Franciscus Quartet - Special Arrangements (2007)

Tracklist

01. La Muerte del Angel
02. String Quartet in F Major, Op. 14: I. Allegro moderato
03. String Quartet in F Major, Op. 14: II. Allegretto
04. String Quartet in F Major, Op. 14: III. Allegro
05. Adagio & Allegretto: I. Adagio
06. Adagio & Allegretto: II. Allegretto
07. Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op. 55 No. 4
08. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 2 No. 3: I. Allegro
09. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 2 No. 3: II. Menuet
10. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 2 No. 3: III. Adagio
11. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 2 No. 3: IV. Menuet with variations
12. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 2 No. 3: V. Allegro
13. Piezas criollas: Lamento Quichua
14. Moment Musical Op. 94 No. 3



For the purists out there, don't get your hackles up too quickly when you see the words "Arrangements" on the same album with the words "Beethoven," "Shostakovich," and "string quartet." The works heard on this album by the Dutch Franciscus Quartet are indeed arrangements, but not what might typically be thought of when contemplating arrangements. In the case of Beethoven and Shostakovich, the arrangements are in the composers' own hands. Beethoven arranged his Piano Sonata, Op. 14/1, for string quartet, and Shostakovich made arrangements of excerpts from the opera Lady Macbeth and the ballet The Golden Age. The remaining works on the CD, by composers ranging from Haydn to Piazzolla, are also tastefully done. Many of them were completed by friends or contemporaries of the composers. That leaves us with the performance of the Franciscus Quartet. The sound is generally light and jovial, which works well with Beethoven and Haydn, but not so well for Piazzolla and Haydn. From a technical standpoint, the playing is adequate, but nothing to get too excited about. Intonation is spotty at times and interpretations are somewhat bland, definitely not sufficiently powerful enough to earn any big fans for these arranged oddities. Listeners seeking something a little different might find this album moderately entertaining, but for the most part it is of minimal interest.

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