Józef Wieniawski; Anton Bruckner - String Quartets (Glière String Quartet)

Information

Composer: Józef Wieniawski; Anton Bruckner

• J. Wieniawski - String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 32
• Bruckner - String Quartet in C Minor, WAB 111

Glière String Quartet

    Wladislaw Winokurow, violin

    Dominika Falger, violin

    Martin Edelmann, viola

    Endre F. Stankowsky, cello

Date: 2023

Label: DUX

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Description

This album features two extremely interesting, rarely performed string quartets. Only in recent years has the output of the author of the former, Jozef Wieniawski, become popular, thus coming out from the shadow of the achievements of his older brother, Henryk. The piece is of a Romantic, contrasting nature; it seduces us with a multitude of both lyrical and feisty motifs featuring Polish melodies, which are barely perceptible, but still present.

Bruckner's composition is a youthful work typical of late Austrian-German Romanticism, heralding the personal style of this great symphonist through, among others, a rich rhythmic and melodic texture and a dense polyphonic texture.

It is worth paying attention to the sound of the Viennese ensemble composed of musicians coming from different countries, referring to the legacy of the golden era of string quartets from the last quarter of the 20th century. The ensemble's interpretations are distinguished by a noble tone, Romantic phrases and technical virtuosity. The recording will charm every connoisseur of chamber music repertoire.

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Józef Wieniawski (1837–1912), younger brother of violinist Henryk Wieniawski, was a Polish pianist and composer. He studied with notable teachers including Pierre Zimmermann, Antoine François Marmontel, Franz Liszt and Adolf Bernhard Marx. Renowned for his concert tours across Europe, he performed both his own works and those of major composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt. As a chamber musician, he collaborated with leading performers of his era. His compositions include a symphony, piano concerto, piano sonata, études, and numerous piano pieces such as mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes and impromptus.

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Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist and teacher. After early musical training and a career as a schoolteacher, he became an organist and studied composition under Simon Sechter and Otto Kitzler, whose introduction to Wagner greatly influenced his style. Moving to Vienna in 1868, Bruckner taught at the Conservatory and the University of Vienna while composing his major symphonies. Despite years of limited recognition, he achieved international acclaim after the premiere of his Seventh Symphony in 1884. He died in 1896, leaving his Ninth Symphony unfinished.

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Founded in 2017, the Glière String Quartet brought together four accomplished European musicians with experience in leading orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Budapest Opera. Based in Vienna, the quartet performs a diverse repertoire spanning Classical to contemporary Eastern and Western European composers, with a particular commitment to the music of Reinhold Glière. The ensemble has appeared at prestigious European concert halls and festivals. Since 2020, it has been working closely with the Polish label DUX, under which several CD recordings have been released.

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