Cuarteto Casals - Arriaga: String Quartets (2005)

Tracklist

01. String Quartet No. 1 in D minor: I. Allegro
02. String Quartet No. 1 in D minor: II. Adagio con espressione
03. String Quartet No. 1 in D minor: III. Menuetto - Allegro
04. String Quartet No. 1 in D minor: IV. Adagio - Allegretto
05. String Quartet No. 2 in A major: I. Allegro con brio
06. String Quartet No. 2 in A major: II. Andante con variazioni
07. String Quartet No. 2 in A major: III. Menuetto: Scherzo
08. String Quartet No. 2 in A major: IV. Andante ma non troppo - Allegro
09. String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Major: I. Allegro
10. String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Major: II. Andantino - Pastorale
11. String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Major: III. Menuetto - Allegro
12. String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Major: IV. Presto agitato

In these recordings of the three string quartets of Juan Crisostomo Arriaga y Balzola, the Cuarteto Casals pays fitting tribute to its fellow countryman, a gifted composer who was once known as the "Spanish Mozart," but whose reputation fell into decline after his premature death 10 days before his twentieth birthday. Part of the attraction of Arriaga's music involves speculation over what he might have accomplished had he the time to mature. Certainly, we know less of Arriaga's potential directions than of Mozart's, who achieved total mastery over his art, whereas Arriaga had just emerged from the Paris Conservatoire and was still developing his style. In any event, his elegant music holds attractions sufficient to please casual listeners and rigorous critics alike, and the Casals delivers three solid performances that exude intelligence, charm, and grace. There is some Mozartian pathos in the String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, and here and there through the String Quartet No. 2 in A major and the String Quartet No. 3 in E flat major are signs of the influence of Haydn's wit and the drama of early Beethoven, as well as some passages that seem to anticipate Schubert, all giving credence to the idea of Arriaga as a not fully formed artist, but an excellent student with a keen awareness of his medium. The Casals never overplays the obvious similarities, so the feeling throughout this recording is consistent and as close to one voice as possible. Harmonia Mundi provides clear and crisp sound that brings out each part, while maintaining a reasonable distance to capture the ensemble's blend and the moderately resonant ambience.

Vera Martinez Mehner - Violin
Abel Tomas - Violin
Jonathan Brown - Viola
Arnau Tomas - Cello
Juan Crisostomo Arriaga - composer

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