Pleyel: Preußische Quartette 4-6

Pleyel Quartett Köln

CPO 777 551-2

After the enthusiastic approval for their debut CD with the "Prussian Quartets 7-9" by Ignaz Pleyel, the Pleyel Quartet Cologne now presents the string quartets 4-6 from this series. Today, klassik-today awarded the first recording 10 out of 10 points for artistic quality: "The astonishing thing about listening to this recording is how well the Cologne Quartet succeeds in incorporating its conviction of Pleyel's compositional quality into its rendition... The technically demanding timbre dramaturgy specific to him is brought to light so virtuously by 'his' quartet that not the slightest thought of pleasing utility music arises," it says with regard to the musical finesse of the Pleyel Quartet. The quartets 4-6 show once again the unerring feeling Pleyel had in the typical use of the keys, and the renunciation of the courtly minuet movements shows his emancipation from his teacher Haydn, but also his almost provocative independence from the dedicatee, Frederick William II. The catchy but artistic way of writing, Pleyel's feeling for the dramatic and the soloistic demands on each individual quartet member led to the fact that Pleyel's string quartets achieved the highest performance numbers in the music-addicted and overcrowded London of the years 1785-1800, far ahead of the competition. 99 performances are documented there for this period compared to 39 by the second placed Haydn. This series also shows that Boccherini was right when he gave himself and Haydn, but also Pleyel their own quartet style.

CD x 1

CPO

26.04.12

761203755127