The Lysell Quartet - Joseph Martin Kraus: String Quartets 5, 2, 4 & 6 (1990)
The Lysell Quartet - Joseph Martin Kraus: String Quartets 5, 2, 4 & 6 (1990)
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue & Log) ~ 397 Mb | Total time: 69:30 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Musica Sveciae | # MSCD 414 | Recorded: 1988, 1989
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue & Log) ~ 397 Mb | Total time: 69:30 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Musica Sveciae | # MSCD 414 | Recorded: 1988, 1989
Although he was known as the Swedish Mozart, Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792) was actually born in central Germany. Persuaded by a fellow law student to apply for a position in the Swedish court orchestra, he remained in the employ of King Gustav III until his death. Known primarily for his symphonies, he also wrote at least 8 String quartets, including the 4 on this disc.
All four are in the familiar 3 movement format, fast-slow-fast. But don’t look for an early Haydn clone. Kraus went his own way, most notably in his atypical endings.
Listed as Quartet No.5, the initial offering is in C Major, the only quartet recorded in period instruments. Assured and then hesitant, timid and then bold, the opening ‘Allegro’ finds this appealing rhythmic uncertainty traded freely among all four voices. Knit together by a striking unison theme, the 1st movement is enhanced by the variable speed of rubato before the gently ending. Initially, the triple metered ‘Adagio’ is driven by repeated notes in the lower strings. Once they cease, the dramatic power of the section shines through, especially in the minor keyed interlude led by the 1st violin. Marked ‘Scherzo: Allegro assai’, a jaunty rondo closes the work. In a dancing 6/8 time, it features a catchy melody with a unison close, followed by an unexpected minor chord which the coda omits, leaving the listener hanging, waiting for it.
In B Flat, the 2nd quartet begins with a seemingly idyllic ‘Allegro moderato’ that drifts into rising dramatic tension as the key slides into minor. Urgency in the bass line and rising figures in the lead violin enhance the mood change. And more than one false ending, Kraus just stops. After the abrupt end, the soothing ‘Largo’ offers a tranquil transition with the viola presenting the main theme over a plucked bass line. This aria like 2nd section closes with the cello carrying a lovely countermelody as the violins function primarily as support the lower strings.
A superb ‘Allgretto’ concludes the quartet. With a more pizzicato from the bass voice, sweetly lyrical passages alternate with muscular asymmetrical unison interjections to create a vivid contrast. Once more, Kraus presents an unusual ending. After the coda and a brief pause, he attaches an echo beat, a ‘smorzando’ which just dies away.
Much of the genial Allegro’ of the D Major quartet is consumed by concertante exchanges between the lead violin and the cello. Dotted rhythms, casual triplets and startling syncopations fill this movement before it comes to an abrupt halt. Somber and deeply moving, the D Minor ‘Larghetto’ offers a tender duet between the lead violin and the viola before a highly expressive cello solo. Led by the 1st violin, the section brightens as it shifts into F Major, turning back to minor for the hushed close. With an audacious irregular unison opening, the final ‘Allegro molto’ employs elastic phrasing, syncopated rhythms and sudden stops to sharpen the contrast with the more fluid passages. And despite being penned in triple meter, it retains its rhythmic uncertainty until the final notes.
Introduced by the 1st violin, an impassioned melody starts the triple metered ‘Allegro’ of the final quartet, No.6 in G Major, the only one in 4 parts. More melodic responsibility falls to the middle strings in the expanded development section, with the 2nd violin having especially challenging passage work before the end just dissolves. Labeled ‘Scozzese: Andante maestoso’, the 2nd movement features a drone-like bass line, presumably in imitation of a Scottish bagpipe. Deliberately paced and in a ponderous triple meter, it also comes to a rather artless halt.
The two part finale opens with a weighty ‘Largo’ in G Minor with the violins sharing interweaving melodic lines. A significant portion of the responsibility resides with the lower strings as both the cello and the viola are given extended solos high in their respective registers. Sliding seamlessly into the final section, which emerges as a sprightly rondo. Although interrupted by starkly dramatic interludes, for once the triple metered ‘Allegro assai’ dances to a satisfying conclusion.
The Swedish based Lysell Quartet is excellent while the recording by Musica Sverciae is top notch, clear and sharp. A contemporary of Mozart, Joseph Martin Kraus went his own way, both in moving to Sweden, and in writing his string quartets. The fine CD is a marvelous introduction to the quirky, often unsettling result.
Performer:
The Lysell String Quartet:
Bernt Lysell, violin
Per Sandklef, violin
Thomas Sundkvist, viola
Mikael Sjögren, cello
Track List:
Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792)
String Quartet No. 5 in C Major, VB 183
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Scherzo
String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat Major, VB 180
04. I. Allegro moderato
05. II. Largo
06. III. Alegretto
String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, VB 176
07. I. Allegro
08. II. Larghetto
09. III. Allegro molto
String Quartet No. 6 in G Major, VB 177
10. I. Allegro
11. II. Scozzese: Andante maestoso
12. III. Largo: Allegro assai
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The Lysell Quartet / String Quartets
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The Lysell Quartet - Joseph Martin Kraus: String Quartets 5, 2, 4 & 6 (1990)
Thanks to the original releaser