Pleyel: Prussian Quartets 1-3

Pleyel Quartett Köln

CPO777777-2

Following the enthusiastic response to the two discs featuring the Prussian Quartets Nos. 4-9, the Pleyel Quartet of Cologne is now presenting Ignaz Pleyel's String Quartet Nos. 1-3. These "Prussian Quartets" were extremely popular during the composer's lifetime and transmit a clear picture of his versatility in the field of chamber music. Episodes of concertante character - distributed to the four instruments with intelligent balance - play the dominant role for Pleyel and reflect his inclination toward an idiom more clearly modeled on Italy. This impulsive power derives from his independent compositional style departing from that of his teacher Haydn. It shows that in Pleyel it is not motivic and thematic work that occupies the foreground; he often fully indulges in his delight in new melodies. The Pleyel Quartet of Cologne, whose members always draw on the most historically accurate sources for their interpretations, performs three more of these "bold" Prussian Quartets employing dramatic harmonies and many tonal surprises to produce their special impact.

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

CPO

29-03-2014

761203777723