Information
Composer: Paul Hindemith
Amar Quartet
Anna Brunner, violin
Igor Keller, violin
Hannes Bärtschi, viola
Péter Somodari, cello
Date: 2012
Label: Naxos
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572163
- (01) String Quartet No. 2 in F minor, Op. 10
- (04) String Quartet No. 3 in C major, Op. 16
Amar Quartet
Anna Brunner, violin
Igor Keller, violin
Hannes Bärtschi, viola
Péter Somodari, cello
Date: 2012
Label: Naxos
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572163
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10
The Swiss Amar Quartet is named for Hindemith’s own group, formed for the premiere of the Third Quartet in C major (1920), included on this first disc in what promises to be a complete quartet cycle. As we all know, Hindemith was a very serious composer, and these are big, serious quartets, but they are by no means impenetrable. Busy, yes, “notey” for sure, but also full of good music and certainly worth the serious consideration of chamber music aficionados. The booklet notes speak of quartet writing in the tradition of Brahms and Reger, and that’s a good place to start, but Hindemith was himself a string player, and perhaps this helps to prevent his textures from sounding quite as heavy as with those other two composers, even though he’s often just as dense.
The Second Quartet (1918) is a wartime work, though you’d never know it. Its three movements grow progressively longer; indeed, the first movement is as tightly constructed as something by Haydn, whereas the finale is a virtuoso extravaganza that lasts more than 15 minutes. Still, the thematic invention is memorable, melodic, and not anything like the relentlessly acerbic Hindemith of the 1920s, or the mature composer of the mid 1930s and later. The Third Quartet finds him moving toward that 1920s style, with increasing chromaticism within a basically tonal framework, and a much more balanced three-movement form. Once again, this is virtuoso music for the players, but the heart of the work is the deeply expressive central slow movement, which is very beautifully sustained in this performance.
Indeed, I strongly doubt that Hindemith’s own quartet played these pieces nearly this well. He was by all accounts a rather dry performer, whereas this particular Amar Quartet invests the music with considerable warmth and manages to maintain a remarkably attractive ensemble tone even in the two finales where everyone is going crazy. I offer a segment of the Third Quartet’s finale as an example of just how pleasing this group sounds at all dynamic and pitch levels. If they keep up this standard, there is little doubt that this will become the reference edition in this music, and perhaps will win for it the friends that it surely deserves. The engineering is ideal, and does the performances proud.
-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday
More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Sept12/Hindemith_quartets_8572163.htm
https://www.allmusic.com/album/hindemith-string-quartets-vol-1-mw0002341445
https://www.naxos.com/reviews/reviewslist.asp?catalogueid=8.572163&languageid=EN
https://www.amazon.com/Hindemith-String-Quartets-Nos-Vol/dp/B007N0SVPQ
The Swiss Amar Quartet is named for Hindemith’s own group, formed for the premiere of the Third Quartet in C major (1920), included on this first disc in what promises to be a complete quartet cycle. As we all know, Hindemith was a very serious composer, and these are big, serious quartets, but they are by no means impenetrable. Busy, yes, “notey” for sure, but also full of good music and certainly worth the serious consideration of chamber music aficionados. The booklet notes speak of quartet writing in the tradition of Brahms and Reger, and that’s a good place to start, but Hindemith was himself a string player, and perhaps this helps to prevent his textures from sounding quite as heavy as with those other two composers, even though he’s often just as dense.
The Second Quartet (1918) is a wartime work, though you’d never know it. Its three movements grow progressively longer; indeed, the first movement is as tightly constructed as something by Haydn, whereas the finale is a virtuoso extravaganza that lasts more than 15 minutes. Still, the thematic invention is memorable, melodic, and not anything like the relentlessly acerbic Hindemith of the 1920s, or the mature composer of the mid 1930s and later. The Third Quartet finds him moving toward that 1920s style, with increasing chromaticism within a basically tonal framework, and a much more balanced three-movement form. Once again, this is virtuoso music for the players, but the heart of the work is the deeply expressive central slow movement, which is very beautifully sustained in this performance.
Indeed, I strongly doubt that Hindemith’s own quartet played these pieces nearly this well. He was by all accounts a rather dry performer, whereas this particular Amar Quartet invests the music with considerable warmth and manages to maintain a remarkably attractive ensemble tone even in the two finales where everyone is going crazy. I offer a segment of the Third Quartet’s finale as an example of just how pleasing this group sounds at all dynamic and pitch levels. If they keep up this standard, there is little doubt that this will become the reference edition in this music, and perhaps will win for it the friends that it surely deserves. The engineering is ideal, and does the performances proud.
-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday
More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Sept12/Hindemith_quartets_8572163.htm
https://www.allmusic.com/album/hindemith-string-quartets-vol-1-mw0002341445
https://www.naxos.com/reviews/reviewslist.asp?catalogueid=8.572163&languageid=EN
https://www.amazon.com/Hindemith-String-Quartets-Nos-Vol/dp/B007N0SVPQ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Hindemith (16 November 1895 – 28 December 1963) was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher and conductor. Hindemith is among the most significant German composers of his time. His early works are in a late romantic idiom, and he later produced expressionist works, before developing his neoclassical style in the 1920s. Notable compositions include his song cycle Das Marienleben (1923) and opera Mathis der Maler (1938). Hindemith's most popular work, both on record and in the concert hall, is probably the Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, written in 1943.
***
Named after its principal violinist Licco Amar, Paul Hindemith founded the original Amar Quartet in 1922. On the occasion of Hindemith's 100th birthday in 1995, the Hindemith Institute awarded this historic name to a newly founded Zürich-based ensemble. During its studies with the Alban Berg Quartet, the Amar won numerous international awards, followed by successful debuts at famous concert-halls, as well as invitations to teach in master-classes. The ensemble has shown passionate engagement with the work of Paul Hindemith, and is increasingly making a name for itself in Switzerland.
https://www.naxos.com/person/Amar_Quartet/122297.htm
https://www.amarquartett.ch/
https://www.naxos.com/person/Amar_Quartet/122297.htm
https://www.amarquartett.ch/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLAC, tracks
Links in comment
Enjoy!
Choose one link, copy and paste it to your browser's address bar, wait a few seconds (you may need to click 'Continue' first), then click 'Skip Ad' (or 'Get link').
ReplyDeleteIf you are asked to download or install anything, IGNORE, only download from file hosting site (mega.nz).
If MEGA shows 'Bandwidth Limit Exceeded' message, try to create a free account.
http://maetrimal.com/1YSb
or
http://exe.io/LPkwE5
or
http://uii.io/diiFjn