Boccherini: 6 String Quartets, Op. 15 Alea Ensemble

• Luigi Boccherini (1743 - 1805): String Quartet in D Major, Op. 15 No. 1, G. 177:
• 1 Boccherini: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 15 No. 1, G. 177: I. Presto 05:41
• 2 Boccherini: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 15 No. 1, G. 177: II. Rondeau. Allegro 02:26
• String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 2, G. 178:
• 3 Boccherini: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 2, G. 178: I. Allegretto con grazia 07:13
• 4 Boccherini: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 2, G. 178: II. Minuetto. Allegro 03:47
• String Quartet in E Major, Op. 15 No. 3, G. 179:
• 5 Boccherini: String Quartet in E Major, Op. 15 No. 3, G. 179: I. Andantino 07:10
• 6 Boccherini: String Quartet in E Major, Op. 15 No. 3, G. 179: II. Prestissimo 02:13
• String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 4, G. 180:
• 7 Boccherini: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 4, G. 180: I. Prestissimo 04:16
• 8 Boccherini: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 15 No. 4, G. 180: II. Minuetto 04:42
• String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 15 No. 5, G. 181:
• 9 Boccherini: String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 15 No. 5, G. 181: I. Adagio 05:56
• 10 Boccherini: String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 15 No. 5, G. 181: II. Minuetto 04:27
• String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 15 No. 6, G. 182:
• 11 Boccherini: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 15 No. 6, G. 182: I. Larghetto 04:16
• 12 Boccherini: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 15 No. 6, G. 182: II. Minuetto. Allegro moderato 03:55
• Total Runtime 56:02

Info for Boccherini: 6 String Quartets, Op. 15

Ever since the publication of his first string quartet collections, Boccherini was immediately recognized, with Haydn, as one of this genre’s founders and foremost exponents. The six string quartets Op. 15 are crucial in the history of development of Boccherini’s quartet production and, more in general, of the classical quartet. This collection, however, has never received the attention it deserves. Like for many other chamber collections by Boccherini, this is mainly due to the lack of a complete score edition that would allow their study and performance. Today, Giuliano Castellani’s critical edition has finally made this recording of the AleaEnsemble possible, and will facilitate the studying of these works within the context of contemporary string quartet production.

AleaEnsemble was formed in 2002 by Fiorenza de Donatis and Andrea Rognoni (violins), Stefano Marcocchi (viola), and Marco Frezzato (cello), considered among the best early music interpreters of the new generation and driven by the desire of performing on original instruments the great classical and romantic chamber repertoires as well as the finest works of wrongly neglected composers.

The core of AleaEnsemble is the string quartet, which can sometimes be enlarged to include other instruments, such as double bass, harpsichord, fortepiano, guitar or wind instruments. Its members are section leaders and soloists in famous early music ensembles, such as Europa Galante, Accademia Bizantina, I Barocchisti and Tafelmusik.

Alea Ensemble

The ALEA Ensemble
offers exciting high-class musival events for many occasions –from baroque, classic, romantic and modern periods as well as contemporary works of the 20th and 21st centuries, also with strong influences from Jazz/Rock/Pop and World Music.

The ensemble is presently performing mostly as a string trio (2 vl, vc) – and upon need also as a string quartet or with piano resp. (in duo, trio, quartet ...); further instruments (flute, clarinet, voice ...) can be added for special projects.

It was founded in 1988 by Gerhard Praesent (composer, conductor) and his wife Sigrid Praesent (violinist) in order to perform interesting programs of traditional (often classical Austrian) and contemporary works for an open-minded audience without any stylistic reservations, but nevertheless emphasizing on high quality.

Today it is the only string ensemble from Graz performing in Austria and internationally regularily for almost 30 years. It has always been the goal of the ensemble to combine the great Austrian classical string tradition with attractive and fascinating contemporary works, often in direct cooperation with composers of high rank.

The ensemble has performed – in traditional, mixed or solely contemporary programs – e.g. at the festivals „Austria Today“ und „Hörgänge“ in the Vienna Concert Hall, at the festivals “Carynthian Summer” and “Styriarte”, at the festival „Nuovi Spazi Musicali“ in Rome, the „Lutoslawski-Festival“ in Lublin/Poland, at the “Earworm”Festival in Berlin, repeatedly in the „Music-Forum Munich“, in the “Austrian Cultural Forums” in Bratislava, New York, London, Washington and Genova, in Torino and Pésaro, in the concert series of „Forum Stadtpark“, „Styrian Tone Arts Association and „die andere saite“ in Graz, in the Bavarian and Croatioan Radio, in the ORF (Austrian Radio) as well as in numerous concerts in Austria and abroad (Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary et al).

Booklet for Boccherini: 6 String Quartets, Op. 15