Louis Spohr StMartinintheFields Chamber Ensemble - Spohr Double Quartets (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Search - Louis Spohr, St.Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble :: Spohr: Double Quartets

Louis Spohr, St.Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble
Spohr: Double Quartets
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
1. Double Quartet No. 1 In D Minor, Op.65: Allegro - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
2. Double Quartet No. 1 In D Minor, Op.65: Scherzo: Vivace - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
3. Double Quartet No. 1 In D Minor, Op.65: Larghetto - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
4. Double Quartet No. 1 In D Minor, Op.65: Allegretto molto - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
5. Double Quartet No.2 In E Flat Major, Op.77: Allegro vivace - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
6. Double Quartet No.2 In E Flat Major, Op.77: Menuetto - Trio - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
7. Double Quartet No.2 In E Flat Major, Op.77: Larghetto con moto - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
8. Double Quartet No.2 In E Flat Major, Op.77: Allegretto - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields' Chamber Ensemble
Track Listings (8) - Disc #2
1. Double Quartet No. 3 In E Minor, Op.87: Adagio - Allegro - L. Spohr
2. Double Quartet No. 3 In E Minor, Op.87: Andante con variazioni - L. Spohr
3. Double Quartet No. 3 In E Minor, Op.87: Scherzo: Allegro - L. Spohr
4. Double Quartet No. 3 In E Minor, Op.87: Finale: Allegro molto - L. Spohr
5. Double Quartet No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 136: Allegro - L. Spohr
6. Double Quartet No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 136: Larghetto - L. Spohr
7. Double Quartet No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 136: Scherzo: Moderato - Trio - L. Spohr
8. Double Quartet No. 4 In G Minor, Op. 136: Finale: Vivace - L. Spohr

CD Details

All Artists: Louis Spohr, St.Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble
Title: Spohr: Double Quartets
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Hyperion UK
Release Date: 5/12/1998
Album Type: Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 034571120140

CD Reviews

An excellent CD, played beautifully

01/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Spohr's four quartets are a bit like really good Haydn or really good Mozart (not that these composers wrote any bad quartets). As with Mozart and Haydn, they are lyrical and at the same time intricate, with many lovely melodies and no discord. There is a lot of cheerfulness in this music, similar to Vivaldi without the Baroque influence. Certainly the playing is expert and at the same time so lively that it is a delight to follow along. I was not certain what a double quartet was prior to purchasing -- I thought perhaps there were two lead violins as opposed to the single lead ordinarily found. Not so. It appears that the chamber ensemble (from the Academy of St. Martin's in the Fields, the finest) consists of two separate string quartet ensembles playing in fluid harmony. I would love to see their performance live! The sound is great, quite full with amazing depth. And yet the tunes themselves are really intimate in the way they both evoke good feeling and gently please the ears. Don't miss the cadenzas -- masterfully handled but played lightly so as not to spoil the delicate notes. Surprisingly good and highly recommended, especially for those with appreciation for a string quartet or for stringed instruments."