Petits Fours - Favourite Encores Brodsky Quartet

• Pablo de Sarasate (1844 - 1908): Spanish Dances, Op. 23:
• 1 Sarasate: Spanish Dances, Op. 23: I. Playera 04:48
• Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946): Siete Canciones populares españolas:
• 2 Falla: Siete Canciones populares españolas: VII. Polo 01:18
• 3 Falla: Siete Canciones populares españolas: V. Nana 03:21
• Pablo de Sarasate: Spanish Dances, Op. 23:
• 4 Sarasate: Spanish Dances, Op. 23: II. Zapateado 03:42
• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934):
• 5 Elgar: Chanson de matin, Op. 15 No. 2 03:12
• 6 Elgar: La Capricieuse, Op. 17 04:10
• 7 Elgar: Chanson de nuit, Op. 15 No. 1 04:16
• Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904): 8 Humoresques, Op. 101, B. 187:
• 8 Dvořák: 8 Humoresques, Op. 101, B. 187: VII. Poco lento e grazioso in G-Flat Major 03:25
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Album fur die Jugend, Op. 68:
• 9 Schumann: Album fur die Jugend, Op. 68: No. 30, Sehr langsam 03:18
• Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962):
• 10 Kreisler: Caprice viennois, Op. 2 04:23
• Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847): Sechs Gesänge, Op. 34:
• 11 Mendelssohn: Sechs Gesänge, Op. 34: II. Auf Flugeln des Gesanges (On Wings of Song) 03:41
• Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938): Triakontameron, 30 Moods and Scenes in Triple Measure:
• 12 Godowsky: Triakontameron, 30 Moods and Scenes in Triple Measure: XI. Alt-Wien 02:45
• Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15:
• 13 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: I. Von fremden Landern und Menschen (Of Foreign Lands and People) 01:56
• 14 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: II. Curiose Geschichte (A Strange Story) 01:16
• 15 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: VII. Traumerei (Dreaming) 03:05
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937): Valses nobles et sentimentales, M. 61:
• 16 Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales, M. 61: VI. Vif 00:49
• 17 Ravel: Violin Sonata in G Major, M. 77: Blues 05:30
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953): The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Op. 33a:
• 18 Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Op. 33a: III. March 01:43
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano:
• 19 Shostakovich: Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano: I. Prelude 02:50
• Jazz Suite No. 2:
• 20 Shostakovich: Jazz Suite No. 2: VII. Waltz 03:36
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918):
• 21 Debussy: Beau soir, L. 6, CD 84 02:56
• Total Runtime 01:06:00

Info for Petits Fours - Favourite Encores

The Brodsky Quartet has just signed an exclusive recording deal with Chandos, which coincides with celebrations for the Quartet’s fortieth anniversary in 2012. Formed in 1972, the Quartet quickly emerged at the forefront of the international chamber music scene. It has performed over 2000 concerts and made more than fifty recordings. It has also collaborated highly successfully with such artists as Elvis Costello, Sting, Anne Sofie von Otter, Dawn Upshaw, and Björk. Its boundless energy and tremendous enthusiasm have led it in many directions, from classical repertoire to the cutting edge of contemporary music and styles. On this first release for Chandos it is perhaps fitting that that Quartet has put together a collection of encores it has performed over the years, notable for their novelty and diverse range of styles and emotions. All the pieces have been arranged by past or current members of the Quartet and together they form an entertaining and original collection, entitled Petits-fours.

"... what fabulous arrangements these are! All four players share the limelight- melodies and virtuosic turns are equally parceled out. And they’re also audible, that to the warm, resonant, clear and (above all) balanced engineering. What a tribute this album serves to this group, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year The Brodsky’s timbre on this album is superbly polished what is especially remarkable here is their breadth of styles This is the perfect album for background music to brighten your day or dinner party." (Gil French, American Record Guide)

"What better way for the Brodsky Quartet to celebrate its 40th birthday than with a sumptuously engineered recital of champagne encores skilfully arranged by the quartet’s viola player, Paul Cassidy and former leader Andrew Haveron? Acclaimed for their probing musicianship, the Brodsky Quartet blow the musical cobwebs off some of the most cherishable miniatures in the repertoire Here’s to the next 40 years.” (Julian Haylock, BBC Music magazine)

Brodsky Quartet

Brodsky Quartet Since its formation in 1972, the Brodsky Quartet has performed over 3000 concerts on the major stages of the world and has released more than 60 recordings. A natural curiosity and an insatiable desire to explore has propelled the group in a number of artistic directions and continues to ensure them not only a prominent presence on the international chamber music scene, but also a rich and varied musical existence. Their energy and craftsmanship has attracted numerous awards and accolades worldwide, while ongoing educational work provides a vehicle for passing on experience and staying in touch with the next generation.

Throughout their 40-year career, the Brodsky Quartet has performed at many of the UK's major festivals and venues, and is regularly recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio. The Quartet also has a busy international performing schedule, and has toured extensively throughout Australasia, North and South America, South Africa, and Europe. Over the years the Brodsky Quartet has, on numerous occasions, performed complete cycles of the quartets of Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Britten, Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Webern and Bartok. They are perhaps best known, however, for their performances of the Shostakovich Quartets and therefore chose 2012, the year of their 40th anniversary, to revisit the repertoire and perform the cycle worldwide.

The Brodsky Quartet also has a busy recording career, and last season marked the beginning of a new and exclusive relationship with Chandos Records. The Quartet's first disc for the label, Petits Fours, was released in February 2012 and is a celebratory album of ‘Encore’ pieces, arranged exclusively by the Quartet for their 40th anniversary. In April 2012, Chandos released the Quartet's long-awaited recording of the great Debussy Quartet alongside Deux Danses arranged for harp and string quintet. This new collaboration with Chandos will help add to their already huge and diverse discography. Recent awards for recordings include the Diapason D'Or and the CHOC du Monde de la Musique for their recordings of string quartets by Britten, Beethoven and Janacek, and, for their outstanding contribution to innovation in programming, the Brodsky Quartet has received a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. They have taught at many international chamber music courses and held residencies in several music institutes, including the first such post at the University of Cambridge. They are currently International Fellows of Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and have been awarded Honorary Doctorates at the University of Kent and University of Teesside.

Booklet for Petits Fours - Favourite Encores