Johann Anton André: String Quartets op. 15, 1 & 3 Oxalis Quartet

• Johann Anton André (1775 - 1842): String Quartet in E flat major op. 15 No. 1:
• 1 André: String Quartet in E flat major op. 15 No. 1: I. Allegro molto 10:21
• 2 André: String Quartet in E flat major op. 15 No. 1: II. Menuetto. Allegretto vivace – Trio 04:25
• 3 André: String Quartet in E flat major op. 15 No. 1: III. Adagio con moto quasi andantino 07:00
• 4 André: String Quartet in E flat major op. 15 No. 1: IV. Allegretto vivace 03:51
• Poissons dʼavril en différentes mesures synchrones: No. 1 in A major op. 22:
• 5 André: Poissons dʼavril en différentes mesures synchrones: No. 1 in A major op. 22: Adagio – Fuga. Moderato 05:22
• Poissons dʼavril en différentes mesures synchrones: No. 2 in B flat major op. 54:
• 6 André: Poissons dʼavril en différentes mesures synchrones: No. 2 in B flat major op. 54: Andante – Fuga. Moderato 04:38
• String Quartet in D major op. 15 No. 3:
• 7 André: String Quartet in D major op. 15 No. 3: I. Poco Adagio e con moto – Allegro vivace 09:38
• 8 André: String Quartet in D major op. 15 No. 3: II. Adagio con moto 03:07
• 9 André: String Quartet in D major op. 15 No. 3: III. Menuetto. Allegretto vivace – Trio 06:22
• 10 André: String Quartet in D major op. 15 No. 3: IV. Finale. Rondo. Allegretto molto vivace 05:47
• Total Runtime 01:00:31

Info for Johann Anton André: String Quartets op. 15, 1 & 3

“Attention, nostalgia hunters!” is the message at the end of this album, for it is not far from the refrain of the Allegro molto vivace – with which Johann Anton André concludes his three-part quartet collection, Opus 15 – to the central theme around which the finale of Ludwig van Beethoven’s last violin sonata revolves. But anyone who might think that the industrious junior manager of the famous Offenbach publishing house had not shielded himself from outside influences would be mistaken: André’s trilogy appeared a whole decade before Beethoven’s Opus 96 – honi soit qui mal y pense …

All in all, encountering the quartet composer André is a most delightful experience. Admittedly, he is classically orthodox, writing minuets instead of the emerging scherzos, keeping his developments strictly in check; yet he surprises with many small and larger capers of a harmonic and linear nature, which make his scores a considerable pleasure. Even the ‘interludes’ are something special: two Poissons d’Avril (‘April Fools’), in which each voice follows its own time signature even when it joins the others to form a full-blown fugue. That’s no mean feat …

Oxalis Quartet

Oxalis Quartet
The Oxalis Quartet formed in 2017 at the University of Music Mainz, bringing together four young musicians—hailing from Moldova, Slovenia, and Germany—who share a deep passion for the string quartet repertoire and find profound fulfillment in performing it together. ​

In addition to performing across Germany—ranging from Mainz, Frankfurt, and the surrounding areas to Munich—the young ensemble has been invited to perform in Austria, France, and Romania. The Oxalis Quartet has appeared at numerous prestigious festivals, such as the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Koblenz International Guitar Festival, and the 2024 Fratopia Festival at the Alte Oper Frankfurt. They have also provided musical accompaniment for significant events, including the 2023 presentation of the City of Frankfurt’s Goethe Prize at St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) and, most recently, the Bundestag’s commemorative ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. ​

The quartet’s recent competition successes include winning the special prize for the best interpretation of a commissioned work at the 2024 Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory Competition in Berlin—followed by a performance in the Great Hall of the Berlin Konzerthaus—as well as second prize in the competition for the 26th Chamber Music Prize of the Polytechnische Gesellschaft e.V. at the HfMDK Frankfurt. They also received the 31st Chamber Music Sponsorship Award from the Percy and Ingeborg John Foundation during the 24th Bad Homburg Chamber Music Masterclass, an honor that included a professional CD production. Furthermore, the quartet has received sponsorship awards from the Hans and Gertrud Kneifel Foundation, the Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz, and the Society of Friends and Supporters of the HfMDK as part of an ensemble scholarship. Since December 2024, the Oxalis Quartet has been supported by the Bad Homburg Palace Concerts Foundation’s mentorship scholarship—the first ensemble ever to receive this award.

In October 2021, the string quartet began its artistic training in the Master’s program for chamber music at the HfMDK Frankfurt under Tim Vogler. In April 2025, the quartet commenced further studies at the UdK Berlin in the chamber music class of Gregor Sigl and Vineta Sareika (Artemis Quartet).

In addition to studies with Benjamin Bergmann, Manuel Fischer-Dieskau, Petra Müllejans, and Lucas Fels, the four artists received valuable musical guidance through masterclasses with the Goldmund Quartet and as part of the Bad Homburg Palace Concerts. Furthermore, as scholarship holders of Jeunesses Musicales, the Oxalis Quartet participated in the renowned JM International Chamber Music Campus in 2022 and 2024, gaining valuable instructional experience with Heime Müller, Valentin Erben, and members of the Vogler and Casals Quartets.

Booklet for Johann Anton André: String Quartets op. 15, 1 & 3