Par BEETHOVEN LUDWIG VAN. Beethoven completed his String Quartet Op.135 at Wasserdorf Castle in Gneixenhof, where he sought to recuperate with his nephew Karl after the latter?s failed suicide attempt in summer 1826. It stands out among his late quartets owing to the often cheerful, almost pastoral character of its four movements. Since Beethoven?s death it has often been interpreted as an attempt to take wise and positive stock of the mishaps that had befallen him in the preceding years regarding his life situation, family and health. This interpretation is strongly suggested by the final movement, ?Der schwer gefasste Entschluss? (The Difficult Decision), with its motto ?Must it be' It must be! It must be!? The editing of this quartet proved especially complex, for the authentic sources were reworked at various stages by the composer. By judiciously assessing them, editor Jonathan Del Mar has managed to clarify many anomalies found in previous editions. - Beethoven?s final string quartet with many new readings - Introduction by Misha Donat (Eng/Ger), editor?s foreword by Jonathan Del Mar (Eng/Ger) and a scrupulous, separately published Critical Commentary (Eng) / Date parution : 2022-07-30/ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

Par WIBERNY HEINER. Heiner Wiberny has written this joyful composition for his wife Ulla, who has a special affinity for African Music. The listener recognizes immediately the sound and flavor of 'African Highlife” and 'Latin Funk”. The composition consists of the following parts: chorale-intro, prelude, ABA-theme, transition, violin- and violasolos with 'break'-intros, prelude, AB-theme, Coda. The soloists may play either the written transcriptions or their own improvised solos, whereby the corresponding ensemble sections can be repeated. The phrase markings offer help in the correct stylistic interpretation of the piece, but they can also be changed according to the individual preferences. 'Klaus the fiddler” (Klaus der Geiger) gave the world premier of this work with the String Quartet of the Cologne Kunst-Salon Orchestra (Streichquartett des Kölner Kunstsalonorchesters). Klaus and the string quartet deserve my special thanks./ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

10 Fugues For String Quartet Vol. 2. Par BACH JOHANN-SEBASTIAN. The idea for these arrangements came to me whilst listening to the Hagen Quartet's beautiful recording of the fugues that form part of Haydn's 'Sun Quartets', Op. 20. The spirit and influence of J.S. Bach, in particular his Well Tempered Clavier, Book II, courses through these three miraculous Haydn fugues. Like the viol consort, the string quartet suits this kind of composition (the fugue), with all four instruments sufficiently similar in character to each other to match the extraordinary unity and economy of the counterpoint. A string quartet playing Bach fugues is a good example of a harmonious relationship between form andcontent: just as there is a unifying principle behind the construction of the four string instruments, so there is (usually) a single theme or subject that unifies the construction of a four-part fugue. Thus the form enacts the content, telling you something about the text and message within. Apart from Haydn's and a handful of other composers' wondrous creations, there's little fugal writing for string quartet, at least in comparison with the abundance of other forms. This was another reason to make these arrangements. The quartet offers a melodic independence impossible to achieve on a single instrument. And I believe the technical and interpretative challenges posed by this repertoire and ndash - lightness of sound and rhythmic fluidity, for example - will be very valuable to quartets seeking the holy grail: a unified sound. Perhaps the simplest and most compelling reason for this work is that I just love this music more than I can say. These dazzling pieces, mostly fast, bright and in major keys, show Bach at his most playful, funny and mischievous, composing for an instrument rarely associated with these qualities. And so I'm very happy to offer string quartets these little know fugues, written by my favourite composer - a violinist and violist himself, but above all a master / Classique / Date parution : 2018-05-04/ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

Alban Berg's String Quartet can be considered to be one of the founding works of the Second Viennese School. Already composed in 1910 and first published in 1920, it was the last composition the 25-year-old wrote under the tutelage of Arnold Schoenberg, who admired 'the fullness and unconstraint of his musical language, the strength and sureness of its presentation, its careful working and significant originality?. Even today the extremely complex work places the highest technical demands on the interpreters- for this reason our edition contains parts that are especially good to play from, in which each musician can also follow what is going on in the other parts. / Quatuor A Cordes

Maurice Ravel : Quartet in G Minor Op. 10 Claude Debussy : Quartet in F Major Superb one-volume edition of two influential compositions noted for individuality, unique interpretations of the medium, delicate and subtle beauties. Based on authoritative French editions, this clearly printed volume is sturdily bound for long life on the music stand.