Schumann Quartett & Anna Lucia Richter – Intermezzo (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Founded in 2007, the Schumann Quartett (not to be confused with the Schumann Quartet made up of Christian Favre, piano, Tedi Papavrami, violin, Dorin Matea, viola and François Guye, cello) first studied with the Alban Berg Quartet, and then in Madrid with Günter Pichler. It’s a story of three brothers, Erik, Ken and Mark Schumann who were born in Cologne to German, Romanian and Japanese parents, and who were joined by viola player Liisa Randalu. The career of this young ensemble got off to a flying start after they took first prize at the Bordeaux international string quartet competition. Taking full advantage of the esteem of great old artists, they also play chamber music with Menahem Pressler and Sabine Meyer.

This third album is dedicated to Robert Schumann and takes the roads less travelled: such as a forceful and energetic version of the First Quartet as well as the Quartet Op. 12 (with its famous Canzonetta) by Mendelssohn, but also the Adagio zum Gedenken an Robert Schumann (“Adagio in memory of Robert Schumann”) written in 2006 by Aribert Reimann, for the big festival in Düsseldorf that marked 150 years since the composer’s death. Based on a Bach chorale that Schumann was in the process of harmonising for four players when he died in a psychiatric hospital near Bonn, this brief homage uses a modern-day language with quarter-tones and heart-rending dissonances which could well have come from Schumann’s distempered mind. Aribert Reimann’s instrumentation of the 6 Gesänge Op. 107 (“Six Songs”) for soprano (the candid and moving Anna-Luisa Richter) and string quartet is a great find. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41 No. 1: I. Introduzione. Andante espressivo-Allegro
02. String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41 No. 1: II. Scherzo. Presto
03. String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41 No. 1: III. Adagio
04. String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 41 No. 1: IV. Presto
05. Adagio zum Gedenken an Robert Schumann
06. 6 songs, Op. 107: I. Herzeleid
07. 6 songs, Op. 107: II. Die Fensterscheibe
08. 6 songs, Op. 107: III. Der Gärtner
09. 6 songs, Op. 107: IV. Die Spinnerin
10. 6 songs, Op. 107: V. Im Wald
11. 6 songs, Op. 107: VI. Abendlied
12. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 12: I. Adagion non troppo-Allegro
13. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 12: II. Canzonetta. Allegro-più mosso
14. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 12: III. Andante espressivo
15. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 12: IV. Molto allegro e vivace

Personnel:
Schumann Quartett
Anna Lucia Richter, soprano

Download:

mqs.link_SchumannQuartettAnnaLuciaRichterIntermezz20182496.part1.rar
mqs.link_SchumannQuartettAnnaLuciaRichterIntermezz20182496.part2.rar