Mieczysław Weinberg: Piano Quintet, String Quartets Nos. 10 & 13 Zemlinsky Quartet, Nikita Mndoyants

• Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919 - 1996): Piano Quintet, Op. 18:
• 1 Weinberg: Piano Quintet, Op. 18: I. First movement (Moderato con moto) 08:15
• 2 Weinberg: Piano Quintet, Op. 18: II. Second movement (Allegretto) 06:27
• 3 Weinberg: Piano Quintet, Op. 18: III. Third movement (Presto) 05:47
• 4 Weinberg: Piano Quintet, Op. 18: IV. Fourth movement (Largo) 14:07
• 5 Weinberg: Piano Quintet, Op. 18: V. Fifth movement (Allegro agitato) 08:27
• String Quartet No. 10, Op. 85:
• 6 Weinberg: String Quartet No. 10, Op. 85: I. First period (Adagio) 07:23
• 7 Weinberg: String Quartet No. 10, Op. 85: II. Second period (Allegro) 05:45
• 8 Weinberg: String Quartet No. 10, Op. 85: III. Third period (Adagio) 02:52
• 9 Weinberg: String Quartet No. 10, Op. 85: IV. Fourth period (Allegretto) 06:42
• String Quartet No. 13, Op. 118:
• 10 Weinberg: String Quartet No. 13, Op. 118 12:57
• Total Runtime 01:18:42

Info for Mieczysław Weinberg: Piano Quintet, String Quartets Nos. 10 & 13

As we are approaching Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s centenary, the musical world and Poland, his homeland, rediscover the huge catalogue of his works. First considered as an ordinary follower of Dmitri Shostakovich, his friend and patron, we may have now the revelation of the composer’s originality in all works not done merely for earning his living: lyric, orchestral and chamber music… Here, the Zemlinsky Quartet proves themselves to be the real successors of the famous Borodin Quartet.

The music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996) is among some of the 20th century's greatest hidden treasures. Born in Poland, Weinberg emigrated to Russia in perilous circumstances, where he was to live out the rest of his days in the shadow of his close friend Dimitry Shostakovich, by whom he was regarded as one of the most outstanding composers of the day, Weinberg is slowly being rediscovered as a 20th century genius, a figure of immense significance in the landscape of post-modern classical music. Weinberg's musical idiom stylistically mixes traditional and contemporary forms, combining a freely tonal, individual language inspired by Shostakovich with ethnic (Jewish, Polish, Moldovian) influences and a unique sense of form, harmony and colour. His prolific output includes no less than 17 string quartets, over 20 large-scale symphonies, numerous sonatas for solo stringed instruments and piano as well as operas and film-scores. With the constant stream of recordings, score publications and concerts over the last decade, many of these gems have been unearthed to finally receive the critical praise and attention they deserve. Here, the Zemlinsky Quartet prove themselves to be the worthy successors of the Borodin Quartet.

"If you ve been collecting the recent tsunami of recordings of the symphonies of Weinberg, you may feel the need to investigate some of his equally neglected chamber music ... many of these gems have been unearthed to finally receive the critical praise and attention they deserve." (Barry Forshaw Classical CD Choice)

Zemlinsky Quartet
Nikita Mndoyants, piano

Zemlinsky Quartet
Founded in 1994 while the members were still students, the ZEMLINSKY QUARTET has become a much lauded example of the Czech string quartet tradition. The Zemlinsky Quartet won the First Grand Prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in 2010. They have also been awarded top prizes at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2007), Prague Spring International Music Competition (2005) and London International String Quartet Competition (2006), where they also received the Audience Prize. The Quartet was recipient of the Alexander Zemlinsky Advancement Award in 2008. Other notable prizes include Beethoven International Competition (1999), New Talent Bratislava (2003), Martinů Foundation String Quartet Competition (2004), and the Prize of Czech Chamber Music Society (2005). In the season 2016/17, Zemlinsky Quartet was appointed as the residential ensemble of the Czech Chamber Music Society.

While students at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts Prague, the ensemble was coached by members of renowned Czech string quartets including the Talich, Prague, Kocian and Pražák Quartets. The ensemble also took part in several master classes including ProQuartet, in France and Sommerakademie in Reichenau, Austria where they were awarded First Prize for the best interpretation of a work by Janáček. From 2005 to 2008, the quartet studied with Walter Levin, the first violinist of LaSalle Quartet. Their recent mentor has been Josef Klusoň, the violist of the Pražák Quartet.

Zemlinsky Quartet is named after the Austrian composer, conductor and teacher Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942), whose enormous contribution to Czech, German and Jewish culture during his 16-year residence in Prague had been underrated until recently. His four string quartets (the second one being dedicated to his student and brother-in-law Arnold Schönberg) belong to the basic repertoire of the ensemble. Since 2005, the quartet has maintained a special relationship with the Alexander Zemlinsky Foundation in Vienna.

The Zemlinsky Quartet performs regularly in the Czech Republic and abroad (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Monaco, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Canada, USA, Brazil, Japan, South Korea). Recent major appearances of the Zemlinsky Quartet include London’s Wigmore Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Library of Congress, Place des Arts in Montreal, Prague Spring Festival, and their New York debut on Schneider/New School Concerts Series. Their vast repertoire contains more than 200 works ranging from Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvorak to works by contemporary composers. The members of the ensemble also perform as soloists and are individual prize-winners of several competitions (Concertino Praga, Spohr International Competition Weimar, Tribune of Young Artists UNESCO, Rotary Music Competition Nürnberg, Beethoven International Competition, Kocian International Competition).

Between 2006-2011, the Zemlinsky Quartet were Assistant Quartet-in-Residence at Musikakademie Basel in Switzerland. Music education is an important part of their professional life and during their tours, the quartet is often invited to give master classes to students of any age. They also perform educational concerts for students. Recently, František Souček and Petr Holman have been appointed Professors at the Prague Conservatory.

Booklet for Mieczysław Weinberg: Piano Quintet, String Quartets Nos. 10 & 13