Mozart: The Piano Quartets Francesca Dego, Timothy Ridout, Laura van der Heijden, Federico Colli

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478:
• 1 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478: I. Allegro 15:12
• 2 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478: II. Andante 07:15
• 3 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478: III. Rondo 07:55
• Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 493:
• 4 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 493: I. Allegro 15:30
• 5 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 493: II. Larghetto 13:10
• 6 Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 493: III. Allegretto 09:14
• Total Runtime 01:08:16

Info for Mozart: The Piano Quartets

Following a highly successful series of concerts in the summer of 2022, Francesca Dego, Timothy Ridout, Laura van der Heijden, and Federico Colli headed into the studio to record Mozart's Piano Quartets. Whilst he may not have been the first composer to add a viola to the popular piano trio, Mozart was certainly the first to do so with such outstanding success. In his piano quartets, the strings become an equal partner to the piano, rather than mere accompaniment - much as in his piano concertos. This link is reinforced by his choice of form - unlike his string quartets, the piano quartets have three movements rather than four: a full-bodied movement in sonata form, a lighter central slow movement in a related key, and a rondo finale. Both works were composed during the three-year period, from February 1784 to December 1786, in which Mozart wrote twelve piano concertos. The first quartet is written in the key of G minor - rarely used by Mozart - and the overall mood is quite dark, almost disturbing. The second quartet, in E flat major, is by contrast much sunnier in atmosphere. Consequently, the two works together make for a very satisfying programme.

Federico Colli, piano
Francesca Dego, violin
Timothy Ridout, viola
Laura van der Heijden, cello

Federico Colli
Born in Brescia in 1988, Federico Colli studied at the Milan Conservatory, the Imola International Piano Academy and the Salzburg Mozarteum under Sergio Marengoni, Konstantin Bogino, Boris Petrushansky and Pavel Gililov. In 2011 he received the Grosso d’Argento medal from the mayor of his native town in recognition of his artistic achievements, and in 2014 he was selected by International Piano magazine as one of thirty pianists under thirty who are likely to dominate the world stage in years to come.

Federico first came to prominence after winning the Salzburg Mozart Competition in 2011 and the Leeds International Piano Competition the following year. Since then, he has been performing with great orchestras (Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Mariinsky Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, RAI Torino, Orchestra della Toscana, Camerata Salzburg, Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra) at prestigious venues in Vienna (Konzerthaus and Musikverein), Berlin (Konzerthaus), Munich (Herkulessaal), Hamburg (Laeiszhalle), Paris (Salle Cortot), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Rome (Auditorium Parco della Musica), Prague (Rudolfinum), Tokyo (Nikkei Hall), London (Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall), Glasgow (Royal Concert Hall) and Edinburgh (Usher Hall) under such noted directors as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alan Buribayev, Alpesh Chauhan, Sir Mark Elder, Valery Gergiev, Joji Hattori, Jasper Kaspszyk, Sakari Oramo, Vasily Petrenko, Dennis Russell Davies, Thomas Søndergård, Yuri Temirkanov and Juraj Valčuha.

Federico’s performances were broadcasted on BBC Radio 3, Mariinsky TV, ORF Austria, Polskie Radio and RAI Radio/TV. The critics highly praised his CDs with works by Bach, Bach/Busoni, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Scriabin and Mussorgsky. Federico Colli is to perform at the Konzerthaus in Berlin in 2020 as part of the C. Bechstein concert series.

Francesca Dego
Celebrated for her sonorous tone, compelling interpretations and flawless technique, Francesca Dego is one of the most sought-after violinists on the international scene. Highlights of her 21/22 season include four concerts across Japan with NHK Symphony conducted by Mo. Fabio Luisi, Bernstein’s Serenade at La Fenice and further projects with Orchestre Chambre de Lausanne, the BBC Symphony, the Ulster Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra and La Verdi.

Francesca is signed exclusively to CHANDOS Records and her most recent release of Mozart Violin Concerti 3&4 conducted by Sir Roger Norrington with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra was received to unanimous critical acclaim including BBC Music Magazine 5* ‘Record of the month' in November 2021. Other releases include concertos by Paganini and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari alongside the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Daniele Rustioni, the recital disc Il Cannone, as well as a complete survey of the violin sonatas by Beethoven and of Paganini’s Caprices, for Deutsche Grammophon.

Francesca regularly appears with major orchestras worldwide including performances with the Philharmonia, Hallé, Ulster, Royal Philharmonic and Royal Scottish National Orchestras, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, National Symphony in Washington, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, NHK Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan and Tokyo Symphony Orchestras, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova at St Petersburg’s renowned Stars of the White Nights festival, Teatro Regio di Torino, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and all the major Italian orchestras, Orquestra de Sevilla and de la Comunitat Valenciana at Palau de les Arts, Auckland Philharmonia, Oviedo Philharmonic, Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Santa Barbara Symphony, Het Gelders Orkest, and the Orkest van het Oosten.

Her international career to date has allowed her to work alongside many esteemed conductors, Sir Roger Norrington, Fabio Luisi, Lionel Bringuier, Dalia Stasevska, Christopher Hogwood, Yoel Levi, Donato Renzetti, Grant Llewellyn, Wayne Marshall, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Diego Matheuz, Shlomo Mintz, Gemma New, Jader Bignamini, Alpesh Chauhan and Xian Zhang, to name a few.

An outstanding collaborative artist, Francesca thrives in chamber settings, and she has performed with Salvatore Accardo, Alessandro Carbonare, Mahan Esfahani, Bruno Giuranna, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Piers Lane, Jan Lisiecki, Mischa Maisky, Antonio Meneses, Martin Owen, Alessandro Taverna, Roman Simovic and Kathryn Stott, as well as her regular recital partner, pianist Francesca Leonardi. Highlights of the 2020/21 season for the duo have included performances at the Louvre in Paris, Lincoln Center New York, Washington DC, Siena, as well as the final concerts of their complete cycle of Beethoven’s violin sonatas at Unione Musicale, Torino.

Francesca also has a passion for contemporary music and counts herself a dedicatee of the works of, amongst others, Michael Nyman, Carlo Boccadoro, Cristian Carrara, Nicola Campogrande and Marco Taralli. She is a frequent contributor to specialist music magazines, penning a monthly column for Suonare News among others, and has written articles and opinion pieces for the BBC and Classical Music Magazines, The Strad, Musical Opinion and Strings Magazine. Francesca has also recently published her first book, Tra le Note. Classica: 24 chiavi di lettura, with Mondadori in which she explores how classical music can be listened to and better understood today.

Francesca is based in London, and plays on a precious Francesco Ruggeri violin (Cremona 1697).

Booklet for Mozart: The Piano Quartets