Korngold: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 16 | Piano Quintet Op. 15 Alma Quartet Amsterdam featuring Marc Daniel van Biemen, Benjamin Peled, Jeroen Woudstra & Nitzan Laster

• Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 - 1957): String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16:
• 1 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16: I. Allegro molto 08:17
• 2 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16: II. Adagio quasi Fantasia. Langsam, mit großem Ausdruk 09:14
• 3 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16: III. Intermezzo. Ziemlich lebhaft, mit Grazie 05:21
• 4 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16: IV. Finale. Allegretto amabile e comodo 11:33
• Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15:
• 5 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15: I. Mäßiges Zeitmaß, mit schwungvoll blühendem Ausdruk 12:33
• 6 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15: II. Adagio. Mit größter Ruhe, stets äußerst gebunden und ausdrucksvoll 13:13
• 7 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15: III. Finale. Gemessen, beinahe pathetisch 08:19
• Total Runtime 01:08:30

Info for Korngold: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 16 | Piano Quintet Op. 15

This second work is a return to Korngold's roots, an attempt to rediscover the innocence and enormous artistic fertility that characterised the young composer. His first quartet and piano quintet testify to an incredible talent and visionary spirit rooted in the musical ferment of early twentieth-century Vienna. Beyond the fatigue one inevitably feels at the end of a recording, one suddenly becomes aware of the distance travelled. This recording is our catharsis, a balm for the difficult years of the Covid. Today we know how lucky we are to be able to give concerts, create encounters with the audience and touch people through our recordings.

"Encounters" could also be the title of this album. It is not only a musical encounter with Korngold, but also a temporal one that takes us on a journey from Vienna to Hollywood, through the dark decades of history. It is also an artistic and friendly encounter with Severin, who accompanied us from his piano. (Alma Quartet)

Severin von Eckardstein, piano
Aron Quartet

Alma Quartet
was formed in 2014 and quickly gained reputation as one of the most thrilling ensembles in Holland. Their debut album: Schulhoff Complete String Quartets has received stellar international praise. The Gramophone claimed "this set shoots straight to the top" and also admired the quartet for being "capable of the most seductive playing". The album was chosen for the 2017 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 'Bestenliste' and was also featured on several German national radio stations including Deutschlandfunk and SWR2, the latter hailing Alma's Schulhoff cycle as the "new reference recording". It has also received top reviews in the major Dutch newspapers such as NRC Handelsblad, De Volkskrant, and Luister Magazine.

The quartet has performed at prestigious concert halls including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, Süreyya Opera House Istanbul, as well as clubs and other venues such as Volksbühne Berlin, Theaters Tilburg, Paradiso, Melkweg, Sugarfactory, TrouwAmsterdam, Bimhuis and MCO Hilversum.

They have played captivating events such as Schumannfest, Robeco SummerNights, Classical Music Rave, Musicians Without Borders, Philip Glass & Friends, Down The Rabbit Hole, Klassifest, RCO Opening Night, RCO Club Night, Shoeless Festival, Kantor Festival and TRACKS. They are also frequent guests at major (international) radio and television shows including Podium Witteman on live national television.

Alma Quartet has collaborated with diverse artists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili, Denis Kozhukhin, Philip Glass, Hauschka, Henrik Schwarz, Dauwd, Mees Dierdorp, Nicolas van Poucke, Nino Gvetadze, Aidan Mikdad and Jorinde Keesmaat.

This album contains no booklet.