Prussian String Quartets by Engegård Quartet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Engegård Quartet

Prussian String Quartets

Format: CD
Label: Lawo Classics
UPC: 7090020181356
Catnr: LWC 1123
Release date: 05 May 2017
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Label
Lawo Classics

UPC
7090020181356

Catalogue number
LWC 1123

Release date
05 May 2017

"The Norwegian formations have their own unique and sometimes even eccentric approach. They combine their wonderfully intense legato with a youthful freshness and moving energy, which is reflected in a gripping articulation, but also in an unusually fast tempo."

Fono Forum, 06-10-2017

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

The Engegard Quartet, born under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2006 and now one ofScandinavia's most sought-after chamber music ensembles, is very excited to launch a recording partnership with the ambitious and visionary recording label Lawo Classics. It is a huge honor and responsibility to record Mozart's string quartets, but it feels right to take one of our most cherished concert programmes into the recording studio. We have been working on Mozart's string quartets since our first notes together. Our shared love for Mozart's music, and particularly our primarius, Arvid Engegard's passion for Mozart reflected in his choice of repertoire both as a conductor and violinist throughout the last three decades, make recording Mozart's string quartets a timely project indeed. In this album we present the three final quartets Mozart ever wrote, known as the ''Prussian'' quartets, because of their dedication to teh King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm II. They are intricately co

Das Engegård Quartett, das 2006 unter der Mitternachtssonne auf den Lofoten geboren wurde und nun eines der begehrtesten Kammermusikensembles Skandinaviens ist, ist begeistert, eine Aufnahme mit dem ambitionierten und visionären Plattenlabel LAWO Classics zu starten. Es ist eine große Ehre und Verantwortung, Mozarts Streichquartette aufzunehmen, aber es fühlt sich richtig an, eines unserer beliebtesten Konzertprogramme in das Tonstudio zu bringen.
Wir arbeiten seit unseren ersten gemeinsamen Noten an Mozarts Streichquartetten. Unsere gemeinsame Liebe zu Mozarts Musik und vor allem die Leidenschaft von Arvid Engegård für Mozart spiegelt sich in seiner Wahl des Repertoires wider.
Auf diesem Album präsentieren wir die drei endgültigen Quartette, die Mozart je wegen seiner Hingabe an den König von Preußen, Friedrich Wilhelm II. als "preußische" Quartette geschrieben hat. Sie sind kompliziert aufgebaut und geben allen Stimmen eine herausragende Rolle im Besonderen dem Cello.
Wenn alles nach Plan geht, wird dies die erste von mehreren CDs von Mozarts Streichquartetten sein, die vom Engegård Quartett für LAWO Classics aufgenommen werden.

Artist(s)

Engegård Quartet

Arvid Engegård – violin Alex Robson – violin Juliet Jopling – viola Jan Clemens Carlsen – cello Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2006, the Engegård Quartet has rapidly become one of Norway’s most sought after ensembles. Their bold, fresh interpretations of the classical repertoire combined with a deep attachment to their Scandinavian roots has attracted international acclaim, and inspired some innovative partnerships and programming. The quartet’s debut CD was praised as ‘breathtaking’ in The Strad, while their second release won Pizzicato magazine’s ‘Supersonic Award’. Their CD of works by Grieg, Sibelius, and Olav Anton Thommessen was praised by Tully Potter in Music Web International as ‘what Grieg lovers have been waiting for’. The Engegård Quartet has a busy concert schedule throughout Scandinavia...

Arvid Engegård – violin Alex Robson – violin Juliet Jopling – viola Jan Clemens Carlsen – cello Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2006, the Engegård Quartet has rapidly become one of Norway’s most sought after ensembles. Their bold, fresh interpretations of the classical repertoire combined with a deep attachment to their Scandinavian roots has attracted international acclaim, and inspired some innovative partnerships and programming. The quartet’s debut CD was praised as ‘breathtaking’ in The Strad, while their second release won Pizzicato magazine’s ‘Supersonic Award’. Their CD of works by Grieg, Sibelius, and Olav Anton Thommessen was praised by Tully Potter in Music Web International as ‘what Grieg lovers have been waiting for’.
The Engegård Quartet has a busy concert schedule throughout Scandinavia and further afield. They have performed in some of Europe’s finest venues including the Mozarteum in Salzburg and Prague’s Rudolfinum, as well as performing in South America with concerts in Bogotá and Sao Paolo. Festival performances include the Delft Chamber Music Festival, SoNoRo Festival in Bucharest, and Heidelberg’s Streichquartettfest. Members of the quartet are also deeply involved in bringing superb chamber music to Norway – Arvid Engegård as founder of the Lofoten International Chamber Music Festival, and Juliet Jopling as artistic director of the Oslo Quartet Series.
The Engegård Quartet has had the honour to work with (among others) András Schiff, Leif Ove Andsnes, Christian Ihle Hadland, and Emma Johnson. They also love to collaborate with colleagues from different musical traditions, including a folk/classical fusion with Hardanger fiddler Nils Økland, a collaboration with jazz violinist Ola Kvernberg, and a programme of Ibsen and late Beethoven with actor Bjørn Sundquist. The Engegård Quartet’s own ‘1-2-3 mini-festival’ has proven immensely popular and is now a regular event each year, providing a feast of chamber music, song, piano works, and lectures.

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Composer(s)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose actual name is Joannes Chrysotomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a composer, pianist, violinist and conductor from the classical period, born in Salzburg. Mozart was a child prodigy. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart is considered to be one of the most influential composers of all of music's history. Within the classical tradition, he was able to develop new musical concepts which left an everlasting impression on all the composers that came after him. Together with Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven he is part of the First Viennese School. At 17, Mozart was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position. From 1763 he traveled with his family through all of Europe for three years and from 1769 he traveled to Italy and France with his father Leopold after which he took residence in Paris. On July 3rd, 1778, his mother passed away and after a short stay in Munich with the Weber family, his father urged him to return to Salzburg, where he was once again hired by the Bishop. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his death.

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Press

The Norwegian formations have their own unique and sometimes even eccentric approach. They combine their wonderfully intense legato with a youthful freshness and moving energy, which is reflected in a gripping articulation, but also in an unusually fast tempo.
Fono Forum, 06-10-2017

There should have been a set of six quartets, but the Prussian court did not pay Mozart, who moved on to other projects. We should rejoice in the three he completed, especially in such spirited performances as these.
Musicweb, 25-9-2017