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 Glazunov |
 Zemlinsky |
 Haydn,Mozart Beethoven |
 Zemlinsky |
 Mendelssohn |
 Kalabis |
 Mendelssohn |
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 Martinů |
 Mendelssohn |
 Schubert |
 Zemlinsky |
 Dvořák |
 Suk |
 Dvořák,Richter Janáček,Suk |
The CDs are available with the members of the quartet. If you would be interested in buying our CDs, please contact us:
Petr Holman
Tachovská 1438
153 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic,
call cell phone +420 777315433 or write e-mail at petrholman@volny.cz
A. Glazunov: String Quartets No.3 in G major, Op.26, G 63, ‘Slavonic’
String Quartet No. 4 in A minor, Op.64, G 103
Idyll for French Horn and string quartet
Homage to Glazunov who taught classical art to Russian composers of the 20th century and revealed chamber
music to a community favouring choral and lyric art. His ‘cosmopolitan’ students (Stravinsky, Prokofiev…) and his
heirs from the interior (Miaskovsky, Shostakovich, Weinberg…) were thus able to be major players in the
contemporary world. His own works are now being rediscovered and appreciated for the perfection of their
craftsmanship, like those of a Russian Mendelssohn singing in his genealogical tree.Back to top ...
A. Zemlinsky: String Quartets No.2 Op.15 and No.4 Op.25, Two Movements for String Quartet (1927)
In one word, Webern summed up the evolution of each of Zemlinsky’s four quartets: Aufbruch (departure)
corresponding to No.1, Op.4 and getting out from under Brahms’s shadow; Wende (the turning point) for No.2,
Op.15, an Expressionistic block of gigantic Mahlerian proportions and a single motto theme; Reduktion of the epic
dimension but not of the burlesque, sardonic grin in No.3, Op.19; and Maskenspiel (mask game) for No.4, Op.25,
a ‘lyric suite’ in homage to Alban Berg, imbued with Schubertian clarity and transcended Classicism.|
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A. Zemlinsky: String Quartet No.2 Op.15 I. Adagio-Allegro |
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A. Zemlinsky: String Quartet No.4 Op.25 IV. Intermezzo. Allegretto |
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A. Zemlinsky: Two Movements for String Quartet I.Introduktion. Andante con moto |
Read a review at Diapason (French)
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String Quartet Masterworks of the First Viennese School:
J. HAYDN: String Quartet in C major, Op.76 no.3 ‘Emperor’
W. A. MOZART: String Quartet no. 19 in C, K.465 ‘Dissonance’
L. van BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in B flat major, Op.18 no.6 ‘La Malinconia’
There’s nothing quite like a Czech string quartet. The Zemlinsky are in
the great Bohemian tradition, playing with a fullness of tone and a
combined naturalness and care for phrasing and note values that give
delight in all three works recorded here*. The Haydn has superb energy,
and breadth and tenderness in the “Emperor” variations; in the
Beethoven, the quick movements are crisp and bristling with vitality,
and the two adagios deeply expressive. *Perhaps best of all is the
Mozart *— wonderfully gleeful in the opening allegro, delicate and
passionate in the beautiful andante, incisive in the minuet, stormy in
the trio and fleet-footed in the finale. Mozart said his “Praguers”
understood him. These ones surely do./David Cairns, Sunday Times, 25 September 2011/
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W. A. MOZART: String Quartet no. 19 in C, K.465 ‘Dissonance’ I. Adagio-Allegro |
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J. HAYDN: String Quartet in C major, Op.76 no.3 ‘Emperor’ II. Poco adagio. Cantabile |
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L. van BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in B flat major, Op.18 no.6 ‘La Malinconia’ I. Allegro con brio |
Read a review at Allmusic (English)
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A. Zemlinsky: Early Chamber Music
On this CD you will find early chamber music by A. Zemlinsky: "Maiblumen blühten überall" for soprano and string sextet (Zemlinsky Quartet, Prazak Quartet, Lucie Hájková), Two pieces for string quintet (ZQ, Josef Klusoň - viola), Cello sonata in A minor, Three pieces for cello and piano (Vladimír Fortin - violoncello, Jaromír Klepáč - piano).|
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Maiblumen blühten überall |
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Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in a minor: I. Mit Leidenschaft |
Read a review at Gramophone (English)
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Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): String Quartets Op. 44/1 & 44/3, Op. 81/1 & 2
In these years of 1837-38, Mendelssohn was at the height of his humanist glory, concurrently violinist, violist,
pianist, composer, conductor (of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig), still a painter in his already too-rare spare time, and
a newlywed… ‘At the moment, everything comes so easily and so nicely under my pen’, he wrote, this exemplified
by the Opus 44 Quartets with their radiant, virtuoso allegros and slow movements tinged with nostalgia—
irresistible ‘songs without words’ for strings.
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String Quartet in D Major op. 44/1: III. Andante |
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String Quartet in E flat Major op. 44/3: IV. Molto allegro con fuoco |
Read a review at Audaud.com (English)
Read a review at Allmusic.com (English)
Read a review at Gramophone (English)
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Viktor Kalabis(1923-2006) : String Quartets No. 1-3 (Kocian Quartet), No. 4-7 (Zemlinsky Quartet)
A tribute to Viktor Kalabis, one of the greatest Czech composers of the latter half of the 20th century,
close friend of Jindřich Feld (1925-2007) and František Kovaříček (b.1924), who lived through both the
German occupation and the communist era. The musician admired French culture, adored Stravinsky’
Russian and French periods and Bartok's values and felt at ease with the symphonic and
concerto forms. He also composed seven intimate Quartets from 1949 onwards, his last one in 1993.
With his wife, the harpsichordist Zuzana Růžícková, he shared his love of Bach. He was also
influenced by painters such as Marc Chagall and Ota Janeček, and he dedicated many years of his life
to promoting the work of Martinů, and helped found the Martinů Institute.
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String Quartet No. 7 |
Read a review at Classica (French)
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Felix Mendelssohn(1809-1847) : Quartets Op.44/2 & 80, Capriccio Op. 81/3
The Quartet in E minor, a favourite key of Mendelssohn’s, was written on his honeymoon journey. Its immediate success barely outlived him, although its formal perfection served as a model for Schumann (Op.41), Brahms, Smetana, Dvořák and even Tchaikovsky, who drew the essentials of their art of the quartet from it. The Zemlinskys, trained in the double Czech and avant-garde schools, restore its purity of style and forgotten modernity, as in the final Opus 80, a veritable ‘Requiem for Fanny’, the beloved sister who died in May 1847, and for himself, who would follow her to the grave on 4 November.|
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String Quartet in E minor op. 44/2: III. Andante |
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String Quartet in F minor op. 80: I. Allegro assai - Presto |
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B. Martinů: String Quartets No.1 , No.3 and No.6
The composer of Julietta left seven string quartets that do not, by any means, form a cycle but rather a
succession of testimonies stretching from 1920 to 1947. This second volume – the first is on PRAGA 250 205 -
juxtaposed the French Quartet (no.1, performed by Zemlinsky Quartet), a lengthy and luxurious, homage to Debussy and Dvořák, the shortest
(no.3) ‘pocket’ Quartet and the Sixth (both performed by Prazak Quartet) written in the post-war utopia, a fantastic counterpoint of madrigals for strings
with astonishing polymelodicism, introduction da camera to last Symphony no.6 (Symphonic Fantasies, 1951-53),
with his earnest, struggling character and high symphonic spirit.|
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String Quartet No. 1, H.117 II. Andante moderato |
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String Quartet No. 1, H.117 IV. Allegro con brio |
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F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy: String Quintet Op.12, String Quartet Op. 18
The Zemlinsky Quartet together with The Prazak Quartet celebrates the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. On this CD you can find String Quartet in E flat major Op. 12 (The Prazak Quartet), String Quintet in A major Op. 18 and Minuetto in F sharp minor (The Zemlinsky Quartet + Josef Klusoň).|
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String Quintet in A major, Op. 18 I. Allegro con moto |
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Read a review at www.audaud.com (English) Read a review at The Strad (in English) |
Read a review at www.allmusicguide.com (English) Read a review at Klassik (German) |
F. Schubert: Early works for string quartet
In January 2008, another 4-CD set recorded by Zemlinsky Quartet was published. This time, Praga Digitals brought the attention of the ensemble to the early works by Franz Schubert. The recording contains 11 string quartets from the first period of the composer´s life. In addition, we can find here the well-known Quartet Movement C minor D. 703, coming together with the less-known 41-bars-long fragment of its second movement. This time, the publisher used a painting by P. Renoir for the cover of the CD.
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String Quartet in G Moll D. 173, IV. Allegro |
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String Quartet in C Major D. 46, I. Andante con moto |
A. Zemlinsky: String Quartets No.1 and No.3
In March 2007, The Zemlinsky Quartet released new project - string quartet No.1 in A Major op.4 and string quartet No.3 op. 19 by Alexandr Zemlinsky.
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String Quartet No. 1, I. Allegro con fuoco |
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String Quartet No. 3, I. Allegretto |
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Read a review at Gramophone (English) Read a review at Arte (French) Read a review at Ensemble (German) |
Read a review at Klassik (German) Read a review at The Strad ( English) |
A. Dvořák: Early works for sring quartet
Since 2007, the Zemlinsky Quartet records exclusively for French publishing company Praga Digitals (Harmonia Mundi distribution). The first project was a recording of early works for string quartet and the viola quintet op. 1 by A. Dvořák (with Josef Klusoň - violist of the Pražák Quartet). The set of 4 CDs was released in January 2007, and it immediately gained a big success - it received the important French prize "Diapason d´Or" in March.
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String Quartet in F Moll op. 9, I. Allegro con brio |
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String Quartet in A Moll op. 2, II. Adagio affetuoso ed appassionato |
Read a "Diapason d´Or" review (French)
Josef Suk: String Quartets
This CD was recorded in a Danish edition Classico. The manager became interested in the possibility of recording the (almost) complete string quartets by Josef Suk (the only missing are the second version of the last movement of quartet No. 1 and an early Barcarola). This CD was recorded in Prague in February 2004 and it was reviewed in the January 2005 issue of The Strad.
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String Quartet in B flat Major op. 11, I. Allegro moderato |
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String Quartet No. 2 |
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A. Dvořák, L. Janáček, J. Suk, F. X. Richter
First CD of Penguin Quartet:
On March 28, 2003, the new CD of Penguin Quartet was released! It was recorded in February 2003 by Bohemia Music with music director Jiří Gemrot and sound engineer Jan Lžičař. The graphic design was made by Flashstudio. The CD contains string quartets by the most famous Czech composers. You can find here String Quartet F major Op. 96 "American" by A. Dvořák, String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer sonata" by L. Janáček, Meditation on an Ancient Czech Chorale "Saint Wenceslas" Op. 35a by J. Suk and String Quartet C Major Op. 5/1 by F. X. Richter. This CD was reviewed in the February 2004 issue of The Strad.
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A. Dvořáka: String Quartet in F Major op. 96, I. Allegro ma non troppo |
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L. Janáček: String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonate" , III. Con moto |
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