Brahms, Penderecki & Hindemith: Chamber Works Boris Kucharsky, Hugo Haag, Thomas Carroll, Gorka Plada Girón

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60:
• 1 Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60: I. Allegro non troppo 10:28
• 2 Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60: II. Scherzo 04:03
• 3 Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60: III. Andante 08:45
• 4 Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60: IV. Finale 10:28
• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963): Sonata for Viola and Piano in F Major, Op. 11, No. 4:
• 5 Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano in F Major, Op. 11, No. 4: I. Fantasie 03:00
• 6 Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano in F Major, Op. 11, No. 4: II. Thema mit Variationen 04:10
• 7 Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano in F Major, Op. 11, No. 4: III. Finale (mit Variationen) 10:04
• Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020): Cadenza for Solo Viola:
• 8 Penderecki: Cadenza for Solo Viola 07:43
• Total Runtime 58:41

Info for Brahms, Penderecki & Hindemith: Chamber Works

This album presents three highly distinctive, yet complementary masterworks. The foremost of which is Brahms’s third Piano quartet Op.60 – the Werther quartet; its music unquestionably reflecting the profound emotions of love, despair and overwhelming sorrow which lead to the ultimate demise of the protagonist in Goethe’s famed novel.

In this unique and fresh, but highly considered interpretation, a new light is shone on one of Brahms’s greatest works. Hindemith’s moving Viola sonata Op. 11 No.4 blends Germanic depth with French tinged colour, its counterpoint and lyricism showcasing a composer equally adept in complexity and folk-like charm.

To conclude the album, Penderecki’s Cadenza for solo viola is a sharp stylistic contrast, to the Brahms, yet draws a powerful message as a companion piece; its exploration of the falling semitone motif covers a vast emotional spectrum with relentless virtuosity, culminating in pained, hoarsely whispered harmonics.

Boris Kucharsky, violin
Hugo Haag, viola
Thomas Carroll, cello
Gorka Plada Girón, piano

Boris Kucharsky
as born in Dortmund, Germany, in 1971. At the age of 7 he started the violin and in 1984 was admitted to the Menuhin School near London, where his teacher was Margaret Norris. Menuhin himself became Kucharsky's guide and mentor, partnering him in Double Concertos and directing the orchestra with his protégé as soloist. It was Menuhin who in 1990 conducted the performance of Beethoven`s Violin Concerto that first laid the foundation for Boris Kucharsky`s reputation as one of the most outstanding violinists of his generation. Other important contributors to Kucharsky`s development were Igor Ozim at the Academy of Music in Cologne and Erick Friedmann at Yale University. His comprehensive repertoire extends from music of the Baroque era to that of the present day; several contemporary composers have written works for him. His recording of Eugen Suchon`s Violin Concerto "Fantasia and Burleska" (one of the works dedicated to him) was awarded Best Classical Recording of the Year 1999. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the European Chamber Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Schwerin, the Suk Chamber Orchestra, the Kammerakademie Neuss and the Prague Chamber Orchestra. He has given recitals at many of the major festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad, Lichfield, Dvorak, BHS Slowakia etc.etc. His busy trans-European schedule is interspersed with regular visits to the USA (his New York début in 2004 having been a triumphant success) and the Far East, where he is a much sought-after guest in both concert hall and recording studio. His violin, the "Baron Knoop", was made by Carlo Bergonzi in Cremona, 1735.

Gorka Plada Girón
Born in 2002 in El Puerto de Santa María (Spain), Gorka showed his interest in music at a very early age. He began teaching himself the piano from the age of five, before joining the local music school three years later where he received piano tuition from Maria Jesús Durán. In 2016, Gorka joined the Yehudi Menuhin School where he studies piano with Marcel Baudet and was awarded a scholarship by the UK’s Music and Dance Scheme.

Gorka has performed throughout Spain, UK, Germany and Holland participating in festivals including the Wimbledon Festival, Segovia Music Festival and Maryat Players Festival. He has had considerable success in numerous competitions, concerts and festivals as both soloist and chamber musician. He was awarded 1​st​ prize and Chopin prize in the Julio Casas International Piano Competition, 2​nd​ prize in Enschede Piano Competition 1​st​ prize and audience prize in Lorenzo Palomo chamber music competition, 3​rd​ prize in the Intercollegiate Beethoven competition and 1​st​ prize in Santa Cecilia Piano Competition. Gorka has received masterclasses from Robert Levin, Cordelia Höffer, Paul Roberts, Claudio Martinez Menher and Ángel Sánzo, among many others.

Booklet for Brahms, Penderecki & Hindemith: Chamber Works