Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 7 Quartetto di Cremona

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2:
• 1 I. Allegro 08:15
• 2 II. Adagio cantabile - Allegro - Tempo I 06:33
• 3 III. Scherzo. Allegro - Trio 04:32
• 4 IV. Allegro molto, quasi Presto 05:14
• String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3:
• 5 I. Introduzione. Andante con moto - Allegro Vivace 10:45
• 6 II. Andante con moto quasi Allegretto 09:34
• 7 III. Menuetto. Grazioso - Trio - Coda - 05:23
• 8 IV. Allegro Molto 05:46
• Total Runtime 56:02

Info for Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 7

Eine weitere Etappe in der abenteuerlichen Reise des Quartetto di Cremona durch den Kosmos der Beethoven'schen Streichquartette: das Quartett G-Dur aus op. 18 und das abschließende Quartett aus op. 59.

Spielkultur und Markt des Streichquartetts unterschieden sich im ausgehenden 18.Jahrhundert deutlich von späteren Zeiten. Und auch der junge Beethoven hattefür seine Quartette op. 18 noch vor allem die Musikliebhaber im Blick. Das Quartett G-Dur etwa, die Nr. 2 der Sammlung, war den begabten Adligen und hausmusiktollen Bürgern der Zeit technisch erreichbar ‒ was seine Schwierigkeiten und musikalischen Herausforderungen keinesfalls mindert.

Mit den so genannten „Rasumowsky"-Quartetten trat das Streichquartett in sein Erwachsenenalter ein. Und man muss die technischen und gedanklichen Anforderungen des op. 59 nur mit zeitgenössischen Werken vergleichen (etwa mit den Quartetten des jungen Franz Schubert), um zu erkennen, dass Beethoven nicht mehr für fähige Musikdilettanten, sondern für hochprofessionelle Spezialisten schrieb ‒ was sich vor allem im Finale, einer ausgedehnten und extrem virtuosen Fuge niederschlägt.

Das Quartetto di Cremona hat die beiden Werke des frühen und mittleren Beethoven für die siebte Folge seiner Gesamtaufnahme von Beethovens Quartett-Kammermusik zusammengestellt. In beiden Fällen steht ein Ohrwurm am Schluss: einmal aus dem Geist der Wiener Klassik, beim reiferen Quartett in Gestalt einer rasanten Fuge ‒ Finale furioso!

Quartetto di Cremona

Quartetto di Cremona
Internationally renowned for their "extremely mature and lyrical sound" (Strad), the Quartetto di Cremona now graces the stages of the most prestigious venues. Their focus and intensity brings life to music from the “tight blend and immaculate voicing” of their Brahms to the “sleek and elegant” dynamic countouring of their Mozart (Strad). The Quartetto di Cremona’s dedication to their work as a string quartet shows through their music.

The Quartetto di Cremona formed in 2000 at the Stauffer Academy in Cremona and continued their studies with Hatto Beyerle. In 2005 the Quartetto di Cremona received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.

Building on their early successes, the Quartetto di Cremona has played to critical acclaim at the most important venues and festivals in Europe including at the Beethoven Haus and BeethovenFest Bonn, Konzerthaus (Berlin), Klara Festival (Brussels), Mecklenberg Vorpommen Music Festival, Båstad Chamber Music Festival, Turku Music Festival, Handelsbeurs (Gent), Moving on Music Festival (Northern Ireland, recorded by BBC Radio 3), and numerous performances at the Wigmore Hall (London).

The Quartetto di Cremona has toured extensively in Australia and performed at the renowned Perth International Art Festival Australia. In the USA, they recently won the eleventh Web Concert Hall Competition and they will perform at Metropolitan Museum in March 2013.

In their homeland of Italy they have made their name performing at the Accademia di S. Cecilia in Rome and at the most renowned Italian music societies. The Quartet was nominated "Artist in Residence" at the Societa' del Quartetto of Milan and will be involved in various projects culminating in 2014 for the 150th anniversary of the Societa' del Quartetto – when they will perform the complete cycle of Beethoven quartets.

Recent and forthcoming tours include engagements in the USA, Japan, Mexico and China and in Europe the Quartetto di Cremona will tour the UK, Italy, Scandinavia, Germany, and make a debut tour of Austria.

Their extensive repertoire ranges from the early Haydn quartets to Wolfgang Rihm and Helmut Lachenmann, with particular interest in contemporary Italian music including the composers Fabio Vacchi, Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono.

Their debut recording for Decca encompassed the complete string quartets by Fabio Vacchi, released in April 2011. From July 2012 over the next two seasons the Quartetto di Cremona will record the complete Beethoven String Quartets for the German label Audite, which also issued Italian Journey, dedicated to Italian composers in November 2012.

An important part of the Quartetto di Cremona’s activity is teaching master classes throughout Europe. Since Autumn 2011, the Quartet has taught at the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona.

The Quartetto di Cremona has been chosen as a testimonial of the International project "Friends of Stradivari".

Booklet for Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 7