The Korngold Collection Pacifica Quartet

• Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 - 1957): String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16:
• 1 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: I. Allegro molto 08:28
• 2 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: II. Adagio quasi Fantasia 08:46
• 3 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: III. Intermezzo 05:13
• 4 Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: IV. Finale. ALlegretto amabile e comodo 08:41
• String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26:
• 5 Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: I. Allegro 07:00
• 6 Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: II. Intermezzo. Allegretto con moto 03:57
• 7 Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: III. Larghetto 07:55
• 8 Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: IV. Walz (Finale) 05:34
• String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34:
• 9 Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: I. Allegro moderato 06:54
• 10 Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: II. Scherzo. Allegro molto 04:09
• 11 Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: III. Sostenuto. Like a folk tune 08:52
• 12 Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: IV. Finale. Allegro 06:02
• Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15:
• 13 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: I. Mässiges Zeitmaß, mit schwungvoll blühendem Ausdruck 12:08
• 14 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: II. Adagio. Mit größter Ruhe, stets äußerst gebunden und ausdrucksvoll 11:32
• 15 Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: III. Finale. Gemeßen, beinahe pathetisch 07:45
• String Sextet in D major, Op. 10:
• 16 Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: I. Moderato - Allegro 09:49
• 17 Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: II. Adagio 10:12
• 18 Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: III. Intermezzo (Moderato, con grazia) 06:29
• 19 Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: IV. Finale (Presto) 06:53
• Total Runtime 02:26:19

Info for The Korngold Collection

The Pacifica Quartet presents The Korngold Collection, a landmark recording of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s complete string quartets and rarely heard chamber works tracing the composer’s extraordinary evolution from prodigy of post-imperial Vienna to pioneering film composer in Hollywood.

Described by The Daily Telegraph as “nothing short of phenomenal,” the multiple Grammy Award–winning Pacifica Quartet brings more than three decades of acclaimed artistry to this sweeping portrait of Korngold’s chamber music.

The three string quartets, written between 1923 and 1945, chart Korngold’s artistic journey: the First Quartet pulses with adventurous harmony; the Second, composed just before his emigration from Austria, overflows with lush melody; and the Third, finalized after WWII, draws on themes from his iconic film scores, including The Sea Hawk and Between Two Worlds.

Complementing the quartets are two early chamber gems: the radiant Piano Quintet in E major (1920), written in the wake of his operatic triumph, Die tote Stadt and performed with pianist Orion Weiss; and the vibrant String Sextet in D major (1914), a youthful work that helped establish Korngold’s early reputation, featuring violist Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and cellist Eric Kim.

Praised for their “remarkable expressive range and tonal beauty” (The New York Times), the Pacifica Quartet has distinguished itself through a deep commitment to complete composer cycles, including The Soviet Experience, their celebrated survey of Shostakovich’s 15 string quartets, plus quartets by his contemporaries.

The Korngold Collection was produced and engineered by Judith Sherman and Bill Maylone. The album was recorded on May 11–12 and August 24–25, 2024, and May 27–30, 2025, in Auer Hall at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Pacifica Quartet

Pacifica Quartet
Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often-daring repertory choices, over the past two decades the Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. The Pacifica tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, performing regularly in the world’s major concert halls. Named the quartet-in-residence at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in March 2012, the Pacifica was also the quartet-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009 – 2012) – a position that has otherwise been held only by the Guarneri String Quartet – and received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.

Formed in 1994, the Pacifica Quartet quickly won chamber music’s top competitions, including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. In 2002 the ensemble was honored with Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award and the appointment to Lincoln Center’s CMS Two, and in 2006 was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, becoming only the second chamber ensemble so honored in the Grant’s long history. Also in 2006 the Quartet was featured on the cover of Gramophone and heralded as one of “five new quartets you should know about,” the only American quartet to make the list. And in 2009, the Quartet was named “Ensemble of the Year” by Musical America.

The members of the Pacifica Quartet live in Bloomington, IN, where they serve as quartet-in-residence and full-time faculty members at the Jacobs School of Music. Prior to their appointment, the Quartet was on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana from 2003 to 2012. The Pacifica Quartet also serves as resident performing artist at the University of Chicago.

This album contains no booklet.