Schubert: String Quartets
Zemlinsky Quartet
- Label
- Evil Penguin
- EAN / barcode
- 0608917727128
- Format
- Digital
Franz Schubert's oeuvre stands at the crossroads of two eras: it emerges from the formal clarity of classicism, but undeniably belongs to Romanticism through its expressive language, its emotional depth and its deeply subjective view of the world. Although he is nowadays one of the most performed composers of his time, he was never fully recognized during his lifetime. His circle of friends - poets, musicians and intellectuals - played a decisive role in Schubert's life and regularly gathered at the so-called 'Schubertiades'. However, in the 1820s Schubert's compositional style began to change noticeably. His deteriorating health and growing awareness of his own mortality led to a deepening of expression and a bolder approach to musical form. Schubert increasingly focused on the large genres - symphonies, sonatas and string quartets - and deliberately sought comparison with the legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven. The String Quartet in G major, D 887, which was completed in 1826, was written during this period. This work is his last completed string quartet and at the same time one of the most extensive and complex contributions to the genre in the first half of the 19th century. Six years earlier, in 1820, Schubert composed the Quartettsatz in C minor, D 703, a fragment of a planned string quartet, of which only one movement (and part of the slow movement) has been preserved. The Zemlinsky Quartet, which was founded in 1994 while still studying, has developed into a highly respected representative of the Czech string quartet tradition. The Zemlinsky Quartet won the First Grand Prize in 2010 at the International String Quartet Competition in Bordeaux and its extensive repertoire encompasses more than 200 works, from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Antonin Dvorak to works by contemporary composers. The members of the ensemble also perform as soloists and have won prizes at various competitions.
Tracklist
- 01 String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887: I. Allegro molto moderato 20:02
- 02 String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887: II. Andante un poco moto 11:48
- 03 String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace — Trio. Allegretto 07:09
- 04 String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887: IV. Allegro assai 11:11
- 05 String Quartet No. 12 in C Minor, D. 703 "Quartettsatz": I. Allegro assai 09:58
