Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Antonín Dvořák Early Works for String Quartet (Remastered) (2007/2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Antonín Dvořák Early Works for String Quartet (Remastered) (2007/2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 04:28:12 minutes | 2,80 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Praga Digitals

The Czech Zemlinsky Quartet, which attended master classes by Vaclàv Bernašek (Kocian Quartet), Josef Klusoň (Pražàk) and Walter Levine (LaSalle), proposes the first recording of Dvořák’s youthful works for quartet (1862-74) taking into account the cuts made in the critical edition (Supraphon-Bärenreiter). Consequently, the works are better suited to concert performance and show off to best advantage the spontaneity and richness of their inexhaustible melodic inspiration, ‘apprentice works’ that prefigure the universality of the future ‘American’ Quartet of 1893.

When Antonin Dvorák learned to compose, he did it the old-fashioned way – by composing. Although he had written numerous shorter works earlier, the 20-year-old Bohemian bestowed his Opus 1 on a three-movement String Quintet in A minor for pairs of violins and violas plus cello in 1861. The next year, he turned out his Opus 2, a four-movement String Quartet in A major, and over the next 12 years, he wrote six more string quartets. Through them, the listener can follow Dvorák’s progress from a talented amateur with an inexhaustible gift for melody and little feel for form to an almost-ready-for-the-big-time composer who’d learned to tighten his structures and control his gift for melody. With this four-disc set by the Czech Zemlinsky Quartet (augmented by violist Josef Kluson in the quintet), following Dvorák’s development has never been easier. With its warm tone, graceful ensemble, and innate sense of rhythm, the Zemlinsky contains Dvorák’s sometimes sprawling forms, restrains his sometimes interminable modulations, and always lets the melodies sing. While these quartets are by no means in the same class as the composer’s later works in the same form, listeners who want to find out how Dvorák became Dvorák may want to seek them out. Praga’s 2006 digital sound is a bit reserved, but clean and detailed.

Tracklist:
01. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 9, B. 37: I. Moderato – Allegro con brio (10:32)
02. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 9, B. 37: II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto (06:47)
03. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 9, B. 37: III. Tempo di valse (02:46)
04. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 9, B. 37: IV. Allegro molto (06:02)
05. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 2, B. 8: I. Andante – Allegro (11:40)
06. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 2, B. 8: II. Adagio affetuoso ed appassionato (08:10)
07. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 2, B. 8: III. Allegro scherzando – Trio (05:12)
08. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 2, B. 8: IV. Finale. Allegro animato (09:09)
09. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: Two Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 105: No. 1: In A Minor – Moderato (03:53)
10. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: Two Waltzes, Op. 54, B. 105: No. 2: In D Major – Allegro vivace (03:02)
11. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 16, B. 45: I. Allegro ma non troppo (08:44)
12. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 16, B. 45: II. Andante cantabile (07:58)
13. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 16, B. 45: III. Allegro scherzando – Trio (05:05)
14. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 16, B. 45: IV. Finale. Allegro ma non troppo (08:06)
15. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, B. 17: I. Allegro ma non troppo (11:32)
16. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, B. 17: II. Largo (13:01)
17. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, B. 17: III. Allegro con brio (07:07)
18. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 2 in B-Flat Major, B. 17: IV. Finale. Andante – Allegro giusto – Allegro con fuoco (15:06)
19. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quintet in A Minor, Op. 1, B. 7: I. Adagio – Allegro ma non troppo (09:42)
20. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quintet in A Minor, Op. 1, B. 7: II. Lento (06:45)
21. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quintet in A Minor, Op. 1, B. 7: III. Finale. Allegro con brio (09:41)
22. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, B. 18: I. Allegro con brio (09:53)
23. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, B. 18: II. Andantino (08:57)
24. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, B. 18: III. Allegro energico – Trio (09:06)
25. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, B. 18: IV. Finale. Allegretto (07:42)
26. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet in F Major, B. 120 (Fragment): Allegro vivace (08:50)
27. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 6 in A Minor, Op. 12, B. 40: I. Allegro ma non troppo (07:28)
28. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 6 in A Minor, Op. 12, B. 40: II. Poco allegro (05:33)
29. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 6 in A Minor, Op. 12, B. 40: III. Poco adagio (06:59)
30. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 6 in A Minor, Op. 12, B. 40: IV. Allegro molto (07:22)
31. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet in A Minor, B. 40a “Quartettsatz”: Andante appassionato – Poco allegro (06:00)
32. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, B. 19: I. Velmi pohyblivě a razně (Assai con moto ed energico) (08:25)
33. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, B. 19: II. Andante religioso (06:07)
34. Zemlinsky Quartet & Josef Kluson – Dvořák: String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, B. 19: III. Allegro con brio (05:50)