Schubert: String Quartets

Name: Schubert: String Quartets
SKU: 809730519727
Availability: InStock

Price range: £8.99 through £14.99

Format

CDMP3 320KbpsFLAC 16-bit/44KHD 24-bit

Label: Divine Art
Catalogue No: DDA 25197
EAN/UPC: 809730519727
Artists: Fitzwilliam String Quartet
Composers: Franz Schubert
Release Date: February 2020
Genres: Chamber Music
Periods: Classical
Discs: 1
Total Playing Time: 82:15

Of these two great classical quartets which look forward so much to the heights of the Romantic period, one (“Death and the Maiden”) is almost universally loved. The almost contemporary A minor quartet is sometimes referred to as the ‘Rosamunde’ because of its strong thematic links to Schubert’s incidental music to that play. Both are here played on period instruments, with gut strings, in what is an authentic and thoroughly top-class performance by one of our foremost string ensembles.

The Fitzwilliam Quartet has just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Acknowledged as one of the finest British quartets of our age they are equally at home in the classics, playing period instruments, or in the modern and contemporary repertoire, having had personal links with Shostakovich who called the Fitzwilliams “the preferred performers of my quartets”.

Note on Pitch:
It is well known that a standard international pitch (A=440) was not established until well in to the 20th century; for this recording of music from 1824 we consulted historical tables of pitches for specific years in different countries, and established that if we were performing these works in London or Vienna in the 1820s the pitch might have been A=433 – as recommended by Sir George Smart for the London Philharmonic. – FSQ

Track Listing

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

String Quartet in A minor, D.804, Op.29 - I. Allegro ma non troppo (14:23)
String Quartet in A minor, D.804, Op.29 - II. Andante (7:51)
String Quartet in A minor, D.804, Op.29 - III. Minuetto: Allegro (7:12)
String Quartet in A minor, D.804, Op.29 - IV. Allegro moderato (8:37)
String Quartet in D minor, D.810, Op. posth - I. Allegro (16:47)
String Quartet in D minor, D.810, Op. posth - II. Andante con moto (13:28)
String Quartet in D minor, D.810, Op. posth - III. Scherzo: Allegro molto (3:58)
String Quartet in D minor, D.810, Op. posth - IV. Presto - Prestissimo (9:58)

Reviews

Fanfare

“
I like their Schubert. Every movement has been rethought for tempo, phrasing, and sound. They almost erupt into view, so striking and original is the music-making on this disc. Forceful, highly expressive style, filled with variety and color… the interpretations are so musical that I’d have to reach back to the Busch, Budapest, and Alban Berg Quartets for comparison.
” —Huntley Dent

Classica (France)

“
The wide dynamic palette echoes a Schubert who wanted, with these two works, to “clear the flight towards the great symphony”. The texture captivates, suggests individualities and unfolds beautiful lines, swinging between mystery, worry and melancholy.
” —Fabienne Bouvet

Classical Music Daily

“
This CD holds within some extremely heart-rending, joyous and emotionally infused music, played by some wonderful individual players.
” —Patrick Maxwell

The Chronicle Review Corner

“
Striking music… raw and exciting… you sense the passion and commitment of the players. Two famous and much loved pieces played well and with gusto.
” —Jeremy Condliffe

Classical Explorer

“
This is stunning playing! The insatiable curiosity of the players, their use of carefully-chosen instruments, their consideration of Schubert’s wide dynamics, of tempo and so on mean we hear these works anew.
” —Colin Clarke

The Strad

“
Significant research has gone into this recording of Schubert’s two most songful quartets. The grainier and (counter-intuitively) heavier sound sets off the counterpoint in D804. The same qualities give ‘Death and the Maiden’ the all-important feeling of an inevitable slide into despair despite a full-on fight. Real emotional tension sets in. A close but clear in-the-round recording puts listeners right in the middle.
” —Andrew Mellor

BBC Music Magazine

“
The Fitzwilliam Quartet players capture the mood of Schubert’s pieces very well, and are particularly successful in Death and the Maiden, where their tempo for the famous slow movement is well judged, with its major-mode fourth variation admirably free of sentimentality.
” —Misha Donat

Pizzicato

“
The many years of experience in making music together produce a flawless result, based on instinctive understanding and full trust between musicians. The presentation is characterized by fine lines and lively structure.
” —Remy Franck

The Whole Note

“
Another outstanding CD… Violist Alan George’s outstanding booklet notes once again add immensely to our understanding of these almost symphonic works and the performance questions they raise – questions superbly answered by the FSQ. The resulting performances consequently have a feeling of authenticity that is quite remarkable and perfectly exploits the emotional range of these visionary works.
” —Terry Robins

New Classics

“
Two of Schubert’s great mature string quartets, which look forward to the heights of the Romantic period, are superbly performed here by the excellent Fitzwilliam String Quartet on period instruments with gut strings. Both Quartets are given compelling, authentic performances.
” —John Pitt