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Mannheim String Quartet - Raff: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 8 (2015)

Posted By: newskl
Mannheim String Quartet - Raff: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 8 (2015)

Mannheim String Quartet - Raff: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 8 (2015)
Classical | MP3 320kbps CBR | 2 CDs | 292 MB
Label: CPO | Catalog Number: 777004 | Rls.date: 30th March 2015

Joachim Raff’s contemporaries valued him as an expert in the history of music and art and as a composer who wove together three-part counterpoint with ease, producing richly coloured instrumentations. Following cpo’s releases of some of Raff’s symphonies and his piano trios, the label now turn to his String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 8. These works chart an extraordinary period of the composer’s artistic growth - after writing his second quartet in 1857, some ten years passed before he continued composing for quartet ensemble. During the intervening years Raff had established himself in Wiesbaden, and his productivity had enabled him to make a name for himself as a composer of symphonies, piano and chamber music, and vocal works.

What a great musical adventure this 2-CD set is! Once again we have CPO doing what it does perhaps better than any other recording company- presenting unfamiliar or unjustly neglected works of outstanding quality, mostly from 'lesser' European composers. I use the term 'lesser' loosely here, because almost without exception I have found CPO's repertoire to be of quality and attractiveness to rank these works at least next door to the well-known 'giants' of classical music. In this case, kudos to CPO for a fabulous set of 4 string quartets from 19th century composer Joachim Raff. Raff's music generally seeks something of a middle ground, perhaps even a fusion, between the great traditions established in the Classical and early Romantic eras and the dramatic new directions being championed by Wagner and Liszt, with whom Raff was somewhat associated for a while. As a result, his works combine concepts from several different directions, and we are the beneficiaries, for sure. String Quartets 2, 3, and 4 are wonderfully lyrical pieces with solid structure providing a firm base. String Quartet # 8, Raff's last quartet, is something else altogether, a seven section 'suite' of short dance-like melodies and rhythms, putting an exhilarating, fresh, and high energy cap on a remarkable chamber music anthology. The Mannheim String Quartet plays these works with enthusiasm, warmth, precision, and energy. In short, this CPO set deserves to be heard by anyone who is partial to quality chamber music, which this most certainly is. Recorded in 2006-2007, CPO waited until 2015 to release this program. I don't why it took this long, but the wait has been worth it. Try it; I think you will immediately take to Raff's music- it's really good. Highly recommended!!

Tracklist:

Disc 1 (01:14:20)
1. I. Rasch, jedoch ruhig (15:02)
2. II. Rasch (7:05)
3. III. Langsam, doch nicht schleppend (9:28)
4. IV. Rasch (9:08)
5. I. Allegro (12:09)
6. II. Allegro con moto (5:08)
7. III. Andante con moto (10:17)
8. IV. Allegro con spirito (6:03)

Disc 2 (53:05)
1. I. Allegro patetico (9:46)
2. II. Allegro, non troppo vivo, quasi allegretto (3:48)
3. III. Andante (9:56)
4. IV. Finale. Presto (6:58)
5. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": I. Marsch. Allegro (4:31)
6. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": II. Sarabande. Andante, moderato assai (2:19)
7. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": III. Capriccio. Vivace (2:28)
8. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": IV. Arie. Quasi larghetto (4:43)
9. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": V. Gavotte und Musette. Allegro (2:06)
10. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": VI. Menuett. Allegro molto (3:32)
11. String Quartet No. 8 in C Major, Op. 192 No. 3 "Suite in Canon Form": VII. Gigue. Allegro (2:58)