Credits:

Dragon Quartet

Description:

The Berlin-based Artemis Quartet, founded in 1989 at the Lübeck College of Music, is no longer one of the top quartets in the world. Six months after winning the first prize in the competition of the German Public Radio in 1996, the quartet also won the first prize in the Premio Paolo Borciani String Quartet International Competition in 1996, they also won first prize in the Premio Paolo Borciani String Quartet International Competition, making their name known to music fans. They were then invited by the Berlin Academy of Sciences to study various fields of study comprehensively and cultivate a multifaceted viewpoint in pursuit of their musical ideals, and their interactions with various scholars provided a lot of inspiration for their performances. They have made various recordings with diverse collaborators. They have also released many recordings on Virgin, Erato, and other labels, and many of their albums have won the German Music Critics Award, the Gramophone Award, and the Echo Classics. His Beethoven: The Complete Works for String Quartet won the prestigious "Grand Prix de Charles Cross" in France in 2011.In July 2015, the quartet lost its former member, Friedemann Weigle. After the sad passing of Friedemann Weigle in July 2015, the quartet made a fresh start in early 2016 with Anthea Creston on second violin and Gregor Siegl on viola. This album is the first recording with these new members. Pianist Elisabet Leonskaya, who has been a longtime friend of Artemis Q, joins the quintet for the piano quintet on this album. Through my interactions and performances with Leonskaya, I discovered Shostakovich's poetic and serene side. These pieces of Shostakovich's music have been described as revolt against a hated regime, carrion, despair and sorrow. Yet within them are quiet, serene moments, rhythmically dynamic temperaments and tender intimacies.It's an all-encompassing tension that is expressed in the sound," says member Gregor Siegl. Warner Music Japan

Tracklisting:

1.String Quartet No. 5 in B flat Op. 92~I. Allegro non troppo -
2.String Quartet No. 5 in B flat Op. 92~II. Andante - Andantino -
3.String Quartet No. 5 in B flat Op. 92~III. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante
4.Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57~I. Prelude: Lento - Poco piu mosso - Lento
5.Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57~II. Fugue: Adagio
6.Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57~III. Scherzo: Allegretto
7.Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57~IV. Intermezzo: Lento
8.Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57~V. Finale: Allegretto
9.String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor Op. 108~I. Allegretto -
10.String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor Op. 108~II. Lento -
11.String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor Op. 108~III. Allegro - Allegretto - [Adagio]