Search - Spohr, Moscow Philharmonic Concertino String Quartet :: Spohr: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 13

	Spohr, Moscow Philharmonic Concertino String Quartet Spohr: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 13 Genre: Classical Louis Spohr's string quartets combined the Classical finesse of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven with the — early Romantic innovations of the Quatuor brilliant, in which the virtuosic first violin enjoys particular — prominence. ... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Spohr, Moscow Philharmonic Concertino String Quartet
Title: Spohr: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 13
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Marco Polo
Original Release Date: 1/1/2009
Re-Release Date: 3/31/2009
Album Type: Enhanced
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 636943531525

Synopsis

Product Description

Louis Spohr's string quartets combined the Classical finesse of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven with the
early Romantic innovations of the Quatuor brilliant, in which the virtuosic first violin enjoys particular
prominence. Popular with contemporary audiences and influential during the first half of the 19th
century, these suavely imaginative chamber works are now once more becoming appreciated for their
originality, emotional light and shade, and historical importance. This volume features the Moscow
Philharmonic Concertino Quartet, which also plays on Volumes 10 (8.225306) and 11 (8.225307).

CD Reviews

Pleasant, Tuneful, Well-Crafted Quartets

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 04/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Louis Spohr (1784-1859) is often dismissed these days, possibly because his music is so well-crafted that it sounds simpler than it is. And of course he's pooh-poohed because he's not Beethoven. But who is? Among other things this musical jack-of-all-trades was a virtuoso violinist, conductor, teacher and composer. And he's also remembered for inventing the violin chin rest and popularizing the use of the baton when conducting. Oh, and he also was the first to use letters in scores, saving rehearsal time when a conductor could simply say 'Let's begin again five measures after Letter D.'

He wrote 36 string quartets and this release is the 13th in Marco Polo's complete traversal of the lot. Here we get two genial, tuneful, beautifully constructed quartets that, while they are probably not masterpieces, are entirely enjoyable. Spohr was a remarkable tunesmith, having the knack of constructing melodies that stick in the aural memory. He was able to manage long forms with skill and both these quartets are examples of that. There is a less than remarkable fugue in the F Minor Quartet but other than that I find no real weaknesses herein. I enjoyed this release much I like did the earlier issues.

The Moscow Philharmonic Concertino String Quartet (unwieldy name, that!) previously recorded Volumes 10 & 11 in the Marco Polo Spohr quartet series. Spohr: String Quartets, Vol. 10, Louis Spohr: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 11 They specialize in playing rarities of the quartet literature. The quartet's members are Jaroslav Krasnikov and Sofia Krasnikova, violins, Olga Zhmaeva, viola and Victor Kozodov, cello.

Scott Morrison"