The Brodsky Quartet - Opus 18 Project - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The late quartets are among the last works that Beethoven completed, and are considered by many as the pinnacle of his achievements as a composer, and among the greatest compositions of all time. The Russian prince Nikolai Galitzin wrote to Beethoven in November 1822, requesting 'one, two or three new quartets, for which labor I will be glad to pay you what you think proper'. This commission resulted in the Quartets, Opp. 127, 132, and 130, after which he went on to write Quartets, Opp. 131 and 135, and then the substitute final movement for Op. 130, which replaced the Große Fugue that originally had ended that piece -and which Stravinsky described as 'an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever'. In this recording the Brodsky Quartet has chosen to include (emulating several other quartets) the Quartet, Op.95. Although this piece significantly pre-dates the others, in terms of innovation and compositional style it points strongly towards the later works. Since their formation in 1972, the Brodsky Quartet has earned -and maintained -a worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation. Exclusive Chandos recording artists, the Brodsky Quartet has won numerous awards and accolades, and remains committed to an extensive programme of educational work in addition to their hectic performing and recording schedules.

In this recording of Alexander Zemlinsky's (1871-1942) complete String Quartets, the Brodsky Quartet gives fresh life to the composer's works, 'with a spirit so transformational you felt they were actually improving the world', as reported by the Strad after a recent concert performance. The four string quartets represent a journey through Zemlinsky's musical thought. The Brahmsian, youthful Quartet in A, op. 4 is generously proportioned and less earnest in mood than some earlier works. The Second Quartet, op. 15 echoes the composer's years of emotional crisis. Contrastingly, the Third Quartet, op. 19 appears to be a sarcastic protest against modernism, Zemlinsky exploiting a minimum of material to maximum effect. Having been blacklisted and his music declared 'degenerate', the Fourth Quartet, op. 25 (1936) only achieved it's first public performance in 1967. It deploys a wealth of thematic ideas in a process of continual variation and metamorphosis that follows the outlines of sonata form. The String Quartet in E minor failed to pass it's trial at the Viennese Tonkunstlerverein when first presented in 1893. Not published until 1997, it appears here on disc for the first time.

The Brodsky Quartet - Complete String Quartets [COMPACT DISCS] O-Card Packaging date 10/02/2015