Zemlinsky Quartet: František Soucek, Petr Strizek (violins), Petr Holman (viola) & Vladimír Fortin (cello)
SACD
$17.75
Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days.
Two scores that frame the period when the composer of the famous 'American’ Quartet (No.12) was in his prime. Combining rhythmic invention, bright colours, only dimmed by the importance of the viola part, and a spontaneous melodic outpouring that contrasts with the absorbing melancholy of the slow movements, they give voice to a happy idiom despite the number of personal dramas the composer had undergone. Elements of folk nationalism pervade reminding us of a people that was going to become a nation once again in 1918.
Awards Issue 2012
“The Zemlinskys play in a way that is so fluid and warmly rooted in rich tonal colour, and characteristic of their perfect ensemble...that it is easy to hear why it is they are so representative of the Czech quartet tradition of groups such as the Bohemian and Smetana Quartets. They embrace Dvorak's native melodies as if they are in their blood.”
October 2012
“These performances are first-rate … a spendidly calculated and intelligent performance from the Zemlinskys … played with arresting technical assurance throughout … Recommended.”
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