ensemble 4.1 - Mozart: Origins (2015) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Quintett in E-Flat Major, KV 452: I. Largo Allegro moderato
02. Quintett in E-Flat Major, KV 452: II. Larghetto
03. Quintett in E-Flat Major, KV 452: III.Rondo Allegretto
04. Quintett in E-Flat Major, Op. 20: I. Allegro
05. Quintett in E-Flat Major, Op. 20: II. Andante
06. Quintett in E-Flat Major, Op. 20: III. Intermezzo Allegretto con moto
07. Quintett in E-Flat Major, Op. 20: IV. Finale Allegro con brio
08. Quintett in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro moderato
09. Quintett in B-Flat Major: II. Andante
10. Quintett in B-Flat Major: III. Vivace molto scherzando



“I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life.” W.A. Mozart on his quintet KV 452. The ensemble 4.1, the „Easy Riders of Vienna Classic“ (Hamburger Abendblatt), approach the divine proto-piece for this unique instrumentation (oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano) in an utterly joyful way. Probably ensemble 4.1 is the only fixed group of its kind. FOUR principal wind players in German orchestras, all globally active chamber-musicians (Jörg Schneider, oboe: Jenaer Philharmonie; Alexander Glücksmann, clarinet: Berliner Symphoniker; Fritz Pahlmann, horn: Staatskapelle Weimar; Christoph Knitt, bassoon: Kammerakademie Potsdam) and ONE Thomas Hoppe, piano, teaching at the Berlin music conservatory „Hanns Eisler“ and at the same time one of the most sought after chambermusic-partners of our time. Together they enthusiastically plunge into this beautiful classic, yet quite neglected musical genre. On their first tour the ensemble 4.1 followed an invitation of Goethe-Institut to Pakistan. The program on that trip: Mozart KV 452, Verhey opus 20 and Gieseking Quintet in B-flat major; exactly the music of this debut-CD, which is consequently called „origins-ursprünge“. Since then, ensemble 4.1 has extensively played concerts in Germany and appeared on festivals in Denmark, Austria, Montenegro and Algeria. The limited repertoire for their setting is a constant challenge for these five musicians. On the one hand they tackle this situation by including new works into their programs by leading composers like Jörg Widmann, Avner Dorman, Heinz Holliger or Marko Kovac, partly composed especially for ensemble 4.1. On the other hand, ensemble 4.1 is devoted to the rediscovery of forgotten original pieces, mainly from the turn to the 20th century. Music by composers like Arne Oldberg, Fritz Spindler, Heinrich von Herzogenberg, Herrmann Zilcher and David Stephen have been made available to audiences by ensemble 4.1 after a long absence. Some of them had never been performed! Two of these resurrected treasures are part of the current CD „origins-ursprünge“. There is the world premiere recording of Theodoor Verhey´s opus 20. His music is literally bathing in romantic atmospheres and melodies, and surprises throughout with developing new colors by artfully mixing the instruments. A true gain to have found this pearl. ensemble 4.1´s outspoken favorite piece is the quintet in B-flat major by Walter Gieseking. Mainly being known as master pianist, Gieseking manages to compose earworm after earworm without ever sounding shallow. The musical languages of his contemporaries Debussy, Mahler or Strauss are detectable throughout the piece. It´s the purest joy to play this lovely piece of music. An asset for concert halls, it regularly motivates audiences to ovations.

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