Schuppanzigh-Quartett - String Quartets 2 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

A luminous, easily recognizable instrument, and a symbol of Italy's learned and popular musical tradition, the mandolin has been the subject of several major compositions throughout the history of music. First of all, the famous concertos by Vivaldi two of them appear here on this intensely romantic album ('Come une volta') that Julien Martineau - one of today's greatest figureheads of the instrument - has recorded for Naïve. We also finally get to hear, thanks to the world premiere recording by Julien Martineau, the legendary, virtuosic and poetic second concerto (of which the manuscript was lost) by Raffaele Calace (1863-1934), who was often described as Inchthe Paganini of the mandolinInch. The instrument is in fact so close, in many ways, to the violin. The Caudioso concerto completes an album which, steeped in authenticity and musical excellence, honors and lends prestige not only to the art of mandolin, but also to Italian and musical culture as a whole.

For some, challenging the popular ranking of the string quartets of Joseph Haydn might seem pedantic and snobbish. Nonetheless, as with his symphonies, a far too small selection of this group of works has been able to secure a place in the repertoire of ensembles and in the catalogues of record companies. This disc by the Schuppanzigh Quartet, one of the most renowned quartets performing on historical instruments, aims to document the significance of Haydn's string quartets by focusing on the lesser-known works from among the sixty-eight masterpieces Haydn has left us.

Speedclaw - Stardust [COMPACT DISCS] date 01/16/2026