Eugène Walckiers: String Quintets No. 2 & 4 fabergé-quintett

• Eugène Walckiers (1793 - 1866): String Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 94:
• 1 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 94: I. Adagio assai - Moderato espressivo - Un poco meno Mosso 12:26
• 2 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 94: II. Scherzo. Allegretto bien rhythmé - Un poco Ritenuto 05:25
• 3 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 94: III. Andante Religioso 05:36
• 4 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 94: IV. Finale. Allegro Vivace 05:05
• String Quintet No. 4 in A Major, Op. 108:
• 5 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 4 in A Major, Op. 108: I. Allegro ma non Troppo 10:19
• 6 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 4 in A Major, Op. 108: II. Minuetto. Moderato 03:38
• 7 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 4 in A Major, Op. 108: III. Andante Cantabile 05:03
• 8 Walckiers: String Quintet No. 4 in A Major, Op. 108: IV. Finale. Allegro 04:51
• Total Runtime 52:23

Info for Eugène Walckiers: String Quintets No. 2 & 4

The fabergé Quintet excels in the ravishing premiere recordings of the String Quintets Nos. 2 and 4 by the almost forgotten French composer Eugne Walckiers (1793-1866).

Following their highly acclaimed and award-winning recordings of the string quintets by Adolphe Blanc, the piano quintets by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Hermann Goetz, and the album "Gran Sestetto" featuring Russian piano sextets, the ensemble has now recorded with its fourth album featuring late works by a composer who lived in Paris in the 19th century during a time of upheaval and new beginnings. Composed in the 1850s, these works for classical string quartet with double bass are gems of chamber music and will continue to delight audiences today with their classical beauty and dazzling wealth of ideas!

The period of the middle of the 19th century, when many things were in a state of political and social upheaval in Paris, was also marked by rich artistic, literary and compositional creativity. A new cityscape emerged at an alarming pace; the small winding streets disappeared in favor of wide boulevards and open squares. Some like the writer Georges Sand rapturously praised the change; others mourned it as a loss of what they had come to love and trust. It was precisely in these years of upheaval that Eugne Walckier's string quintets were written.

The French composer and flutist Eugne Walckiers, whom contemporary critics and colleagues praise effusively, is known today at best in professional circles for his chamber music pieces for flute. Now, the rest of the musical world has the opportunity to rediscover him.

The Opus 94 and Opus 108 quintets recorded here are two of four quintets that take one by surprise in their thematic variety and beauty and which give no hint of the often violent uprisings. They were composed at a time when salon culture was highly valued in bourgeois circles and famous figures of cultural life, such as the Paris-based Gioacchino Rossini or the French double bassist Achille Gouff, organized chamber music soires that were considered legendary. Walckiers was regarded in Gouff's salons, along with Onslow and Blanc, as one of the three highly revered living composers and as a contrast to the revered trinity of musicians of the past, the "trinite vnere des musiciens du pass," to the likes of Haydn, Mozart, and Boccherini. Walckier's chamber music are compositions that would not be described as modern or ahead of their time and yet are far from being dusty or outdated.

The second quintet, Opus 94 in C minor, dedicated to the French composer George Onslow, who died in 1853, is an emotionally moving work. In addition to its dramatic nature, the quintet plays simultaneously with elegant, dance-like melodic lines, thereby memorializing the revered friend.

Opus 108 in A major, the fourth and last quintet, is dedicated to the violinist Emile Magnin, who played a Stradivarius already a sought-after instrument back then and was associated with one of the most famous professional ensembles of his time. This Opus 108 is a firework of moods and ideas that dazzles and thrills, infused with Spanish flavor and a wonderfully colorful melodic richness.

fabergé-quintett

Rodrigo Reichel
studied at the Musikhochschulen in Cologne and Munich with Max Rostal, Kurt Guntner and members of the Amadeus Quartet.

His first orchestral engagement was as a member of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He went on to join the North German Radio Symphony, where he holds the position of principal second violin.

His chamber music roots trace back to both classical music and jazz. In 1993, he was a founder of „the g-strings“, an ensemble that appears at many renowned classical and jazz festivals. In 2000, he became the leader of the fabergé quintet.

His musical partners include José Carreras, Nils Landgren, Renée Fleming, and Christoph Eschenbach.

Gerhard Sibbing
was born in Bonn in 1962 and studied violin at the Cologne Musikhochschule before pursuing viola studies with Prof. Hariolf Schlichtig in Aachen and David Takeno in London.

He has been a member of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, the Beethoven Orchestra in Bonn, and has held the position of associate-principal viola with the North German Radio Symphony since 1991.

He is also a member of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra.

Sven Forsberg
was born in Uppsala, Sweden and studied with Gunnar Norrby at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and Christoph Henkel at the Musikhochschule Freiburg im Breisgau. He also participated in masterclasses for cello and chamber music with Tortelier, Starker, Pleeth, Parisot, Kuijken and the Amadeus Quartet. An international scholarship from the Swedish Academy of Music gave him the opportunity to have cello lessons with Pierre Fournier in Geneva. After an engagement with the Stockholm Radio Orchestra, he won a position with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande at just 22 years of age. In 1985, Sven Forsberg debuted at Wigmore Hall in London, and spent a season as a member of the Neues Zürcher Quartet. He was a member of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1988-2010 and now teaches at the International College of Music Hamburg.

Peter Schmidt
was born in Hamburg and played guitar and electric bass while at school. He was inspired by Stanley Clarke to take up the double bass, and his first teacher, Walter Koloniak, brought him to classical music. After studies with Prof. Willi Beyer in Lübeck, he spent a season at the Pfalztheater in Kaiserslautern before becoming a member of the North German Radio Symphony.

He is also a professor at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. A desire to play chamber music led Peter to found the fabergé - quintett.

Booklet for Eugène Walckiers: String Quintets No. 2 & 4