Tchaikovsky: Souvenirs

da Silva, Miguel, Hoffman, Gary, Rolston String Quartet

FUG 757

To us, the Rolston String Quartet, the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is simply irresistible – and so, a debut album containing only his finest chamber works was an obvious choice. Cherished for his memorable and beautifully simplistic melodies, Tchaikovsky’s music is innately joyous, virtuosic, and heart-wrenching, often all at once – yet never violent in nature. As musicians, we adore the charm and childhood nostalgia that Tchaikovsky is able to encompass from start to finish. In this album, we have selected a work from each of his early, middle, and late periods: his String Quartet No. 1 in D major, selections from his Children’s Album, and his beloved Souvenir de Florence for string sextet. Not only could we showcase a quartet that we treasure, but we were given the opportunity to collaborate with two of the Chapel's brilliant professors: violist Miguel da Silva and cellist Gary Hoffman. We gravitate towards Tchaikovsky’s chamber music more than other composers’ because of his stunning ability to write symphonically: right from the opening chords of the D major quartet, Tchaikovsky expands the sonic possibilities of the traditional string quartet towards that of a symphony orchestra. To round out the program are five delicate and endearing pieces: our favourite selections from Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album for solo piano, arranged for string quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky, the founding first violinist of the Borodin Quartet.

CD x 1

Fuga Libera

04/11/2019

5400439007574

BBC Music Magazine: 'Chamber Choice'
BBC Music Magazine: 'Chamber Choice' (March
2020)
BBC Music Magazine: 'The best classical albums released in 2020'