Armida Quartett - Beethoven & Shostakovich: String Quartets (2016) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

The Armida Quarter, darling of BBC young artists and due to perform at the Wigmore Hall, they will also play at the BBC PROMS on 29 August 2016 at the Cadogan Hall. The new album contains Beethoven Op. 59 No 1 and Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 10, two very difficult pieces. "Opus 59 is extremely challenging", remarks Martin Funda, the leader of the Armida Quartet. "One needs time to grasp these pieces. As performers, we are surprised again and again to note how quickly Beethoven star ts leading us into unfamiliar waters. The F Major Quartet is an 'extrovert' piece; at the same time, it contains a series of incredibly profound moments and a variety of different moods which we have to learn to interpret." … Also available: Bartók, String Quartet No.4, Ligeti, String Quartet No.1, Kurtág, String Quartet Nr. 1 (AVI8553298) Mozart, String Quartets in A major K.169; in A major K. 464; in B-flat major K. 589 (AVI8553318)

TRACKLIST

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

1 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 “Rasumowsky Quartet No. 1” (1805/06) I. Allegro 09:35
2 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 “Rasumowsky Quartet No. 1” (1805/06) II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 08:30
3 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 “Rasumowsky Quartet No. 1” (1805/06) III. Adagio molto e mesto 12:44
4 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 “Rasumowsky Quartet No. 1” (1805/06) IV. Allegro 07:51

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

5 String Quartet No. 10 in A Flat Major, Op. 118 (1964) I. Andante 04:22
6 String Quartet No. 10 in A Flat Major, Op. 118 (1964) II. Allegretto furioso 03:43
7 String Quartet No. 10 in A Flat Major, Op. 118 (1964) III. Adagio 04:21
8 String Quartet No. 10 in A Flat Major, Op. 118 (1964) IV. Allegretto 09:15

PERSONNEL
Martin Funda, violin
Johanna Staemmler, violin
Teresa Schwamm, viola
Peter-Philipp Staemmler, cello