Beethoven - Late String Quartets
The Wihan Quartet, formed in 1985, are heirs to the great Czech musical tradition. The Quartet’s outstanding reputation for the interpretation of its native Czech heritage and of the many classical, romantic and modern masterpieces of the string quartet repertoire is widely acknowledged. They have developed an impressive international career, which includes visits to major festivals in Europe and the Far East. They visit the United States and Japan regularly and have had highly acclaimed tours of Australia and New Zealand. They are frequent visitors to the UK and can often be heard on BBC Radio 3 as well as in concert at many venues throughout the country. ‘Nimbus Alliance’ is a new classical record label created to offer international distribution to recordings licensed to Nimbus but not originated by the company. Nimbus Alliance will consider projects from new artists trying to find a home for recordings they have made privately or from mature artists who find that their back catalogue is no longer available due to changing fashion or industry mergers. All releases will be managed through the existing export, mail-order, download, synchronisation and retail channels of Wyastone Estate Limited and stock will be coordinated and manufactured at the companies’ facilities in Monmouth, UK and New Jersey, USA. The basic terms of a Nimbus Alliance contract are that rights in the recording remain with the artist who licenses the master to Nimbus on a fixed term and for a share of net profits. Each project will exist as a separate entity so that artists will enjoy the benefit of Nimbus’s global sales organisation whilst also being free to develop their own individual brand identity within the Nimbus Alliance family. Nimbus Alliance was officially launched on 25th January 2009 at the Wigmore Hall, London where the Wihan Quartet performed to a capacity audience. Just two weeks earlier the agreement was signed between Nimbus Alliance and the quartet and this release was designed, printed, manufactured and packaged in time to be on sale at the concert. “These are richly rewarding readings of Beethoven’s late quartets, recorded live in Prague, the Wihan Quartet’s home city, last year. The group makes a meaty, full sound, and their vision of each work carries
with it the insight of long, deep mutual experience — the quartet’s personnel has, unusually, remained consistent for more than two decades. The slow movements are at the heart of their performances. The
19-minute molto adagio of Op 132 in A minor is achingly intense and beautifully controlled, and here asks all the right questions. We’re promised the middle and early quartets before the year is out. I can’t
wait.” Stephen Pettitt, Sunday Times “Op 131 is particularly successful, its success embodied in the variations that comprise of the fourth movement Andante ma non troppo. Here interpretative insight, ensemble expertise and fine dynamic shading come together most convincingly.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2009 “The group makes a meaty, full sound, and their vision of each work carries with it the insight of long, deep mutual experience — the quartet’s personnel has, unusually, remained consistent for more than two decades. The slow movements are at the heart of their performances. The 19-minute molto adagio of Op 132 in A minor is achingly intense and beautifully controlled, and here asks all the right questions. We’re promised the middle and early quartets before the year is out. I can’t wait.” Sunday Times, 26th April 2009 **** |
