The RIAS Amadeus Quartet Schubert Recordings, Vol. 2 (Remastered) Amadeus Quartet

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810 'Death and the Maiden':
• 1 I. Allegro 11:11
• 2 II. Andante con moto 14:03
• 3 III. Scherzo. Allegro molto - Trio 03:36
• 4 IV. Presto - Prestissimo 08:52
• String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, D. 87:
• 5 I. Allegro moderato 06:52
• 6 II. Scherzo. Prestissimo - Trio 01:40
• 7 III. Adagio 06:58
• 8 IV. Allegro 05:53
• String Quartet No. 9 in G Minor, D. 173:
• 9 I. Allegro con brio 04:50
• 10 II. Andantino 06:25
• 11 III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace - Trio 03:33
• 12 IV. Allegro 05:41
• String Quartet No. 13 in A Minor, D. 804 'Rosamunde':
• 13 I. Allegro ma non troppo 09:32
• 14 II. Andante 07:12
• 15 III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 06:49
• 16 IV. Allegro moderato 07:11
• String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887:
• 17 I. Allegro molto moderato 15:05
• 18 II. Andante un poco moto 12:29
• 19 III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio. Allegretto 06:16
• 20 IV. Allegro assai 09:33
• Total Runtime 02:33:41

Info for The RIAS Amadeus Quartet Schubert Recordings, Vol. 2 (Remastered)

Schubert’s works remained close to the heart of the Amadeus Quartet throughout its entire life. The quartet’s approach to his youthful works was reserved and timid, whilst the great quartets of his maturity were played passionately and dramatically; in the G major Quartet, the contrasts were given special emphasis.

Following the release of Beethoven String Quartets with the Amadeus Quartett, audite now presents the second volume in this recording series featuring works by Franz Schubert. The trademarks of the world-famous string quartet were a beautiful sound and technical perfection; in 1975 the famous German critic Joachim Kaiser confirmed that the Amadeus Quartet was „still the best string quartet in the world". The ensemble's fame had evolved, alongside many concerts and world-wide tours, thanks to its numerous recordings on disc. Less well-known, however, is the fact that the Amadeus Quartet also made many radio recordings. For nearly twenty years, from 1950 until 1969, the Amadeus Quartet regularly travelled to the Berlin RIAS studios. Here, a whole host of recordings was made, reflecting not only the quartet's core repertoire, but also novelties - works that had previously not been performed by the Amadeus Quartet.

Alongside classical composers led by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, from the outset the music of Franz Schubert formed a pillar of the Amadeus Quartet's repertoire. Not only did the musicians devote themselves to the three great quartets - the Rosamunde, Death and the Maiden and the String Quartet in G major - but they also played some of the early quartets on a regular basis.

The Amadeus Quartet finds a particular quality for each of the quartets and thus does justice to the requirements and the content of the music. The early quartets are not overloaded with a "big sound", but are played with a light and lean timbre. For the Rosamunde Quartet, the ensemble presents an interpretation characterised by an inner calm and, at the same time, a piercing intensity. Death and the Maiden reveals precise preparation resulting in a homogenous balance. The underlying sense of drama of the G major String Quartet, Schubert's final quartet, is emphasised by great contrasts. The very early radio recordings of 1950 and 1951 in particular are characterised by impetuous turbulence and youthful exuberance, which are transformed in the later recordings into classical balance, perfection and a beautiful tone.

These radio recordings made by the Amadeus Quartet add to, and widen, the view of the astonishing and successful history of this ensemble.

"Certainly, no listener will remain unaffected by these fascinating performances. The Amadeus Quartet combines quivering drama, high emotionality, joy of life and refreshing lyricism in order to show the bright and the dark sides of Schubert’s music." (Pizzicato)

Amadeus Quartet

Digitally remastered

Amadeus Quartet
English string quartet (1948–87), one of the most durable and highly regarded quartets of Europe. The quartet was formed in 1947, the result of an internment-camp meeting during World War II between three young Austrian Jewish refugees—Peter Schidlof, the group’s violist; Norbert Brainin, a violinist; and Siegmund Nissel, also a violinist. They were released from the camp with help from Dame Myra Hess and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Schidlof, who had been a violinist, began to study the viola. With the introduction in 1946 of Martin Lovett, a British cellist, to the group, the Brainin Quartet was formed.

The group gave its first performance as the Amadeus Quartet in London on Jan. 10, 1948. Touring extensively, the Amadeus performed throughout Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan, and South America. Noted for its smooth, sophisticated style, its seamless ensemble playing, and its sensitive interpretation, the quartet made some 200 recordings, among them the complete quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, and W.A. Mozart. Though they emphasized a standard Classical and Romantic repertory, they also performed works by such 20th-century composers as Bela Bartók and Benjamin Britten (who wrote his third quartet expressly for them). The group disbanded upon the death of Schidlof in 1987.

This album contains no booklet.