Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-5 Cuarteto Casals

• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49:
• 1 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49: I. Moderato 04:09
• 2 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49: II. Moderato 04:30
• 3 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49: III. Allegro molto 02:28
• 4 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49: IV. Allegro 03:26
• String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68:
• 5 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68: I. Overture. Moderato con moto 08:05
• 6 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68: II. Recitative & Romance. Adagio 11:21
• 7 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68: III. Valse. Allegro 05:45
• 8 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68: IV. Theme & Variations. Adagio 11:13
• String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83:
• 9 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83: I. Allegretto 04:35
• 10 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83: II. Andantino 06:46
• 11 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83: III. Allegretto 04:08
• 12 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83: IV. Allegretto 09:44
• String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73:
• 13 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegretto 07:12
• 14 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: II. Moderato con moto 05:30
• 15 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo 04:02
• 16 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: IV. Adagio 06:27
• 17 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: V. Moderato 09:50
• String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 92:
• 18 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 92: I. Allegro non troppo 11:40
• 19 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 92: II. Andante 08:36
• 20 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 92: III. Moderato 10:09
• Total Runtime 02:19:36

Info for Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-5

Nachdem Schostakowitsch Ende der 1930er Jahre ständigen Angriffen des herrschenden Regimes ausgesetzt war, suchte er in der Kammermusik nach neuen Wegen im musikalischen Ausdruck. Das Streichquartett wurde dabei zu seinem treuesten Verbündeten. In der ersten Folge seiner Gesamteinspielung bietet das Cuarteto Casals eine zutiefst humane Interpretation dieser fünf Werke von grundlegender Bedeutung in Schostakowitschs Schaffen.

Vera Martínez Mehner, Violine
Abel Tomàs Realp, Violine
Jonathan Brown, Bratsche
Arnau Tomàs Realp, Cello

Cuarteto Casals
A quartet for the new millennium if I ever heard one ” wrote Strad magazine upon hearing Cuarteto Casals for the first time, shortly after its inception in 1997 at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Since winning First Prizes at the London and Brahms-Hamburg competitions, Cuarteto Casals has been a repeated guest at the world’s most prestigious concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Musikverein Vienna, Philharmonie Cologne, Cité de la Musique Paris, Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Philharmonie in Berlin, among many others throughout Europe, North America and Japan.

The quartet has compiled a substantial discography with the Harmonia Mundi label, including to date 9 CD’s, with repertoire ranging from lesser known Spanish composers Arriaga and Toldrá to Viennese classics Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Brahms, through 20th Century greats Bartok, Kurtag and Ligeti. Following its critically acclaimed performances of Schubert's fifteen string quartets last season, Cuarteto Casals will record the cycle live for DVD in at L'Auditori in Barcelona, where it is quartet in residence.

“A sonic signature entirely its own,” raved the New York Times, describing Cuarteto Casals’ distinctive range of expression. A prize from the prestigious Burletti-Buitoni Trust in London enabled the quartet to purchase a matching set of Classical period bows which it uses for works from Purcell through Schubert, refining its ability to distinguish between diverse musical styles. In addition, the quartet has been profoundly influenced by its work with living composers, especially György Kurtag, and has given the world premiere of quartets written by leading Spanish composers.

In recognition of Cuarteto Casals’ unique position as the first Spanish string quartet with a truly international profile, the quartet has been honored with the Premio Nacional de Música as well as the Premi Ciutat Barcelona. The quartet has accompanied the King of Spain on diplomatic visits and performed on the peerless collection of decorated Stradivarius instruments in the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Cuarteto Casals often appears on television and radio throughout Europe and North America and is Quartet in Residence at the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya in Barcelona, where all four members reside and teach.

Booklet for Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-5