Mozart: String Quartets, Vol. 1 – The Prussian Quartets Doric String Quartet

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): String Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 "Prussian No. 1":
• 1 Mozart: String Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 "Prussian No. 1": I. Allegretto 08:12
• 2 Mozart: String Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 "Prussian No. 1": II. Andante 04:28
• 3 Mozart: String Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 "Prussian No. 1": III. Menuetto. Allegretto 05:24
• 4 Mozart: String Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K. 575 "Prussian No. 1": IV. Allegretto 06:25
• String Quartet No. 22 in B-Flat Major, K. 589 "Prussian No. 2":
• 5 Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-Flat Major, K. 589 "Prussian No. 2": I. Allegro 10:05
• 6 Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-Flat Major, K. 589 "Prussian No. 2": II. Larghetto 07:09
• 7 Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-Flat Major, K. 589 "Prussian No. 2": III. Menuetto. Moderato 06:40
• 8 Mozart: String Quartet No. 22 in B-Flat Major, K. 589 "Prussian No. 2": IV. Allegro assai 03:58
• String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3":
• 9 Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3": I. Allegro moderato 13:11
• 10 Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3": II. Andante 10:32
• 11 Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3": III. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:02
• 12 Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3": IV. Allegro 09:43
• Total Runtime 01:29:49

Info for Mozart: String Quartets, Vol. 1 – The Prussian Quartets

Towards the end of his life, short of money and heavil y in debt, Mozart had the opportunity to visit King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia – a famous patron of the arts and a keen and above-average musician. Mozart performed for the King and left with some cash and a commission for a set of six string quartets, of which these are the only three he completed. They are ground-breaking in the way in which Mozart utilised the voicing of the instruments. King Friedrich was a viola da gamba player turned cellist, and these works feature extensive melodies for the cello, usually in a high register, thus emancipating the cello from the bass line and introducing a more evenly blended texture. Firmly established as one of the leading quartets of their generation, the Doric String Quartet enjoys a worldwide reputation and has performed at festivals and concert halls around the globe. Exclusive Chandos artists, the Quartet has drawn widespread critical acclaim for its recordings and won a number of prestigious awards.

Doric String Quartet

The Doric String Quartet is now firmly established as one of the outstanding quartets of their generation. In 2008 they won 1st prize in the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, 2nd prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy, where they also received a special mention for their performance of Haydn, and the Ensemble Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.

Now in its 12th season highlights over the last year have included a critically acclaimed Haydn evening at Wigmore Hall broadcast by BBC Radio 3, debut recitals in Paris (Auditorium du Louvre), Milan and Frankfurt, and visits to the Schwetzinger, Florestan, Isle of Man and East Neuk Festivals. Further afield the Quartet toured throughout Japan and returned to Israel and South East Asia. They have collaborated with Mark Padmore, Chen Halevi, Julius Drake, Piers Lane, Melvyn Tan, the Leopold String Trio and Florestan Trio.

During 2009/10 the Quartet return to Wigmore Hall four times, as Quartet and in recitals with Philip Langridge, Andrew Kennedy (for a world premiere) and Alasdair Beatson. Future engagements include recitals at the Konzerthaus in Berlin and in Lucerne, Brussels and Hamburg, return visits to Israel and Italy, and debut concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA.

In November the Doric’s first commercial CD is released on the Wigmore Hall Live label of their Haydn concert at Wigmore Hall on 15 January 2009 and in 2010 they record their first CD for Chandos as part of a long-term collaboration.

Formed in 1998 at Pro Corda, The National School for Young Chamber Music Players, in Suffolk, from 2002 the Doric String Quartet studied on the Paris-based ProQuartet Professional Training Program, where they worked with members of the Alban Berg, Artemis, Hagen and LaSalle Quartets and with Gyorgy Kurtag. The Quartet continue to work with Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet) at the Music Academy in Basel.

In 2000 the Doric String Quartet won the inaugural Bristol Millennium Chamber Music Competition which led to a seven year residency at the Wiltshire Music Centre combining a concerts series with education work across the region. They continue this relationship as ‘Artists in Association’. The Quartet went on to give recitals at the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall under the auspices of the Park Lane Group, appeared at the ORF (Austrian Radio) Funkhaus in Vienna in 2003 and made their Edinburgh Festival debut in 2006.

Alex Redington and Jonathan Stone completed their postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in 2005 where they studied with Howard Davis. Simon Tandree studied in Saarbrücken and Detmold with Dietmut Poppen. John Myerscough graduated from Selwyn College, Cambridge in 2003 and is now a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studies with Louise Hopkins.

The Doric String Quartet acknowledges the generous support of an Anonymous Foundation.

Booklet for Mozart: String Quartets, Vol. 1 – The Prussian Quartets