Dvořák American Quartet, 8 Waltzes Talich Quartet

• Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904): 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101:
• 1 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: I. Waltz No. 1 (Transcribed by Antonín Dvořák) 03:32
• 2 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: II. Waltz No. 2 (Transcribed by Antonín Dvořák) 03:30
• 3 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: III. Waltz No. 3 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 03:03
• 4 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: IV. Waltz No. 4 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 03:00
• 5 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: V. Waltz No. 5 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 03:08
• 6 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: VI. Waltz No. 6 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 04:16
• 7 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: VII. Waltz No. 7 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 03:10
• 8 Dvořák: 8 Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 101: VIII. Waltz No. 8 (Transcribed by Jiří Kabát) 02:52
• Quartet Movement in F Major, B. 120:
• 9 Dvořák: Quartet Movement in F Major, B. 120: 09:46
• String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American":
• 10 Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo 09:39
• 11 Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": II. Lento 07:24
• 12 Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": III. Molto vivace 03:53
• 13 Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": IV. Finale. Vivace ma non troppo 05:32
• Total Runtime 01:02:45

Info for Dvořák American Quartet, 8 Waltzes

Fascinated by the folklore of his native Bohemia, and gifted with inexhaustible melodic inventiveness, Antonin Dvorak went through several creative periods as he gradually broke out of the Classical mold; the last of these was deeply influenced by the years he spent in the United States. His kindness and optimism set him apart from the other great Romantics, darker and more tormented in character, and contributed to the unique charm and accessible character of his music, which have earned him justified popularity.

How is it possible to survive for sixty years while maintaining the highest artistic standards both on the concert platform and in the studio?

The Talich Quartet demonstrates con brio that it is vital for a string quartet to regenerate itself with the arrival of new members who share the same urge to enhance the radiant tradition of the great Czech quartet school.

Thus Jan Talich Jr. perpetuates the tradition with a ‘new’ Talich Quartet alongside the violinist Roman Patočka, the eminent former cellist of the Pražák Quartet, Michal Kaňka, and the violist Radim Sedmidubský, previously with the Škampa Quartet.

The new line-up began giving concerts in 2021 and immediately won over audiences with the lightness of tone, spontaneous expression, unpredictable accents and innate feeling for folk elements so characteristic of the founding members.

Talich Quartet

Talich Quartet
‘The Conservatory of Europe’ – that used to be the nickname of Bohemia. At the heart of central Europe, a people dedicated itself wholly to the art of melody. In the nineteenth century, when Czech musicians were recognised as great composers as well as performers, they gave birth to a repertory steeped in traditions, its inspiration passed on from generation to generation.

Václav Talich, a conductor of genius, was one of the most prominent central European artists in the following century. In 1964, Talich’s nephew Jan founded the string quartet that bears his name. In 1975 it became a chamber ensemble of the Czech Philharmonic, a distinction that quickly gained it international recognition. France became its second home, and thanks to the Calliope label it made some of the great benchmark recordings in the quartet discography, from Mozart to Janáček. La Dolce Volta has since taken up the torch and pursues an adventure too exciting to be interrupted.

For half a century now, even though the bows have changed hands, the quartet’s personality has displayed marked stylistic continuity: spontaneous expressiveness, delicious unpredictability of attack, telling accentuation of folk rhythms, absolute precision and, equally, a sensation of miraculous fragility. Throughout the years, the Talich Quartet has remained the ambassador of a prodigious musical history, nourished by the memory of the torrents and castles of Bohemia, of tales and legends, and of the passions of the Czech people even before it was established as a nation in the aftermath of the First World War. The quartet’s multi-award-winning recordings mirror their interpretation of Janáček’s Second Quartet, ‘Intimate Letters’: the most enchanting of conversations in music.

Booklet for Dvořák American Quartet, 8 Waltzes