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String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 | String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34
Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Alma Quartet

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 | String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917286922
Catnr: CC 72869
Release date: 05 November 2021
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Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917286922
Catalogue number
CC 72869
Release date
05 November 2021

"This is top class, with a great moving power too."

Het Parool, 25-11-2021
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
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About the album

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was a genius. Naturally he was most widely known and rewarded as one of the founding composers of Hollywood film music, but he is not a particularly well-known composer in the classical music world. His three string quartets are surely masterpieces and can be seen as modern tone poems imbued with beautiful melancholy and Viennese charm. A child prodigy, Korngold wrote some of the most heart-wrenching melodies, which are sure to leave any listener longing for more.

His String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 (1933) was written just before Korngold moved to Hollywood and is full of musical imagery of Vienna, with gestures towards the waltzes of Johan Strauss II as well as the intricate lyricism of Richard Strauss. A fierce anti-serialist, Korngold was determined that it was still possible to stretch the boundaries of tonality without adapting to the 12-tone technique.

The String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 (1945) is full of themes that he used in his film scores and was written when Korngold was suffering from deep depression. The quartet is much darker.

Why did we choose to tackle Korngold’s music for this unique project of a direct-to-disc recording on vinyl? The music resonates deeply with us, as it represents the epitome of late romanticism and lyrical expression. We all have a profound love for romantic music and after listening to some recordings of his quartets we knew instantly these were the perfect fit for us. It was definitely a challenge to understand the idiom in Korngold’s writing. Our individual personalities as well as the Alma sound is clearly audible.

What makes a direct-to-disc recording so special? Without doubt, it is the most honest way of recording. What you hear is what you get, with no editing whatsoever. It is thus a studio recording with all of the nuances and thrill of a live performance. Evidently, the process is extremely strenuous and challenging. You want to make sure that the performance is as perfect as can be, but you also have to take into account the fact that perfection is simply not feasible. But the question is whether or not perfection is truly exciting and honest. Korngold’s music was by now deeply embedded in our DNA and we knew how to tell the story!

Virtuoos, zoals het befaamde Alma Quartet de strijkkwartetten van Erich Wolfgang Korngold speelt op dit album. De topmusici van het Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest zorgen voor een bijzondere luisterervaring. Mede door de speciale studio-opname, zonder bewerking, vandaar met alle nuances en spanning van een live optreden. Het album wordt uitgebracht op cd en op vinyl.

Voor dit unieke project kozen de musici voor de muziek van Korngold. Zijn muziek raakt hen tot in het diepst van hun ziel en is de belichaming van de late romantiek en lyrische expressie. Allen hebben een diepe liefde voor romantische muziek en na het beluisteren van enkele opnames van de kwartetten van Korngold wisten ze het zeker, zijn muziek past perfect bij ons. Het was beslist een uitdaging om het idioom in Korngolds werk te begrijpen. Zowel de individuele persoonlijkheden, als het Alma-geluid, zijn duidelijk hoorbaar.

Het Alma Quartet werd opgericht in 2014 en gold al snel als een van de meest opwindende ensembles van Nederland. Het debuutalbum Schulhoff Complete String Quartets van de leden van het Concertgebouworkest, Marc Daniel van Biemen (viool), Benjamin Peled (viool), Jeroen Woudstra (altviool) en Joris van den Berg (cello), kreeg internationaal veel lof.

Componist Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was een genie, bekend en erkend als een van de grondleggers van de Hollywoodfilmmuziek. In de klassieke muziekwereld staat hij minder als componist bekend. Het wonderkind Korngold schreef enkele van de meest hartverscheurende melodieën die er bestaan, die de luisteraar naar meer doen verlangen. Zijn drie strijkkwartetten zijn zeker meesterwerken, moderne toondichten doordrenkt van prachtige melancholie en Weense charme. Korngold, een felle anti-serialist, was vastbesloten dat het nog steeds mogelijk was om de grenzen van tonaliteit op te rekken zonder zich aan te passen aan de 12-toonstechniek die Arnold Schönberg ontwikkeld had.

Het Strijkkwartet nr. 2, opus 26 (1933) schreef Korngold vlak voor hij naar Hollywood verhuisde en zit vol met muzikale beelden van Wenen, met subtiele verwijzingen naar de walsen van Johan Strauss II en de ingewikkelde lyriek van Richard Strauss. Het Strijkkwartet nr. 3, opus 34 (1945) behelst thema's die de componist in zijn filmmuziek gebruikte en die hij schreef toen hij aan een diepe depressie leed. Het was het eerste werk dat hij voor zichzelf schreef sinds 1937 en ook zijn laatste kamermuziek werk. Het kwartet is veel duisterder, dan de voorgaande kwartetten. Niet alleen vanwege de Tweede Wereldoorlog die Europa in zijn ban had, maar ook vanwege de slechte gezondheid van zijn vader. Korngold raakte steeds meer gedesillusioneerd door de filmbeelden die hij desgevraagd van muziek moest voorzien en verlangde naar het weer schrijven van pure concertmuziek.

Het Alma Quartet koos voor Korngolds muziek om dit unieke project uit te voeren. Zijn muziek zat diep in het DNA van de musici en ze wisten hoe ze het verhaal moesten vertellen. Een direct-to-disc opname is zonder twijfel de meest eerlijke manier van opnemen. Wat je hoort is wat je krijgt, zonder enige bewerking. Het is een studio-opname met alle nuances en opwinding van een live optreden.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) war ein Genie. Am bekanntesten und anerkanntesten ist er natürlich als einer der Begründer der Hollywood-Filmmusik, aber in der Welt der klassischen Musik ist er kein besonders bekannter Komponist. Seine drei Streichquartette sind sicherlich Meisterwerke und können als moderne Tondichtungen betrachtet werden, die von schöner Melancholie und Wiener Charme durchdrungen sind. Als Wunderkind schrieb Korngold einige der herzzerreißendsten Melodien, die jeden Zuhörer nach mehr verlangen lassen.

Sein Streichquartett Nr. 2, op. 26 (1933) entstand kurz vor Korngolds Umzug nach Hollywood und ist voller musikalischer Bilder aus Wien, mit Anklängen an die Walzer von Johann Strauss II. sowie an die filigrane Lyrik von Richard Strauss. Als erbitterter Antiserialist war Korngold fest entschlossen, die Grenzen der Tonalität zu erweitern, ohne sich der 12-Ton-Technik anzupassen.

Das Streichquartett Nr. 3, op. 34 (1945) ist voll von Themen, die er in seinen Filmmusiken verwendete, und wurde geschrieben, als Korngold an einer tiefen Depression litt. Das Quartett ist viel düsterer.

Warum haben wir uns entschieden, Korngolds Musik für dieses einzigartige Projekt einer Direct-to-Disc-Aufnahme auf Vinyl in Angriff zu nehmen? Die Musik hat eine tiefe Resonanz bei uns, da sie den Inbegriff der Spätromantik und des lyrischen Ausdrucks darstellt. Wir alle haben eine tiefe Liebe zur romantischen Musik, und nachdem wir uns einige Aufnahmen seiner Quartette angehört hatten, wussten wir sofort, dass diese perfekt zu uns passen. Es war definitiv eine Herausforderung, das Idiom in Korngolds Werk zu verstehen. Sowohl unsere individuellen Persönlichkeiten als auch der Alma-Sound sind deutlich hörbar.

Was macht eine Direct-to-Disc-Aufnahme so besonders? Zweifellos ist es die ehrlichste Art der Aufnahme. Was man hört, ist das, was man bekommt, ohne jegliche Bearbeitung. Es handelt sich also um eine Studioaufnahme mit all den Nuancen und dem Nervenkitzel einer Live-Performance. Natürlich ist der Prozess extrem anstrengend und herausfordernd. Man möchte sicherstellen, dass die Aufführung so perfekt wie möglich ist, aber man muss auch berücksichtigen, dass Perfektion einfach nicht machbar ist. Die Frage ist aber, ob Perfektion wirklich spannend und ehrlich ist oder nicht. Korngolds Musik war inzwischen tief in unserer DNA verankert und wir wussten, wie wir die Geschichte erzählen mussten!

Artist(s)

Alma Quartet

Alma Quartet was formed in 2014 and quickly gained reputation as one of the most thrilling ensembles in Holland. Their debut album: Schulhoff Complete String Quartets has received stellar international praise. The Gramophone claimed 'this set shoots straight to the top' and also admired the quartet for being 'capable of the most seductive playing.' The album was chosen for the 2017 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 'Bestenliste' and was also featured on German national radio station SWR2, hailing Alma's Schulhoff cycle as the 'new reference recording.'​ Their latest album Korngold String Quartet No.1 | Piano Quintet with Severin von Eckardstein for Challenge Records received the prestigious Diapason d'Or in France and has been exceptionally well received by The Gramophone claiming there is a ‘[…] superb polish of...
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Alma Quartet was formed in 2014 and quickly gained reputation as one of the most thrilling ensembles in Holland. Their debut album: Schulhoff Complete String Quartets has received stellar international praise. The Gramophone claimed 'this set shoots straight to the top' and also admired the quartet for being 'capable of the most seductive playing.'

The album was chosen for the 2017 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik "Bestenliste" and was also featured on German national radio station SWR2, hailing Alma's Schulhoff cycle as the 'new reference recording.'​

Their latest album Korngold String Quartet No.1 | Piano Quintet with Severin von Eckardstein for Challenge Records received the prestigious Diapason d'Or in France and has been exceptionally well received by The Gramophone claiming there is a ‘[…] superb polish of the playing, a sense of freshness, discovery and sheer joy that leaps out from this recording’ as well as ‘this is intensely characterful playing that never sounds mannered – complex without becoming congested.’

Italian magazine Classic Voice gives the album 5 stars and says: 'The passionate interpretation restores all its communicative strength.'

De Volkskrant states ‘Alma Quartet plays Korngold the way he would’ve wanted, slippery and insane.’

Belgian newspaper De Standaard claims ‘Alma Quartet knows how to capture the soul of Korngold.’

And BBC Music Magazine writes: 'there's inventiveness and a sense of adventure in these burnished performances - utterly refined, yet warm and tender too.'

Ultimately the American Record Guide says: 'I might as well admit that the album sounds phenomenal.'

Korngold String Quartets Nos. 2-3 was recorded direct-to-disc without editing and has been ranked among the Top40 best albums of 2021 by De Volkskrant claiming 'Alma Quartet plays Korngold with a touch of soft nostalgia.'

De Standaard gave it a 5-star review claiming 'the Amsterdam foursome plays formidable [...]' and 'the result sounds as thrilling as a live concert.'

BBC Radio 3 celebrated their 'uncompromising and emphatic performance style' as well as saying that it's 'like close-up magic, listening to this.'

NRC Handelsblad stated 'the foursome [...] shows the listener in one go the most beautiful flowers along the deepest abysses' and Het Parool praised the quartet for their 'enchanting masters level playing' and finds that 'the result commands great admiration.'

Spanish magazine Ritmo gave it 5 stars and claimed their recording is 'the best available [...] for understanding the expressive world of Korngold.'

As well as performing the classical repertoire, the quartet is keen on collaborating with artists of other genres such as singer-songwriter Nana Adjoa, bigband New Cool Collective with which they released Opus 127, an EP containing jazz variations on Beethovens twelfth string quartet and composer and jazz pianist Rembrandt Frerichs with whom they released Piano Concertos Nos. 1-2 of which De Volkskrant stated they play '[...] with a lot of flair and finesse.'

The quartet has recorded for a number of labels including Sony Classical, Universal Music, BIS Records, Challenge Records, Gutman Records and TRPTK. They also collaborate intensely with techno producer Henrik Schwarz on a multitude of projects.

On their album CCMYK, they explore the possibilities of seamlessly fusing newly composed electronic and classical music into a new language.

The quartet has performed at prestigious concert halls including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Müpa Budapest, Konzerthaus Berlin, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, De Doelen Rotterdam, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ Amsterdam, Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, Süreyya Opera House Istanbul, Tianjin Grand Theatre, Harbin Concert Hall, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, as well as clubs and theaters such as Jazz Cafe London, Philharmonie Haarlem, Diligentia Den Haag, Volksbühne Berlin, Temple Beijing, Musis Arnhem, Paradiso Amsterdam, Bimhuis, Melkweg Amsterdam, Kulturbrauerei Berlin and Střecha Lucerny Prague. ​

They have played during captivating events such as String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, Schumannfest Düsseldorf, Amsterdam Dance Event, XJazz Festival Berlin, Down The Rabbit Hole, Beyond the Pale Festival, Shoeless Festival, Pop-Kultur Festival Berlin, Theater Spektakel Zurich, TEDx and Uitmarkt Amsterdam.

Alma Quartet has collaborated with diverse artists such as Klaus Mäkelä, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili, Martin Fröst, Denis Kozhukhin, Severin von Eckardstein, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Samuel Adams, Milica Djordjevic, Jörgen van Rijen, Hauschka, Henrik Schwarz, Julien Libeer, Lavinia Meijer, Dauwd, Rembrandt Frerichs, Ramon van Engelenhoven, Bugge Wesseltoft, New Cool Collective, Dominique Vleeshouwers, Nana Adjoa, Mahsa Vahdat, Sarah Neutkens, Nicolas van Poucke, Dominic Seldis, Santa Vizine, Nino Gvetadze, Aidan Mikdad and Frank Lammers.


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Press

This is top class, with a great moving power too.
Het Parool, 25-11-2021

.... the lively and approachable playing of the Alma Quartet creates an intimacy that makes listening to the entire album a true experience. The acoustics of the concert character remain; the visual aspect of a concert can be replaced by one's own imagination - perhaps an impetus to invent a separate plot and characters for each string quartet.
Die Tonkunst, 06-8-2022

The Alma Quartet (...) offers an agile and inspired reading.
Diapason, 01-4-2022

It produces rich tones for which Korngold and Challenge Classics’ Direct-to-Disc recording share the credit.
Fanfare Magazine, 01-3-2022

 the sound is top notch....These are very good performances by any yardstick, and the sound, while possibly a little brittle, is splendidly clear and detailed.
Music Web International, 04-2-2022

The recording offered by Alma Quartet, a Dutch quartet formed in 2014 that is increasing its prestige, is the best available of these works for its understanding of the expressive world of Korngold, its perfect intonation and reading of these difficult works.
Ritmo, 01-2-2022

The emotion is palpable beneath the sensitive arches of the Alma, which offers an inspiring version of this demanding score, without taking away any spirit. Listen to the intrada of the Finale, before the stubborn fugato resounds, great art.
Artamag, 31-1-2022

Here you can hear how Korngold is dragging that musical legacy of Vienna into modernity. The Alma Quartet (consisting of members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, namely Marc Daniël van Biemen, Benjamin Peled, Jeroen Woudstra and Clément Peigné) interprets it with great feeling and drive.
Nieuwe Noten, 23-1-2022

Depth and tenderness, shadow and light. And also more ambivalent biting vitality. The sound recording produced remarkable for the studio in March 2021 is masterful.
Klassieknieuws, 20-1-2022

4/5 The Alma Quartet approaches the work's astringency and brittleness with just as much sympathy and imagination as they bring to N0.2's Viennese schwung.
BBC Music magazine, 20-1-2022

Excellent recital
Scherzo, 03-1-2022

Exciting and with a touch of sweet nostalgia. Such good music.
De Volkskrant, 21-12-2021

The foursome has explored every goat path in the quartets and then shows the listener in one go the most beautiful flowers along the deepest abysses. That's how you do it.
NRC, 16-12-2021

Fortunately, the Alma Quartet consists of competent players with a clear vision of the music. This gives the string quartets a clear head and tail and they are a pleasure to listen to.
Katholiek Nieuwsblad, 03-12-2021

The true "vinyl audiophiles" have a demonstration-quality showpiece here
Luister, 01-12-2021

The Amsterdam Alma Quartet directly on vinyl
Luister, 01-12-2021

the resounding result approaches perfection. Living, human perfection that is, because the tension of the musicians transfers itself to the listener on the edge of the seat.
Opus Klassiek, 20-11-2021

The Amsterdam foursome plays formidable while at the same time you feel that that was not the main goal. Their captivating performance respects Korngold's expressive music. 
De Standaard, 12-11-2021

***** For Korngold’s two quartets, they have now employed a process in which the music is recorded directly to CD without any intermediate technical steps. This gives the music a stage-like tension, even if it is recorded in the studio.
Pizzicato, 06-11-2021

4,5 / 5 The sound stage reconstructs the four components of the quartet ideally in the center of the speakers, placing them at a fair depth (I believe that the miking has not been carried out, as is increasingly used, in an exaggeratedly close-up way), in order to restore the physical spatiality of the environment
musicvoice, 06-11-2021

**** Recording an album in a studio where anything is possible, but still opting for a direct-to-disc recording: the men of the Alma Quartet did it.
Volkskrant, 04-11-2021

Play album Play album

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