Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence - Antonín Dvořák: String Sextet (Remastered) Kocian Quartet, Josef Kluson, Michal Kanka

• Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikovsky (1840 - 1893): String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence":
• 1Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence": I. Allegro con spirito11:18
• 2Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence": II. Adagio cantabile e con moto10:07
• 3Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence": III. Allegretto moderato06:31
• 4Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence": IV. Allegro vivace07:08
• Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904): String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, B. 80:
• 5Dvořák: String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, B. 80: I. Allegro moderato13:00
• 6Dvořák: String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, B. 80: II. Dumka. Poco allegretto06:30
• 7Dvořák: String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, B. 80: III. Furiant. Presto04:20
• 8Dvořák: String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, B. 80: IV. Tema con variazioni. Allegro grazioso quasi andantino08:44
• Total Runtime01:07:38

Info for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence - Antonín Dvořák: String Sextet (Remastered)

The string sextet genre was introduced at the end of the 18th century by Boccherini but did not fully blossom until Brahms, Tchaikovsky, before Schönberg, Reger, Martinu and Richard Strauss. Antonín Dvořák composed his sextet, his only work in that genre, in just two weeks in May 1878. His reputation as a composer was beginning to escalate, he was experienced with chamber composition, having already produced nine string quartets, a string quintet, four piano trios, a piano quartet, and a piano quintet. The Sextet was premiered as a private performance at the home of the renowned violinist Joseph Joachim; extremely well received, it was quickly picked up internationally. Written during the "Slavonic" period of the Bohemian composer, the second and third movements are cast respectively as Czech folk dances, the ‘dumka’ and the ‘furiant’. "The first movement must be played with a great deal of passion and spirit; the second, lilting; the third, facetious; the fourth, gay and determined", according to Tchaikovsky. A ‘pause’ score, written after the completion of The Queen of Spades and following a journey down the paths of a luminous Italy, Souvenir de Florence combines clarity and freshness, spiced up by an exuberance that is thoroughly Slav. This calls for unbridled virtuosity on the part of the performers yet without sacrificing any of the fearsomely strict pointillist polish. Its polyphonic richness does not, for all that, sanction the too-frequent expansion for string orchestra, as its amazing balance depends precisely on the fineness of the line.

Awards: Choc by Le Monde de la Musique, 10 by Répertoire, Recommended by Classica, 5 by Diapason

Kocian Quartet
Josef Klusoň, viola
Michal Kaňka, cello

Digitally remastered

The Kocian Quartet
is a Czech classical chamber ensemble. Originally named the New String Quartet, it was founded in 1972 by three members of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Pravoslav Kohout.

Zemlinsky Quartet
Founded in 1994 while the members were still students, the ZEMLINSKY QUARTET has become a much lauded example of the Czech string quartet tradition. The Zemlinsky Quartet won the First Grand Prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in 2010. They have also been awarded top prizes at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2007), Prague Spring International Music Competition (2005) and London International String Quartet Competition (2006), where they also received the Audience Prize. The Quartet was recipient of the Alexander Zemlinsky Advancement Award in 2008. Other notable prizes include Beethoven International Competition (1999), New Talent Bratislava (2003), Martinů Foundation String Quartet Competition (2004), and the Prize of Czech Chamber Music Society (2005). In the season 2016/17, Zemlinsky Quartet was appointed as the residential ensemble of the Czech Chamber Music Society.

While students at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts Prague, the ensemble was coached by members of renowned Czech string quartets including the Talich, Prague, Kocian and Pražák Quartets. The ensemble also took part in several master classes including ProQuartet, in France and Sommerakademie in Reichenau, Austria where they were awarded First Prize for the best interpretation of a work by Janáček. From 2005 to 2008, the quartet studied with Walter Levin, the first violinist of LaSalle Quartet. Their recent mentor has been Josef Klusoň, the violist of the Pražák Quartet.

Zemlinsky Quartet is named after the Austrian composer, conductor and teacher Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942), whose enormous contribution to Czech, German and Jewish culture during his 16-year residence in Prague had been underrated until recently. His four string quartets (the second one being dedicated to his student and brother-in-law Arnold Schönberg) belong to the basic repertoire of the ensemble. Since 2005, the quartet has maintained a special relationship with the Alexander Zemlinsky Foundation in Vienna.

The Zemlinsky Quartet performs regularly in the Czech Republic and abroad (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Monaco, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Canada, USA, Brazil, Japan, South Korea). Recent major appearances of the Zemlinsky Quartet include London’s Wigmore Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Library of Congress, Place des Arts in Montreal, Prague Spring Festival, and their New York debut on Schneider/New School Concerts Series.

Their vast repertoire contains more than 200 works ranging from Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvorak to works by contemporary composers. The members of the ensemble also perform as soloists and are individual prize-winners of several competitions (Concertino Praga, Spohr International Competition Weimar, Tribune of Young Artists UNESCO, Rotary Music Competition Nürnberg,Beethoven International Competition, Kocian International Competition).

Between 2006-2011, the Zemlinsky Quartet were Assistant Quartet-in-Residence at Musikakademie Basel in Switzerland. Music education is an important part of their professional life and during their tours, the quartet is often invited to give master classes to students of any age. They also perform educational concerts for students. Recently, František Souček and Petr Holman have been appointed Professors at the Prague Conservatory.

Booklet for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence - Antonín Dvořák: String Sextet (Remastered)