Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Quartets Quartetto Klimt

• Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847): Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1:
• 1 Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1: I. Allegro Vivace 08:19
• 2 Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1: II. Adagio 06:48
• 3 Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1: III. Scherzo. Maggiore 05:32
• 4 Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1: IV. Allegro Moderato 07:06
• Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1:
• 5 Piano Quartet No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 2: I. Allegro Molto 09:09
• 6 Piano Quartet No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 2: II. Adagio 05:20
• 7 Piano Quartet No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 2: III. Intermezzo. Allegro Moderato 03:03
• 8 Piano Quartet No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 2: IV. Allegro Molto Vivace 07:37
• Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3:
• 9 Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3: I. Allegro Molto. Più Allegro 08:40
• 10 Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3: II. Andante 06:17
• 11 Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3: III. Allegro Molto 05:42
• 12 Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3: IV. Finale. Allegro Vivace 10:18
• Piano Quartet No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 3:
• 13 Piano Quartet in D Minor, MWV Q 10: I. Allegro Molto 05:10
• 14 Piano Quartet in D Minor, MWV Q 10: II. Andante 03:49
• 15 Piano Quartet in D Minor, MWV Q 10: III. Finale. Allegro Molto 05:15
• Total Runtime 01:38:05

Info for Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Quartets

Early, little-known, free-spirited chamber works from music’s supreme teenage genius.

By the time Felix Mendelssohn composed his first three opus-numbered works he had a substantial catalogue of chamber, vocal and orchestral works to his credit – all at the age of 15! This trio of piano quartets predates the miraculous Octet for strings, yet each of them holds its distinct appeal. A fluent grasp of form and voicing can be taken for granted in one already thoroughly schooled in compositional technique. Mendelssohn was still finding his own voice, melodically speaking, while emerging from the shadow of Mozart’s and Beethoven’s, but these are already pieces with his fingerprints and no-one else’s, even in 1824, when Beethoven and Schubert were still alive.

Even the Opp. 1-3 are predated by another piano quartet, composed in 1821 by the 12-year-old Mendelssohn. He deemed it unfit for publication, but its relative brevity demonstrates that the teenage composer already had both the intuition and the talent to write within strict self-imposed boundaries: he does not waste notes, even in the finales which fizz with fun.

Outside complete box-sets of the composer’s music the Piano Quartets are rarely encountered on disc, making this fine new recording an even more attractive acquisition for Mendelssohn fans and enthusiasts for early-Romantic chamber rarities. Formed in 1995, the Quartetto Klimt is an Italian ensemble with an impressive record of appearances at prestigious festivals based at home and abroad and long experience of teaching at chamber-music centres such as Fiesole and Livorno.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was one of the most extraordinary child prodigies in history. At age 15 he was declared by his teacher Carl Zelter a mature musician “in the brotherhood of Bach, Mozart and Haydn”. By that age he had already composed symphonies, choral works, Singspiele, 4 concertos, piano and organ works.

Mendelssohn wrote his 4 Piano Quartets (for piano and string trio) between 1821 and 1824 (between his 12th and 15th year..), forming his Opus 1, 2 and 3. Clearly modelled on Mozart’s Classical Style, they are vintage Mendelssohn: brilliant, virtuoso, containing clever counterpoint, strongly melodic both in the fast movements as in the slow movements (characteristic “Lieder ohne Worte”), the Scherzi foreshadowing his Sommernachtstraum music.

Played with fire and youthful enthusiasm, as well as tenderness and lyricism by pianist Matteo Fossi and Duccio Ceccanti, Edoardo Rosadini and Alice Gabbiani.

Quartetto Klimt

Quartetto Klimt
Formed in 1995 at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, the Quartetto Klimt is today one of the most interesting young chamber music groups in Italy. Since its foundation it has performed in numerous concerts including prestigious Festivals in Italy and abroad.Between 1997-1999 the quartet attended for two years the master classes held by Trio di Milano in Fiesole; since 2000 the quartet has studied for various years with M.° Pier Narciso Masi.In April 1998 the quartet won first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition “Gaetano Zinetti” at Sanguinetto (VR).
 A few months after its foundation the quartet was invited by: “Encontre Internationale des Enseignements Artistiques” organized by the Institute de le Marionette a Charleville-Meziéres (France); the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana ad Aosta; the “Ater Festival” in Rimini; and by the “Elba Isola Musicale d’Europa” Festival, where it captured the attention of the great Yuri Bashmet.The following years have seen the group participating in prestigious musical seasons among which “Lingotto Musica” in Turin, the “Festival di Ravello”, “Musica Insieme” in Bologna and at the Bologna Festival, “Amici della Musica” in Florence, “Amici della Musica” in Perugia, the “Accademia Filarmonica Romana” in Rome, the “Serate Musicali di Milano”, the “Festival Mozart” in Rovereto.The quartet has also played a leading part in numerous live television and radio performances for the RAI (Radio Televisione Italiana).In these years of intense activity, the quartet has benefited from the advice and support of artists such as Carlo Maria Giulini, Natalia Gutman and Maurizio Pollini; the latter invited Klimt to perform during the award ceremony of “Una vita nella Musica” in 1999 in Venice, and in 2001 gave them the scholarship “Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli”.In April 2001 the quartet inaugurated the first edition of “I Concerti del Quirinale” in Rome; in July 2001 the Klimt Quartet was invited to the prestigious “Oleg Kagan Musikfest di Kreuth” (Germany) and the “Festival of Santander” (Spain).In 2010 the prestigious magazine Amadeus published the two quartets for piano and strings by Robert Schumann performed by the Quartetto Klimt and was later invited by the RAI to perform these pieces live for Euroradio for the bicentenary of Schumann’s birth. In 2011 it has been invited by Columbia University in New York, gaining a warm success by audience and press.
In recognition of Klimt’s unfailing, passionate commitment to the promotion and diffusion of contemporary music, various composers, such as A.Solbiati, F.Antonioni, M.D’Amico and I. Vandor have dedicated compositions to the Quartet. Since 2008 the violinist of the group has been Duccio Ceccanti.

Booklet for Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Quartets