. Allegro
II. Rondo eccossois: Allegro

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 41 No. 2
I. Allegro
II. Air eccossois: Andante
III. Rondo eccossois: Allegro

String Quartet in G Major, Op. 42 No. 1
I. Allegro
II. Air eccossois: Rondo moderato

String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 42 No. 2
I. Allegro
II. Air eccossois: Adagio espressivo
III. Air eccossois: Rondo allegro

Lindsey Stirling - Brave Enough (2016)

2016-08-19T17:08:00.001-07:00

Lindsey Stirling Brave Enough album review by silentstring.blogspot.com

Yeah, of course I listen to Lindsey Stirling also, along with my zillions of classical chamber music. Miss Lindsey Stirling is a hip hop / dubstep / disco violinist that taken the world by ~~storm~~ beat in 2012 with her debut album. Her music incorporated catchy violin playing accompanied by the last version of disco music that called "dubstep". Her other trademark is the Youtube video she always produced to visualized her violin playing. She is one of Youtube celebrity indeed, she easily make millions of Youtube likes just by playing violin, bet not much any violinist can do.

Brave Enough is her third studio album. The most elements that different from previous albums are, this album brave enough to included half dozen of vocal tracks. Well, people like to listen to your violin playing miss Lindsey, but hey we let you explore also. We'll talk about the instrumentals tracks first, as this is what the majority of the house looking at the album. I love the opener "Lost Girls", because its started mellow and slow with crystal clear violin playing trying to stealth your breath away. This track is the direct continuation of Lindsey Stirling styles. The pumping beat still there, with lots of minor scale licks, the electronic "uh-uh" vocal, we got Lindsey Stirling trademark. Then we got "The Arena", which is supposed to be bit of tango-like elements, judge from the videoclip. Indeed the track worth enough to be the album single because this one really biting here and there with the violin playing and mixed well with the choreography at the clip. "The Phoenix" is having bit of oriental feeling and that went good with violin usually. We then get "Prism", which according to sources, is the OST for the next Disney movie "Pete's Dragon". The song is lighter then previouses. Prism lighten up situation with enjoyable disco violin music. I bet most children will like it as well.

Now I must praise "Mirage (feat. Raja Kumari)". This is the track where Lindsey collab-ing with Indian style music and musicians. Now if you like Bollywood, this is your chances to get it done with Lindsey Stirling. I like it very much and the song added more color to the album. "First Light" is the most 'standard' tunes with violin music without any 'stunt'. The other easy listening song are "Gavi's Song", where a duet of violin and piano is going to bring your evening to the moon. In several package (Deluxe version), there are about four additional bonus songs. Waltz, Afterglow, Powerlines, and Forgotten are that four songs , all instrumentals.

For the vocals songs, I recommended foremost is "Where Do We Go" featuring Carah Faye. This is a pop song that mixed well with violin lick playing at background. The two elements, vocals and violin is equal and fills in each other. The flag song "Brave Enough" itself is also powerful. Featuring Christina Perri, this song is focusing more into the vocals and the lyrics. The violin get some beautiful melodies though. "Those Days" featuring Dan + Shay, is intimate boy band style song, the violin comes a bit in the background. "Hold My Heart" featuring ZZ Ward is having complicated mix between disco+alternative pop+rock because of ZZ Ward's unique musical style. "Don't Let This Feeling Fade" well, the only song that I don't thing works in this environment, the rap of Rivers Cuomo & Lecrae is trying their best to fit. Mysterious singer, Rooty, is the next singer to sing in "Love's Just a Feeling", a pop song with bit of '80 feel. Must admit that the male voice also a bit of challenge in pair with violin playing. "Something Wild" featuring Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness, is this last challenge. The song gone with folk-like nuance, not much problem and I like it actually.

Brave Enough is lovely third studio album by Lindsey Stirling. The two years in wait maximum miss Lindsey creativity and this album is reflecting the quality of her music. This album is not strict violin orientated album, just like her debut. Some die hard violin lover might protest the, ehem, originality of this album is not as high as the first album. It is true that we found lesser Lindsey magic melodies in this album, because the large volume of vocals song. But, with about 18 tracks in Brave Enough, we have enough instrumental tracks to choose. At least I feel this album is better concept than her in-between second studio album, Shatter Me. So, shut the door and turn your ampli with maximum bass frequency, the album is really to ~~rock~~ beat it!

Lindsey Stirling - Brave Enough (2016)
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01. Lost Girls
02. Brave Enough (feat. Christina Perri)
03. The Arena
04. The Phoenix
05. Where Do We Go (feat. Carah Faye)
06. Those Days (feat. Dan + Shay)
07. Prism
08. Hold My Heart (feat. ZZ Ward)
09. Mirage (feat. Raja Kumari)
10. Don't Let This Feeling Fade (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Lecrae)
11. First Light
12. Love's Just a Feeling (feat. Rooty)
13. Something Wild (feat. Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness)
14. Gavi's Song
15. Waltz (Bonus Track)
16. Afterglow (Bonus Track)
17. Powerlines (Bonus Track)
18. Forgotten Voyage (Bonus Track)

String Chamber Music by 18th Century Bohemian Composers - Soijka Quartet (2016)

2016-07-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

String Chamber Music by 18th Century Bohemian Composers
Performer : Soijka Quartet
Label : TYX Art
Release : July 2016 BUY IT HERE

This is a series of largely forgotten Bohemian composers done by TYX Art label. In this CD four composers are submitted a piece of chamber music, well, three of them are string quartets. Of course the Czech string quartet had been familiar by the works of Johann Baptist Wanhal, Pavel Vranicky, Franz Krommer or Antonin Rejcha. The four of composers we introduced are lesser known by us, who are: Antonin Kammel, Florian Leopold Gassmann, Franz Koczwara, and Anton Zimmerman. A tasty feast for string quartet lovers as these quartet are wonderful in presentation.

The CD notes :

The goal of the Joachim Wollenweber Edition is to turn the publics attention to classical and romantic composers who have been largely forgotten. This release is the fifth album in the series, and is dedicated to four 18th century Bohemian composers, Antonin Kammel, Florian Leopold Gassmann, Franz Koczwara, and Anton Zimmerman. Performing these works is the Sojka String Quartet, which was founded by music students at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 2009. The ensembles focus is classical music, and contemporary works from the Czech republic.

Antonín Kammel (born 1739 in Běleč / Biel Adige, died in 1784 in London) was formed according to studies in his home of Giuseppe Tartini in Padua. In 1765 he went to London, where he apparently wrote only instrumental music, mostly in occupations for Strings. The String Quartet in B flat major is the second plant of a set of six quartets, printed as Opus 7 in London (undated).

Florian Leopold Gassmann (born 1729 in Most / Most, died in 1774 in Vienna) came after studies at Padre GB Martini in Bologna initially produced primarily as an opera composer in Venice. Since 1763, he worked as a "court and Kammercompositor" in Vienna and helped the court orchestra to new heights. The String Quartet in C major is the second one in 1804 published collection of six quartets.

Franz Koczwara (born in 1750 in Prague, died in 1791 in London) spent his mature years in England, where he was a member of various orchestras, most recently as a double bass player at King '€ ™ s Theatre in London. The Sonata for Two Violas and Cello in C major is the sixth of a collection of sonatas for various occupations, which was published about 1775 in London.

Anton Zimmermann (born 1741 Breitenau / Široká Niva, died in 1781 in Pressburg / Bratislava) was in the service of the Archbishop (later Cardinal) and Primate of Hungary Joseph Batthyány in PreßŸburg for which he established, among other things, a chamber orchestra since 1776th His String Quartet in F major is the third work of the six quartets Op. 3, which were created in 1770 and published about 1777th

written by : Andreas Wehrmeyer

The Sojka string quartet went from students of the Music Faculty of Prague's Academy of Performing Arts (AMU) produced. Since 2009, it plays in the cast: Martin Kos and Martin Kaplan (violin), Josef Fiala (Viola) and Hana Vítková (cello). Priorities of the ensemble are the music of classical and contemporary music in the Czech Republic. Since 2012 the musicians have also been multiple guests abroad. 2015 was the quartet he has concerts in Japan and worked on feast days for contemporary music in Prague.

CD-Programm / Trackliste: - BUY IT HERE

Antonín Kammel (1739 – 1784)
Streichquartett B-Dur (op. 7 Nr. 2) /
String Quartet B Flat Major (op. 7 No. 2)
I Allegro,
II Andante espressivo,
III Tempo di Menuetto

Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729 – 1774)
Streichquartett C-Dur /
String Quartet C Major
I Andante,
II Allegro, Menuetto – Trio,
III Allegro

Franz Koczwara (ca. 1750 – 1791)
Sonate für zwei Violen und Violoncello C-Dur /
Sonata for Two Violas and Cello C Major
I Andante espressivo,
II Adagio,
III Rondo (Allegro)

Anton Zimmermann (1741 – 1781)
Streichquartett F-Dur (op. 3 Nr. 3) /
String Quartet F Major (op. 3 No. 3)
I Andante un poco Adagio,
II Menuetto (Allegretto) – Trio, Allegro, Menuetto – Trio,
III Finale – Allegro non molto

Complete List of Luigi Boccherini String Quartets Recordings

2016-05-28T01:28:00.000-07:00

Luigi Boccherini was Italian composer who composed a large number of chamber music. His string quartets numbered more than 100 works, unfortunately some are lost. Here are the complete list of Luigi Boccherini's string quartets and its recordings. There are 106 string quartets in the Gerard Catalog. The most recorded quartets seems to be the Six quartets in Opus 32. At the moment only less than 50% of all Boccherini string quartets got recorded, well according to my Amazon research only. Hopefully there will be more ensemble playing his pieces.

No.	Opus and G Catalog	Recordings
1	G 159: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 1 in C minor (1761)	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
2	G 160: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 2 in B-flat major	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
3	G 161: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 3 in D major	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
4	G 162: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 4 in E-flat major	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
5	G 163: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 5 in E major	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
6	G 164: String Quartet Op. 2 No. 6 in C major	Alea Ensemble, Sonore Quartet
7	G 165: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 1 in D major (c. 1768)	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ
8	G 166: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 2 in C minor	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ
9	G 167: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 3 in E-flat major	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ
10	G 168: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 4 in G minor	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ
11	G 169: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 5 in F major	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ
12	G 170: String Quartet Op. 8 No. 6 in A major	Venezia String Quartet, Artaria SQ, Apponyi Quartet,
13	G 171: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 1 in C minor (1770)
14	G 172: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 2 in D minor
15	G 173: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 3 in F major
16	G 174: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 4 in E-flat major
17	G 175: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 5 in D major
18	G 176: String Quartet Op. 9 No. 6 in E major
19	G 177: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 1 in D major (1772)	Petersen Quartet,
20	G 178: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 2 in F major
21	G 179: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 3 in E major
22	G 180: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 4 in F major
23	G 181: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 5 in E-flat major
24	G 182: String Quartet Op. 15 No. 6 in C minor
25	G 183: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 1 in C major (1775)
26	G 184: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 2 in D major
27	G 185: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 3 in E-flat major
28	G 186: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 4 in B-flat major
29	G 187: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 5 in A minor
30	G 188: String Quartet Op. 22 No. 6 in C major
31	G 189: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 1 in D major (1776-8)
32	G 190: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 2 in A major
33	G 191: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 3 in E-flat major
34	G 192: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 4 in C major
35	G 193: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 5 in C minor
36	G 194: String Quartet Op. 24 No. 6 in G minor	Petersen Quartet, Europa Galante, Saxonian String Soloist
37	G 195: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 1 in B-flat major (1778)	Ensemble Symposium,
38	G 196: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 2 in G minor	Ensemble Symposium,
39	G 197: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 3 in E-flat major	Ensemble Symposium,
40	G 198: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 4 in A major	Ensemble Symposium, Apponyi Quartet,
41	G 199: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 5 in F major	Ensemble Symposium,
42	G 200: String Quartet Op. 26 No. 6 in F minor	Ensemble Symposium,
43	G 201: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 1 in E-flat major (1780)	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet
44	G 202: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 2 in E minor	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet
45	G 203: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 3 in D major	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet
46	G 204: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 4 in C major	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet Nomos Quartet
47	G 205: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 5 in G minor	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet Nomos Quartet, Apponyi Quartet, Saxonian String Soloist
48	G 206: String Quartet Op. 32 No. 6 in A major	Quartetto Borciani, Esterhazy Quartet, Nomos Quartet
49	G 207: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 1 in E major (1781)	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
50	G 208: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2 in C major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
51	G 209: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 in G major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
52	G 210: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 4 in B-flat major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
53	G 211: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 5 in E minor	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
54	G 212: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 6 in E-flat major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
55	G 213: String Quartet Op. 39 in A major (1787)	Petersen Quartet, Revolutionary Drawing Room, Quartetto Venezia
56	G 214: String Quartet Op. 41 No. 1 in C minor (1788)	Ensemble Symposium, Revolutionary Drawing Room, Quartetto Venezia
57	G 215: String Quartet Op. 41 No. 2 in C major	Revolutionary Drawing Room, Quartetto Venezia
58	G 216: String Quartet Op. 42 No. 1 in A major (1789)
59	G 217: String Quartet Op. 42 No. 2 in C major
60	G 218: String Quartet Op. 43 No. 1 in A major (1790)
61	G 219: String Quartet Op. 43 No. 2 in A major
62	G 220: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 1 in B-flat major (1792)
63	G 221: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 2 in E minor
64	G 222: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 3 in F major
65	G 223: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 4 in G major ("La tiranna")	Apponyi Quartet,
66	G 224: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 5 in D major
67	G 225: String Quartet Op. 44 No. 6 in E-flat major
68	G 226: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 1 in F major (1794)
69	G 227: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 2 in A major
70	G 228: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 3 in B minor
71	G 229: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 4 in E-flat major
72	G 230: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 5 in G major
73	G 231: String Quartet Op. 48 No. 6 in C major
74	G 232: String Quartet Op. 52 No. 1 in C major (1795)	Quartetto Venezia
75	G 233: String Quartet Op. 52 No. 2 in D major	Quartetto Venezia
76	G 234: String Quartet Op. 52 No. 3 in G major	Quartetto Venezia
77	G 235: String Quartet Op. 52 No. 4 in F minor	Quartetto Venezia
78	G 236: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 1 in E-flat major (1796)
79	G 237: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 2 in D major	Saxonian String Soloist
80	G 238: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 3 in C major
81	G 239: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 4 in A major
82	G 240: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 5 in C major
83	G 241: String Quartet Op. 53 No. 6 in E-flat major
84	G 242: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 1 in C major (1799)	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
85	G 243: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 2 in E-flat major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
86	G 244: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 3 in B-flat major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
87	G 245: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 4 in B minor	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
88	G 246: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 5 in D major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
89	G 247: String Quartet Op. 58 No. 6 in E-flat major	Revolutionary Drawing Room,
90	G 248: String Quartet Op. 64 No. 1 in F major (1804)	Petersen Quartet, Quartetto Venezia
91	G 249: String Quartet Op. 64 No. 2 in D major	Quartetto Venezia
92	G 250: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 1 in D major (1796, doubtful)
93	G 251: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 2 in G major
94	G 252: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 3 in C major
95	G 253: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 4 in A major
96	G 254: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 5 in C major
97	G 255: String Quartet Op. 54 No. 6 in D major
98-103	G 256: 6 String Quartets from Op. 10, G 265–270 (doubtful)
104-105	G 257: 2 String Quartets from G 287 & 290
106	G 258: String Quartet in F minor (lost)

Some CD have confusing Opus number or miss printed :

Quartetto Italiano that printed as Opus 6. It should be referred to Opus 8 No.1 in D and Opus 8 No.3 in E Flat. BUY IT HERE

Recording by Saxonian String Soloist, listed as opus 27, opus 40 and opus 33. The correct is Opus 24 No.2 in G minor G194 and Opus 53 No.2 in D G237.

Recording by Quartetto Della Scala in 1972's, printed as Opus 26 and 27, which non existed in G Catalog. BUY IT HERE

List of Hyacinthe and Louis-Emmanuel Jadin String Quartets

2016-05-10T16:26:00.003-07:00

The two Jadin brothers composed numbers string quartets in their time. To avoid confusion this is the list of string quartets done by them, Hyancinthe Jadin and his elder brother Louis-Emmanuel Jadin.

Hyacinthe Jadin (April 27, 1776 – September 27, 1800)

3 String Quartets for 2 violins, viola, and violoncello Opus 1.
No.1 in B-flat Major (1795) recorded by  Franz Joseph Quartet , by Quatuor Cambini
No.2 in A Major (1795) by  Franz Joseph Quartet
No.3 in F minor (1795) by  Franz Joseph Quartet , by Razumovsky Quartet

3 String Quartets Op. 2
No.1 in E-flat Major (1796) by Franz Joseph Quartet, by Razumovsky Quartet
No.2 in B minor (1796)
No.3 in C (1796)

3 String Quartets Opus 3
No.1 in C Major (1797) by Franz Joseph Quartet, by Quatuor Cambini
No.2 in E Major (1797)
No.3 in A minor (1797) by Quatuor Cambini

3 String Quartets Opus 4
No.1 in G Major (1798) by Razumovsky Quartet
No.2 in F (1798)
No.3 in D (1798)

Louis-Emmanuel Jadin (21 September 1768 – 11 April 1853)

3 String Quartets Book 1
No.1 in E-flat Major
No.2 in F minor by Franz Joseph Quartet
No.3 in C Major

3 String Quartets Book 2
No.1 in D minor
No.2 in B-flat Major
No.3 in A Major

Franz Joseph Quartet

Razumovsky Quartet

Quatuor Cambini

Franz Joseph Quartet

Eugen d'Albert - Complete String Quartets Reinhold Quartett (2016)

2016-04-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Eugen (originally Eugène) Francois Charles d'Albert (10 April 1864 – 3 March 1932)

Performer : Reinhold Quartett

Label : Naxos of America

Release: May 2016

There already a release of Scottish composer Eugen d'Albert string quartets earlier than this one. The Sarastra Quartet had released Eugen d'Albert only two string quartets in the past, Eugen d'Albert Sarastro Quartet - BUY IT HERE

But now we got the latest rendition of Eugen d'Albert string quartets, done by Reinhold Quartett released by Naxos of America. Notes:

Scottish-born German composer Eugen Francois Charles dAlbert (1864-1932) began his musical career as a pianist. As years passed, he began focusing more on composing, and produced 21 operas, and a variety of piano, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. The works chosen for this album are his String Quartet op. 11 in E flat major, and String Quartet op. 7 in A minor. These are the only two string quartets that dAlbert wrote. The Reinhold-Quartett is Dietrich Reinhold and Tobias Haupt, violin, Norbert Tunze, viola, and Christoph Vietz, cello.

and a longer descriptions:

Eugen d’Albert was born in Glasgow to a French father and an English mother. Already as a child, however, he was attracted to Germany and began learning the language of the country he felt was his own. He then spent long periods of his life in Germany without ever feeling at home there. He remained a British subject until World War I and then became a citizen of Switzerland. Contradictions continued throughout his entire life: he was a piano virtuoso of epochal stature, but his most ardent wish was to enjoy a composer’s fame. He married six times, regularly changed his place of residence, and experimented with spiritist practices. His compositional oeuvre was just as multifaceted as his life and personal character. Before his thirtieth birthday, in 1886 and 1893, Eugen d’Albert had composed two string quartets. Given the reports about the public’s response to them at the time of their composition, it is quite astonishing that they are only rarely performed today and not mentioned at all in the standard guides to quartet music. The quartets show us a composer embodying the cutting edge of the musical developments of his times who not only met the compositional-technical requirements of the demanding quartet genre but also fully satisfied the tonal needs of a string ensemble. His second quartet in particular is a wonderful late product of romanticism. Dedicated to Johannes Brahms, this work is distinguished by an extraordinarily dense and markedly polyphonic compositional style, highly developed late romantic harmonies, and very nuanced rhythms – while confronting the instrumentalists with considerable challenges. The two quartets remained the only representatives of this genre in d’Albert’s oeuvre: in the end he went down in music history as a »pianist and opera composer.« The recording by the Reinhold Quartet, renewing the composer’s close ties to the Gewandhaus, invites you to get ready once again to revise the traditional picture of this astonishingly multifaceted artist. from CPO website

Eugen d'Albert: Complete String Quartets

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String Quartet No.1 in A Minor, Op.7

1 I. Leidenschaftlich bewegt 9:18

2 II. Langsam, mit Ausdruck 10:05

3 III. Mäßiger bewegt 6:58

4 IV. In mäßiger, ruhiger Bewegung (Thema mit Variationen) 10:38

String Quartet No.2 in E flat Major, Op.11

5 I. Andante con moto 7:33

6 II. Allegro vivace 7:50

7 III. Adagio ma non troppo e con molta espressione 12:33

8 IV. Allegro 6:51

Paul Juon - Complete String Quartets - Sarastro Quartett (2016)

2016-04-17T21:23:00.002-07:00

Paul JUON (1872-1940)
Performer : Sarastro Quartett
Label : CPO
Release : April 2016
BUY IT HERE - Amazon

Born in the middle of Romantic era, Paul Juon hold several string quartets that are mystery to us ever before. Recently, the rise of his chamber musics (some piano quartets) enable CPO label to put the string quartets into recording. So, here we are with the new never heard before Romantic string quartets of Paul Juon. Paul was born in Moscow, his parent are Swiss. Paul return to Switzerland in 1934. His four string quartets in these double CD had been described as influenced by Russian music. Here the CD notes:

The missing link between Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky"" - This is how a contemporary critic once termed the late romantic composer Paul Juon, who was born to Swiss parents in Moscow, graduated from the conservatory with flying colors, and then went to Berlin in 1894 to study with Clara Schumann's half brother Woldemar Bargiel. In 1907 the very discriminating Joseph Joachim appointed him to a full professorship at the Berlin college of Music. Juon penned orchestral compositions and piano and vocal music, but chamber music was his domain. Following the release of his Piano Quartets and his Quintet and Sextet, likewise with piano music, it is now time to present his String Quartets. Once again all the essential traits of Juon's compositional style are brought together with the finest craftsmanship: his predilection for irregular rhythms and rhythmic-metrical peculiarities, bold harmonies, and an unmistakable Russian folk tone in the melodic sphere. Since Juon anticipated developments for which Stravinsky, Blacher, and Messiaen later became famous, we might wellconsider including him among the important rhythmic innovators. In his chamber music Pual Juon is in a class all by himself.

Paul Juon: Complete String Quartets BUY IT HERE - Amazon

String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 5 (post-1896) [42:00]
I. Allegro moderato
II. Adagio sostenuto
III. Molto presto
IV. Intermezzo. Allegro
V. Finale. Vivacissimo

String Quartet No. 2 in B minor, Op. 11 (1896) [27:45]
I. Allegro risoluto
II. Andante tranquillo
III. Scherzo. Presto
IV. Finale. Allegro con giusto

String Quartet No. 3 in E minor, Op. 29 (1904) [32:44]
I. Allegro molto
II. Lento assai ma poco rubato
III. Moderato
IV. Lento assai - Vivace non troppo

String Quartet No. 4, Op. 67 (1920) [28:21]
I. Allegro
II. Andante tranquillo
III. Allegro
IV. Allegro non troppo

Sarastro Quartett
Ralph Orendain & Roman Conrad, Violin
Hanna Werner-Helfenstein, Viola
Lehel Donath, Cello

Fröhlich Complete String Quartets - Rasumowsky Quartet (2016)

2016-04-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (20 February 1803 - † 16th October 1836)
Performer : Rasumowsky-Quartett
Label : CPO
Release : April 2016 - BUY IT HERE

We just got recording of Switzerland composer Frederich Theodore Frohlich last year, but here we got the new CD. This new recording by Rasumowsky comes with 2 CDs and the last quartet never hearded before, string quartet in F minor. Here some of the CD notes :

Early Romantic Quartets from Switzerland

The string quartets of the Aargau composer Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich form a unique contribution in this genre to musical early romanticism in Switzerland. However, so far only one of these four works has been edited. The manuscripts of his other quartets currently continue to be housed in the Basel University Library. When poor health forced him to abandon his law studies, Fröhlich took compositional lessons in Aarau and then received instruction from Goethe’s friend Carl Friedrich Zelter and Bernhard Klein in Berlin, where he also met Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. He was the most promising young talent of Swiss romanticism, but when his musical activity failed to meet with recognition, he threw himself into the Aare on 16 October 1836. Fröhlich’s music is distinguished by refreshing and natural melodies, a special feel for simplicity combined with compelling effects, and rich in emotional expression and unexpected modulations in the harmonic sphere.

and...

Swiss composer Friedrich Theodor Frohlich began his compositional career after his poor health forced him to abandon his law studied. He took lessons in Aarau, and then was a student of Carl Friedrich Zelter and Berhard Klein in Berlin. A promising talent, the string quartets featured here show the composer had unique contributions to early romanticism. When his music did not meet the acclaim that he expected, Frohlich unfortunately took his own life at the age of 33.

and....

The string quartets of Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich form a unique contribution to Swiss early romanticism. He was the most promising young talent of Swiss romanticism, but when his musical activity failed to meet with recognition, he threw himself into the Aare on 16 October 1836. Fröhlich’s music is distinguished by refreshing and natural melodies, simplicity combined with compelling effects, and rich in emotional expression and unexpected harmonic modulations.

Fröhlich Complete String Quartets - Rasumowsky Quartet (2016)
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Disk 1
String quartet in F minor
1. I Allegro moderato
2. II Allegretto quasi andantino
3. III Scherzo: Molto allegro - Trio: Meno presto
4. IV Finale: Adagio - Allegro ma non troppo - Adagio - Allegro tempo primo

String quartet in G minor
5. I Andante con variazioni
6. II Scherzo: Molto animato
7. III Largo cantabile
8. IV Finale: Allegro molto

Disk 2
String quartet in E Major

1. I Allegretto ma non troppo
2. II Scherzo: Molto animoso
3. III Adagio, con molto espressione
4. IV Finale: Allegro agitato - Adagio - Andantino - Allegro agitato - Recitativo senza tempo - Adagio - Andantino

String quartet in C minor

5. I Allegro agitato
6. II Andante
7. III Scherzo: Presto
8. IV Finale: Adagio - Allegro

Bruch Complete String Quartets - Diogenes Quartett (2016)

2016-01-02T16:12:00.001-08:00

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
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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)

2016-01-02T15:50:00.001-08:00

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

List of Flute and String Quartet / Quintet Recordings of the Classical Era

2015-11-22T01:51:00.003-08:00

Flute is arguably the next most popular instruments to paired to string quartet and quintet ensemble. The quartet for flute and string trio that formed flute quartet have wide repertoire, I believe much larger than, said, clarinet or oboe or other woodwinds instrument. The form seemingly enjoyed popularity in Classical Era. Apart from well known Mozart's four flute quartets, sadly lesser piece have been known to this category. Here are the list of most popular recording available in the market for the last 15 years that created flute quartet and flute quintet. I sort the list according to composer's lifetime, and some short commentary on notable piece.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Quartets for Flute, Violin, Viola da Gamba, Bk 1 "Paris Quartets"
by Reinhard Goebel, Musica Antiqua Koln - BUY IT HERE

The Paris Quartets is the earliest flute quartet that stand out from the crowd. The piece was created in the late Baroque era, one can link this to earliest form of string quartet in overall.

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697–1773): Six Flute Quartets 2004
by Mary Oleskiewicz (baroque flute after Quantz), Elizabeth Field (baroque violin), Daniel Elyar (baroque viola), Stephanie Vial (baroque cello), David Schulenberg (harpsichord). - BUY IT HERE

J.J. Quantz was one of most important composer in flute repertoire. These are his flute chamber works where it was composed for Flute, violin, viola, cello and also harpsichord.

Louis-Gabriel Guillemain (1705 –1770)
Birth Of The String Quartet, Vol. 2 - The Sound Of The 18th Century
by Casal Quartett - BUY IT HERE
Guillemain composed six flute quartets op.12, Six sonates en quatuors ou conversations galantes, for flute, violin, bass viol, and basso continuo (1743) This recording performed in string quartet version.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 – 1788): 3 Flute Quartets CD
by Jean-Philippe Vasseur (viola) , Laure Colladant (Piano), Antoine Ladrette (Cello), Philippe Allain-Dupre (Flute)

Friedrich Hartmann Graf (1727-1795): 6 Flute Quartets
by Peter Ligeti and Rezso Pertorini - 1995 - BUY IT HERE

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): Flute Quartets, Op. 5 / London Trios Hob II:D9
by Kuijken Ensemble - BUY IT HERE

Unfortunately, Haydn believe to never compose pure flute quartet, this works is spurious as other composer's works.

François Joseph Gossec (1734–1829): 6 Flute Quartets
by Aurèle Nicolet - 1996 BUY IT HERE

Six flute quartet that resembling familiarity with Haydn's string quartets. Highly recommended.

Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782): Flute Quartets op. 19
by Camerata Koln (Orchestra) - BUY IT HERE

Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739–1813): Flute Quartets
by Janaki Trio, Uwe Grodd (Flute) - 2007 - BUY IT HERE

Ernst Eichner (1740–1777): Six Flute Quartets 2013
by Il Gardellino - 2013 - BUY IT HERE

The six flute quartets by Ernst Eichner are more simple works.

Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816): Quartets for Flute Op.23
by Ferrarini, Accademia Farnese - BUY IT HERE

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805): Quartet for Flute & Strings 2006
by I Solisti di Zagreb 2006 - BUY IT HERE

Boccherini: Flute Quintets Op.55
by Auryn String Quartet, Michael Faust (Flute) 2000 - BUY IT HERE

Boccherini: Flute Quintets Op.17
by Alexandre Magnin, Janacek Quartet 1996 - BUY IT HERE

Giuseppe Cambini (1746–1825): 6 Flute Quartets T.145- T.150
by Quartetto DuePiùDue 2015 - BUY IT HERE

Carl Stamitz (1745-1801):
Chamber Works - Quartet Op.4-6 for Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello
by Camerata Koln 2000 - BUY IT HERE

Highly recomended

Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801): Six Flute Quartets
by Loic Poulain , Dolezal Quartet of Prague - BUY IT HERE

Bartolomeo Campagnoli (1751–1827): Six Flute Quartets
by Nicola Giudetti 2009 - BUY IT HERE

Federigo Fiorillo (1755-1823): Six Flute Quartets
by Ensemble A l'antica, Luigi Lupo (flute), Rossella Croce (violin), Luca Ronconi (viola), Rebeca Ferri (cello) 2012 - BUY IT HERE

Works are very melodious, also recommended.

Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755–1824): 3 Flute Quartets Op. 22
by Quartetto Di Salisburgo 1995 - BUY IT HERE

Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792): Flute Quintet, String Quartets
by Shuppanzigh Quartet 2008 - BUY IT HERE

It is blundled with Krauss' string quartets.

Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838) Flute Quartet in D Minor Op.4 - in D Major Op.8
by Rantatie Quartet - Mikael Helasvuo (Flute) - BUY IT HERE

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Flute Quartets
by Jean-Pierre Rampal, Salvatoire Accardo, Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich 1986 - BUY IT HERE

The most famous flute quartet in the repertoire, this recording is the supergroup formation.

Pavel Wranitzky (1756–1808): 3 Flute Quartets, Op.28
by Dolezal Quartet 1995 - BUY IT HERE

Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831): Flute Quartets
by Dénes Karasszon , Gergely Balázs , Pál Németh , Piroska Vitárius - BUY IT HERE

This one actually arrangement from Pleyel's string quartets

Alessandro Rolla (1757–1841): 6 Flute Quartets
by Quartetto Erasmus, Mario Carbotta (Flute) - BUY IT HERE

Franz Krommer (1759–1831): Flute Quintets Op.49 - Op.63 - Op.101
by Stamitz Quartet, Bruno Meier 1995

Krommer: Flute Quintets Op. 55, 58, & 109
by Stamitz Quartet Bruno Meier - 1992

Krommer Flute Quartet Op.17, 92, 93
Three Flute Quartets 2011
by Peter-Lukas Graf & Carmina-Trio - BUY IT HERE

Francois Devienne (1759 – 1803): 4 Flute Quartets
by Barthold Kuijken , Ryo Terakado , Sara Kuijken , Wieland Kuijken - BUY IT HERE

Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763–1850): Flute Quartets Op 11 #1-3
by Ensemble Agora - 1999 - BUY IT HERE

Franz Danzi (1763-1826): Flute Quartets Op 56
Ardinghello Ensemble: Karl Kaiser (Flute), Annette Rehberger (violin), Bodo Friedrich (violin), Ursala Kaiser (cello) - BUY IT HERE

Jakub Jan Ryba (1765-1815): Flute Quartets
by Nostitz Quartet, Jan Ostry (flute) - 2004 - BUY IT HERE

Two Flute quartets were recorded in this album, Flute Quartet in C Major and F Major. Recommended.

Anton Reicha (1770–1836): Quartets for Flute, Violin, Viola and Bass, Op.98 Nos. 1-3
by Aurele Nicolet and Mozart String Trio - BUY IT HERE
by Konrad Hunteler - 1996 BUY IT HERE

Antoine Reicha had been known for his woodwind chamber works. The opus 98 consisted of three flute quartets are exceptionally excellent. All three quartets are very well written. Highly recommended.

Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838): Flute Quartets Op 145
by John Herrick Littlefield (Flute), Aaron Boyd, Ah Ling Neu, Yari Bond - 2007 - BUY IT HERE

Ferdinand Ries: Complete Flute Quartets Six quartets Op.145 No.1-3 , WoO35 No,1-3
by Fret (Flute), Laub (Violin), Smalt (Viola), Vink (Cello) - BUY IT HERE

Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832): Flute Quintets
by Juilliard String Quartet - 1989 - BUY IT HERE

Frederic Ernest Fesca (1789 – 1826): Flute Quartets
by Linos Ensemble - 2009 - BUY IT HERE

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868):4 Flute Quartets
by Peter-Lukas Graf (Flute), Carmina Trio - BUY IT HERE

Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870) :Flute Quartets
by Munich String Trio (Orchestra), Andras Adorjan - BUY IT HERE

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Quartet for Flute, Guitar, Viola & Cello
by Clive Conway and Paul Silverthorne - 1993 - BUY IT HERE

D.96 Quartet for Flute, Guitar, Viola and Cello is important quartet by Schubert that incorporated flute. It is quite interesting to see a guitar being inserted here to replace violin in traditional form. The piece resembling middle Schubert's style, largely different to Schubert best works in string quartet such as his "Death and Maiden" style. They are happy sounding.

Franciszek Lessel (1780 – 1838) : Quartet in G for Flute and Strings, Op. 3
by Wilanow String Quartet, Elzbieta Gajewska (flute) - BUY IT HERE

Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819 – 1898): Serenades for Flute & Strings
by Markus Bronniman (Flute), Kreisler Quartet, Ilka Emmert (double bass) - BUY IT HERE

Volkmar Andreae (1879–1962): String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 / Quartet for flute and strings
by Locrian Ensemble of London, Anna Noakes (Flute) - BUY IT HERE

----
Will expanded the list when I spot new / other flute quartet recording.

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich - String Quartets (2015)

2015-10-29T02:22:00.000-07:00

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (20 February 1803 - † 16th October 1836)
Performer : Beethoven Quartett
Label : Musique Suisse
Release : October 2015 - BUY IT HERE

Another very little known composer with his three string quartets recorded! Friedrich Theodor Frohlich was Swiss composer. As the year indicated, his life is very short with tragic stories. These three string quartets most probably composed in the era of Beethoven. By the year 1830s, all Beethoven string quartets had been known, so it is interesting to listen what mr. Frohlich's string quartet sound like. His biography is not even written in English wikipedia and only available in Germany.

The CD descriptions as below from official website:

Many people in the German-speaking countries know a work by Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich without ever having heard his name – he’s the composer of the song “Wem Gott will rechte Gunst erweisen” to a text by Joseph von Eichendorff, which was a hit that was included in every song book until the early 20th century. This song’s popularity surely lies in Fröhlich’s singable but by no means simple melody. No other work by this Swiss composer has achieved any similar degree of popularity, and in fact most of his works have not even been published to this day. During his academic years, Fröhlich spent four years in Berlin, and his experiences in the highly lively music scene of the big city made this a formative time for him. He was given composition lessons by no less a figure than Carl Friedrich Zelter, the director of many years standing of the Sing-Akademie, the founder of the Berlin Liedertafel (literally “song table”, a German term for a choral society) and the teacher of Felix Mendelssohn. Also just like Mendelssohn, Fröhlich took piano lessons from Ludwig Berger, at the time the most famous piano teacher in Berlin. Berger, like Zelter, was an advocate of folk song and of choral singing. He founded the “Jüngere Liedertafel” (the “younger Liedtafel”), a male choral society so named to differentiate itself from Zelter’s choir. Fröhlich, too, sang in Berger’s choir. In 1830 Fröhlich returned to Switzerland in the hope that he might build up a career for himself there. His brother, Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, procured a job for him at the Cantonal High School in Aarau, though this did not suffice to cover all his living costs. He also conducted amateur orchestras and the Singing Institute in Aarau, though Fröhlich felt constricted in his activities: “From seven on a morning to six, often even seven in the evening”, he said, he existed “under the yoke of a miserable career”. Nevertheless, Fröhlich succeeded in composing in his spare time. While working in Aarau in the 1830s he wrote a concert overture, chamber music, piano pieces and part-songs. The last of his four string quartets, in C minor, was also composed in these years. Despite his numerous commitments, Fröhlich still had financial difficulties. Besides problems in his private life he also seems to have suffered from depression and from a lack of recognition for his works. He was not able to withstand the pressure these worries exerted on him, and in October 1836, at the age of 33, he jumped into the River Aare and drowned.

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich - Streichquartette / String Quartets :
Buy it HERE - Amazon

01. String Quartet in G Minor I. Andante con variazioni 10:07
02. String Quartet in G Minor: II. Scherzo - molto animato 02:33
03. String Quartet in G Minor: III. Largo cantabile 08:09
04. String Quartet in G Minor IV. Finale: Allegro molto 05:33
05. String Quartet in E Major: I. Allegretto ma non troppo 03:43
06. String Quartet in E Major: II. Scherzo, molto animoso 05:42
07. String Quartet in E Major: III. Adagio, con molto espressione 06:41
08. String Quartet in E Major: IV. Finale: Allegro agitato 05:37
09. String Quartet in C Minor: I. Allegro agitato 06:03
10. String Quartet in C Minor: II. Andante 04:39
11. String Quartet in C Minor : III. Scherzo: Presto-Trio 05:51
12. String Quartet in C Minor: IV. Finale: Adagio-Allegro 06:54

Beethoven Quartett:
Matyas Bartha und Laurentius Bonitz, Violin / Violinen;
Vahagn Aristakesyan, Viola;
Carlos Conrad, Violoncello.

Giuseppe Cambini 6 Flute Quartets - Quartetto Due Piu Due (2015)

2015-10-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

Giuseppe Maria Cambini
Six Flute Quartets
Performer Quartetto Due Piu Due
Release: September 2015

Giuseppe Maria Cambini, as I swim into the ocean of Classical Era Period string quartet, I found Cambini as one of the most mysterious composer in the genre. His life and death is rather obscured. The Wikipedia page listed as "Livorno, 13 February? 1746–Netherlands? 1810s? or Paris? 1825?". So, he probably death poorly that his death didn't even got recorded well. He composed over 700 works, with about 125 rumoured as string quartets and 100 as string quintets. His string quartet as recorded already in double CD by Quartetto Le Ricordanze.

In September 2014, Brilliant Classics finally put Cambini's works into recording room. Cambini's six flute quartets instead was selected. They are from Opus 24 set. All quartets in two movements but lasted quite long where the first movement all run over eight minutes. A good news for flute chamber music lover. A great sample music of Cambini in the genre. Here the CD notes:

Giuseppe Maria Cambini was probably active in Naples in the mid-1760s, but nothing certain is known of him until his move to Paris in the early 1770s, where his Op.1, a set of string quartets, was published shortly afterwards. Within the next 35 years upwards of 600 instrumental works had appeared under his name – enough to stretch even the famous Brilliant catalogue of ‘complete’ composer boxes… But Cambini’s wellcrafted melodies and good-humoured charm are well worthy of investigation, and from this set of quartets with flute, it is easy to see why his music was so popular: he was the galant Parisian composer par excellence. His life was even more anonymous than his music, and his death still more so; he may have died in Paris in 1825, or perhaps a decade earlier in the Netherlands.

The structure of these quartets is generally in no more than two movements, often both quick and in the same key. The themes are easy on the ear, with a natural, simple, unsurprising language and characterized by part-writing of unfailing sympathy. There is a strong stylistic elegance, touching inspiration and pre-Romantic feeling with hints of proto-Schubertian inspiration. In these historically informed performances, Stefano Parrino plays on a modern Yamaha copy of a Classical-model wooden flute. He is himself a graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied with Patrick Gallois.

Giuseppe Cambini was born in Naples, but settled early in his life in Paris, where he became a well known musician, teacher and composer of an astonishing quantity of works, mainly of instrumental chamber music.

His flute quartets are delightful works, light, sprightly, charming, full of good tunes and interesting instrumental flourishes. A true composer of the Galant Style, in Parisian spirit.

Played by a young and enthousiastic Italian ensemble DuePiùDue, playing original instruments, obviously enjoying these highly entertaining works.

Giuseppe Cambini 6 Flute Quartets - Quartetto DuePiuDue (2015)
BUY IT HERE-AMAZON

DISC 1
Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major T.145
I. Allegro con spirit 8:36
II. Rondo. Allegretto 4:05

Flute Quartet No. 2 in G Major T.146
I. Allegro grazioso 5:53
II. Rondo. Allegretto 4:39

Flute Quartet No. 3 in A Minor T.147
I. Allegro affettuoso 9:18
II. Presto 7:46

DISC 2
Flute Quartet No. 4 in C Major T.148
I. Allegro brillante 8:08
II. Tempo di minuetto: Grazioso 5:47

Flute Quartet No. 5 in G Major T.149
I. Allegro espressivo 8:55
II. Andante. Arioso con variation 7:26

Flute Quartet No. 6 in A Major T.150
I. Allegro con grazia e moderato 9:05
II. Presto 5:33

Quartetto DuePieDue
Stefano Parrino - flute Yamaha 874W (wooden)
Francesco Parrino - violin Giuseppe & Antonio Gagliano , Naples circa 1790-1805
Claudio Andriani - viola Arnaldo Morano , Turin 1962
Alessandro Andriani - cello Franco Simeoni, Treviso 2002

List of Student Flutes and Comparison

2015-10-15T22:12:00.001-07:00

List of Student Flute and Comparison

This is a list of most popular flutes that design to meet beginner in learning the instruments. I gathered this information when I want to buy a student flute.

Yamaha YFL-221

Price: USD 460 Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications :

Level	Standard
Key of	C
Body Style	Type-1
Body Material	Nickel Silver
Headjoint	CY cut; Nickel Silver
Key Material	Nickel Silver
Footjoint	C
Plating	Silver
Tone Holes	Drawn
Key System	Offset G
Key Types	Plateau
Key Mechanism	N/A
Spring Type	Stainless Steel
Screw Type	Straight; Headed Pivot
Bumper Type	Neoprene

This is look like the most popular student flute that available in almost every country and store. The headjoint can be replaced to meet intermediate level as being said. It doesn't have split E mechanis, but his "older" brother , YFL 211 have it.

Jupiter JFL-511S and JFL-507S
Price: USD 350+ Buy it HERE
Country : Taiwan

Specifications:
Key in C
Reinforced Keys
Top Adjustment Screws
Ribbed Construction
ABS Molded Case
Silver-Plated
Offset G
Plateau

Jupiter flute is a very close competitor to Yamaha with lower price.

Azumi AZ2000 series
Price: USD 1400+ Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications:
Key in C
Open (French)
Altus-Bennett scale
wide-rib construction
sturdy key mechanism
gizmo key
Altus Z-cut headjoint in .958 Britannia silver
B foot
choice of in-line G or off-set G
Y tone arms

This looks like a slight upgrade to conservatory level flute, with open holes and other features. Azumi is child company of Altus, created by

Gemeinhardt 2SP Student Flute
Price: USD 470+ Buy it HERE
Country : USA

Specifications:
Key in C
J1
C Foot
Offset
Plateau

Pearl Flute PF500
Price: USD 490+ Buy it HERE
Country : Japan

Specifications:
Key in C
Silver Plated
Quantz
C Foot joint
Offset G (No Split E)
Plateau
Exclusive pinless mechanism

Trevor James TJ10X
Price: USD 350+ Buy it HERE
Country : Taiwan

Specifications:
TJ10x Mk IV Series
Silver-plated headjoint, body and mechanism
Closed holes
C footjoint
Offset G key
Split E mechanism

Armstrong Student Flute Model 102
Price: USD 720+ Buy it HERE
Country : USA

Specifications:
Silver plated headjoint and body
top-adjusting silver plated mechanism
closed hole Y-arm keys
offset G
C foot
molded plastic case.

Armstrong flutes is part of Conn-Selmer group.

There are still many other manufacturers but, from my research, they are producing intermediate flute. They are Muramatsu, Altus, Sankyo all the way to Brannen Brothers.

Giovanni Sgambati Piano Quintets String Quartets - Quartetto Noferini Roberto Piano (2015)

2015-09-05T02:02:00.004-07:00

Giovanni Sgambati (May 28, 1841 – December 14, 1914)
Performers : Quartetto Noferini, Roberto Plano (Piano)
Label : Brilliant Classics
Released : August 2015 - Buy it HERE -AMAZON

The legendary Giovanni Sgambati from Rome, Italia finally got his chamber music recorded properly. Two string quartets and piano quintets in on the Brilliant Classic CD. The CD liner notes :

Giovanni Sgambati (1841‐1914) was an important composer of 19th century Italy. A pupil and disciple of Franz Liszt he was one of the most brilliant pianists of his day. However, he was a composer, a conductor, a teacher and a patron as well, composing symphonies and chamber music in a country where opera was predominant.

Sgambati’s musical language is romantic pur sang. Rooted in the German tradition of Mendelssohn and Schumann he was further influenced by his great mentor Franz Liszt and by Wagner (as so many in that age). This 2CD set contains two string quartets and the two piano quintets, impressive works of substantial length, richly textured and full of instrumental virtuosity. Excellent performances by Italian forces, the great pianist Alberto Plano (a Van Cliburn Competition winner) and the Quartetto Noferini.

Maybe the last of Italian Romantic defender, here are the album descriptions from Brilliant Classics.

Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914) was one of the few 19th- century Italian musicians who worked outside the native operatic tradition of Donizetti and Verdi. As a conductor, composer, teacher and pianist, he promoted symphonic and chamber music alongside his younger and now more renowned colleague Giuseppe Martucci. Records of Sgambati’s music have largely confined themselves to his orchestral and piano works (as well as his magnum opus, a Requiem Mass), but transfers of a dusty 78 show him having enormous fun with the Scherzo of Dvořák’s Piano Quintet.

This set redresses the balance and reveals Sgambati as a chamber musician no less accomplished in composition than performance, within the German tradition that he worked hard to introduce to Italian concert societies: Mendelssohn and Schumann are keynote influences here. The first string quartet and piano quintets are early works, dating from 1864 and 1866
respectively; the latter written in the fairly unusual key of F minor (think Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony) for which Sgambati appears to have had a special fondness, given the many piano pieces he also composed in that key.

The second string quartet (1882) and piano quintet (1876) are more chromatically developed to embrace some of Wagner’s idiom (Sgambati also wrote a concert overture on the subject of Rienzi); and when Wagner heard Sgambati give a performance of the quintet at the Royal Court of Savoy he was sufficiently impressed to suggest to his publisher Schott that they also publish Sgambati’s work. This proved to be a turning point in Sgambati’s career, as well as the beginning of a friendship between the two composers.

Roberto Plano’s previous disc for Brilliant Classics, of the piano music of Smetana (BC94788), won warm critical appreciation;

Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914) was an important composer of 19th- century Italy. A pupil and disciple of Franz Liszt he was one of the most brilliant pianists of his day. However, he was a composer, a conductor, a teacher and a patron as well, composing symphonies and chamber music in a country where opera was predominant.
Sgambati’s musical language is romantic pur sang. Rooted in the German tradition of Mendelssohn and Schumann he was further influenced by his great mentor Franz Liszt and by Wagner (as so many in that age).
This 2CD set contains two string quartets and the two piano quintets, impressive works of substantial length, richly textured and full of instrumental virtuosity.
Excellent performances by Italian forces, the great pianist Roberto Plano (a Van Cliburn Competition winner) and the Quartetto Noferini.

Sgambati: Piano Quintets & String Quartets
Buy it HERE -AMAZON

String Quartet in D Minor 21:43
I. Allegro moderato 5:51
II. Allegro 6:21
III. Romanza: Andante 4:48
IV. Allegro assai e appassionato 4:43

Piano Quintet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 41:20
I. Andante - Vivace 13:27
II. Barcarola (Allegretto con moto) 8:45
III. Andante 10:14
IV. Allegro vivace 8:54

String Quartet in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 17 31:06
I. Adagio - Vivace ma non troppo 12:02
II. Prestissimo 3:30
III. Andante sostenuto 8:52
IV. Allegro 6:42

Giovanni Sgambati: Piano Quintet No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 4 46:20
I. Adagio - Allegro ma non troppo 12:19
II. Vivacissimo 7:37
III. Andante sostenuto 10:21
IV. Allegro moderato

Franz Xaver Gebel String Quartets - Hoffmeister Quartet (2015)

2015-09-05T01:18:00.003-07:00

Franz Xaver Gebel (1787-1843)
Performer : Hoffmeister Quartet
Label: Profil
Release: August 2015 - BUY IT HERE AMAZON

Another rarity found in Amazon today. Franz Xaver Gebel is mostly unknown, I went for research and found very little information on this guy. From Wikipedia :

Franz Xaver Gebel (1787 – 3 May 1843) was a German composer, music teacher, and conductor.

Gebel was born in Fürstenau, near Breslau, Silesia. He studied under Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and Abbé Vogler, and became Kapellmeister at Leopoldstadt in Vienna in 1810, then worked at a succession of theatres in Pest and Lemberg.

He moved to Moscow in 1817, where he would remain until his death in 1843. He taught piano, and became a significant figure in Moscow's musical life, teaching notable figures such as Nikolai Rubinstein and Alexander Villoing,[2] and organizing string quartet performances from 1829 to 1835.

He wrote operas, a mass, four symphonies, overtures, string quintets and quartets, and many piano pieces, among other works.

and from the CD notes :

Franz Xaver Gebels biographer Ernst Stöckl reported that while there were at least three Gebel string quartets, he was familiar with but one, the published Quartet in D major. Despite persistent research in Russian libraries, he was unable to find the others mentioned in contemporary discussions about concerts. Recently however, the sheet music for the Quartet in E-flat major, printed in Moscow around 1840, where Gebel spent the remainder of his life after 1817, was found in a German library. The Hoffmeister Quartet performs these rarely heard, little-known early-Romantic gems.

another version...

Stöckl was unable to find any of Gebel’s later quartet compositions mentioned in contemporary discussions about concerts, despite persistent research and requests in Russian libraries. Thus it was a real stroke of luck when we discovered the printed music of the previously unknown Quartet in E-flat major. The sheet music, which was printed in Moscow around 1840, was found in the City Library of Hanover. sources

and ...

A German who spent the last 25 years of his life as a valued teacher and performer in Moscow, Gebel (two of whose string quintets came out on MD&G in 1999) wrote the D major quartet just before leaving Germany in 1817 and the other in Moscow around 1840. Oddly the later one is in a Beethovenian severe classical style and the early one redolent of early Romanticism. Hoffmeister Quartet. sources

The trend of discovering string quartet music from the 18th century and put it right away to record is most encourage by we, fans of lost string quartet. The Hoffmeister Quartet already done the recording on Ferdinand Titz under PROFIL Label, so it is not new to the industry. The other F.X. Gebel record we can find is his String Quintet, recorded by MDG.

Franz Xaver Gebel - WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
buy it here - AMAZON

String Quartet in D major
1. Allegro vivace
2. Menuetto, Presto
3. Andante
4. Presto

String Quartet in E-flat major op.27
5. Allegro con brio
6. Largo con espressione
7. Minuetto
8. Finale. Allegro

Hoffmeister Quartet :
Ulla Bundies, Violine
Christoph Heidemann, Violine
Aino Hildebrandt, Viola
Martin Seemann, Violoncello

Top 50 Most Recommended Cello Concertos

2015-06-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Top 50 Most Recommended Cello Concertos
One per composer

Inspired with my Top 60 Most Recommended Violin Concertos that I posted years ago, which seemingly gain lots of visitors, I going to list out 50 most recommended in Cello concertos. As the nature of this task, it will only limited to my knowledge about the genre, but I think most of mainstreams (and non-mainstream) repertoire is included. As with the violin concertos, there are tons of pieces from Baroque and Classical era that hardly can included due to my limited knowledge, so the list is heavily Romantic era onward.

I will group these Cello Concertos into three groups, (1) Mainstreams repertoire, which probably best tested by time (2) Underrated repertoire that should make it to the mainstream but only less popular (3) hardcore list for cello concerto, rarely seen in performance but still they are gems in the genre. Btw, the list is technically not only in form of cello concertos, but rather works for cello and orchestra. This is to accommodate popular pieces such as Bruch's Kol Nidreai (#5) or Bloch's Schelomo for cello solo and orchestration (#10) that technically not a cello concertos. Also included are double concertos (Brahms' #6) and triple concertos (Beethoven's #12). Overall, all major composers were selected. The missing major composers are Mendelssohn, Schubert, Sibelius, Stravinsky etc that didn't have (notable) cello concertos in their port folio. For some pieces, I write in short commentaries. Recommended recording is in Amazon links.

Top 50 Most Recommended Cello Concertos

Top 1 - 10 - the mainstream repertoire
Top of the list is Lalo's cello concerto. Arguably, Lalo's Cello Concerto is also one of most popular concerto in classical music. Oftenly in live performing up to this day, and tons of recordings available. The second one is very personal choice and I picked up Dvorak's cello concerto in B minor as #2 recommendation. Fans of Dvorak's Symphony no.9 will found this familiar. The concerto is very "American" in feel, something that similar to his popular string quartet no.12 "American". Elgar and Shostakovich are the other most popular cello concerto in history. Then Brahms' double concerto. Saint-Saens is another personal choice that make it to top 10. Saint-Saens has two cello concerto and both are pretty close each other. Kabalevsky is the 'outsider' that make it to top 10. Same with Khachaturian, in which his violin concertos is more popular, but his cello concerto deserve good place in the repertoire. Bruch and Bloch's cello solo for orchestra is also very popular and must listen for fans of cello concerto. For recommended recording click on the link to Amazon.

1. Lalo - Cello Concerto in D minor (1876) records [by Janos Starker, du Pre]
2. Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor Op.104 (1894-1895) records [by Pablo Casals, Moser]
3. Elgar - Cello concerto in Em Op. 85 records [by Pablo Casals, Paul Watkins]
4. Shostakovich - Cello concerto no.1 in Eb Op. 107 and No.2 in G records [by Rostropovich]
5. Bruch - Kol Nidrei Op.47 records [by Pierre Fournier]
6. Brahms - Double Concerto in Am, Op. 102 for violin, cello and orch. records [by Shaham/Wang]
7. Saint-Saens - Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor Op.33 and No.2 in Dm Op.119 records [by Isserlis]
8. Kabalevsky - Cello Concerto No.1 in Cm Op. 49 and No.2 in Gm Op.77 records [by Wallfisch]
9. Khachaturian - Cello Concerto in E Minor (1946) records [by Shakshovskaya]
10. Bloch - Schelomo Rhapsodie Hébraïque for cello solo and large orchestra (1916) records [by Casals]

Top 11-25:
of which the Baroque and Classical era must be represented. I picked Carl Emmanuel Bach's concerto in A major for this late Baroque era, and Haydn's concerto no.1 in C for Classical era. Bach and Haydn wrote more concertos but my personal favorite are these. Beethoven's triple concerto is very popular, only that this is not pure cello concerto, so can't put in the top 10. Myaskovsky is the next must listen piece, his concertos by him are extremely good. Tchaikovsky is also very popular but it is more a one variations rather than a concerto.

11. Bach, Carl Emmanuel - Cello Concerto in A major records [by Tim Hugh]
12. Beethovens - Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, Op. 56 records [by Yo-Yo Ma, Perlman, Barenboim]
13. Myaskovsky, Nikolai - Cello Concerto in C Minor, Op. 66 records [by Tarasova]
14. Strauss - Don Quixote for Cello, viola and orchestra records [by Rostropovich]
15. Prokofiev - Cello Concerto Op.58 records [by Gerhardt]
16. Dohnányi - Konzertstück in D major Op 12 records
17. Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 (1850) records [by Rostropovich]
18. Penderecki - Cello Concerto No. 1 (1972) and No.2 (1982) records [by Noras]
19. Pfitzner - Cello Concerto No.1 in G Op.42 (1935) and No.2 in Am Op.52 ('43) records [by Geringas, Gerhardt]
20. Rubinstein - Cello Concerto in Dm Op.96 and in Am Op.65 records [by Thomas-Mifune]
21. Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme, this is the more popular cello pieces to his unfinished Cello Concerto in B minor (1893) records [by Vardai]
22. Stanford, Sir Charles - Cello Concerto in D minor (1879) records [by Rosefield]
23. Walton - Cello Concerto (1956) records [by Watkins, Poltera]
24. Williams, John - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1994) records [by du Pre, Yo-Yo Ma]
25. Vieuxtemps - Cello Concerto in Am Op. posth 46 and in Bm Op. posth 50 records [by Gerhardt, Hallynck]
26. Haydn - Cello Concerto No.1 in C H. 7b/1 records [by Yo-Yo Ma, Rostropovich]

top 26-50:
these are following list for eager fans to dig out more into cello concerto. they are mostly randomly sorted actually. Notable are Kalevi Aho concerto for 2 cellos from the 21st century era. Two Classical era composer that are famous in cello concertos are Luigi Boccherini and Pleyel. I picked up one concertos from each of them, in which they wrote many more.

27. Aho, Kalevi - Concerto for 2 Cellos and Orchestra (2003) records [by Lindberg]
28. Lutoslawski - Cello Concerto (1969) records [by Rostropovich]
29. Barber - Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 22 (1945) records [by Poltera]
30. Bax - Cello Concerto in G minor (1932) records [by Wallfisch]
31. D'Albert - Cello concerto in C Op. 20 (1899) [by Gerhardt, Zollman]
32. Boccherini - Cello Concerto No. 9 in B-flat major, G. 482 records [by Moller, Bronzi]
33. Hindemith - Cello Concerto O.3 (1916) records [by Poltera]
34. Korngold - Cello Concerto Op.37 (Deception) 1946 records [by Steckel]
35. Ligeti - Cello Concerto for Siegfried Palm records [by Siegfried Palm]
36. Rozsa - Cello Concerto Op.32 records [by Harell]
37. Delius - Cello Concerto (1921) records [by Watkins]
38. Dutilleux - Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain" records [by Rostropovich]
39. Glazunov - Concerto-ballata in C, Op. 108 (1931) records [by Rudin]
40. Gulda - Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra (1980) records [by Schiff]
41. Gernsheim, Friedrich - Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 78 records [by Gerhardt]
42. Moeran E.J. - Cello Concerto in B minor (1945) records [by Johnston]
43. Atterberg - Concerto for cello & orchestra in C minor, Op 21 records [by Truls Mørk]
44. Monn, Georg Matthias - Cello Concerto in Gm, re-arranged by Schoenberg records [by Zipperling]
45. Raff - Cello Concerto No.1 in D minor Op.193 and No.2 in G Op. Posth records [by Müller-Schott]
46. Popper - Cello Concerto No.2 in E minor Op.24 (1880) and other four concertos records [by Wen-Sinn Yang]
47. Britten - Cello Symphony, Op. 68 (1963) records [by Rostropovich]
48. Herbert, Victor - Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 30 (1894) and no.1 in D records [by Capucon]
49. Volkmann - Cello Concerto in A minor Op.33 (1853) records [by Gerhardt, Wohlmacer]
50. Pleyel - Cello Concerto in C (1782-84) Ben.101 records [by Szabo]

other notable concertos:

George Onslow String Quartets Opus 8 and 10 - Quatuor Ruggieri

2015-06-10T15:03:00.003-07:00

George Onslow (1784-1853)
Performer : Quatuor Ruggieri
Label: Aparte
Release: 2015

Quatuor Ruggieri recorded more George Onslow string quartets. Having previously recorded three string quartets, they added three more on this CD. This time they recorded Opus 8 no.1 and no.3. The first quartet in Opus 8 already exposed to us by the Mandelring Quartet, yet no.3 in A major is likely a first recording of this. In the third quartet is Op.10 No.3 in E flat major. This make it that more George Onslow's earlier period string quartets are being available for public now.

The CD notes:

George Onslow (1784-1853) was a French composer of English descent. His wealth, position and personal tastes allowed him to pursue a path unfamiliar to most of his French contemporaries - one that was closer to that of German romantic composers. His principal output was chamber music and Onslow's efforts expanded the audience for a genre that was not popular in Paris at the time. Amongst the many works he wrote, his String Quartets stand out for their unique spirit of invention. This recording by the Quatuor Ruggieri bring out both the intelligence and Parisian charm of these unjustly neglected works.

Ruggieri Quartet:
Gilone Gaubert Jacques, violin
Grattard Charlotte, violin
Delphine Grimbert, viola
Emmanuel Jacques, cello

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GEORGE ONSLOW - QUATUOR RUGGIERI
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 8 No. 1
1 Largo / Allegro agitato 7:51
2 Adagio 5:55
3 Minuetto allegretto 2:30
4 Finale presto 3:45

String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 10 No. 3
5 Largo / Allegro con brio 5:51
6 Andantino sostenuto 7:14
7 Minuetto allegro (air de danse des montagnes d'Auvergne) 3:15
8 Allegro vivace 5:37

String Quartet in A major, Op. 8 No. 3
9 Allegro 8:06
10 Andante non troppo lento 3:55
11 Minuetto allegro 3:30
12 Finale vivace 4:43