094 CD / Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Octet op. 20 & Quartet op. 44,1

6 reviews for 094 CD / Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Octet op. 20 & Quartet op. 44,1

1. Musik extra – 1. January 2002

   The Auryn Quartet continues its path of success: with Mendelssohn’s sun-drenched D major Quartet Op. 44 No. 1, the musicians have achieved a masterpiece of pulsating, exuberantly lively interpretation. Together with the Cologne-based Minguet Quartet, they carry this same spontaneity over into the Octet. A brilliant blend of technical discipline and spirited wit.
   R.S.

2. Fono Forum – 1. January 2002

   Un-idyllic
   There are those who believe Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was an all-round idyllic composer—pleasant, harmless, like the nice neighbor next door. That is exactly what you will not hear on this CD. Things are tumultuous here. No dithering. No trace of sweet trivialization. Instead, you hear musical eruptions of a kind you would hardly think possible from four—or even eight—string players.
   Thanks are due to the Auryn Quartet, who have recorded the String Quartet Op. 44 No. 1 and, together with the Minguet Quartet, the Octet Op. 20 with truly stirring intensity. Test point: fourth movement, Presto. You’d never guess that two ensembles are at work here. In this fugato, they unleash a storm of exuberant playfulness that effortlessly embraces even the unsettling. From the very first second it becomes clear, as the cellos start growling as if they had been kept in a cage for the previous three movements. Then one voice gives the cue to the next, and all plunge into general tumult. But far from leading to disorientation—at key moments they pull back in unison, without ever losing tension. The effervescent coda alone is worth the recording.
   For the quartet as well, the Auryn proves to be a veritable fountain of youth. Inventive, daring, and with almost unbridled verve, they make chamber music without ever racing past the subtleties, despite the whirlwind pace. And what intimacy in the slow third movement! Never contrived, always deeply felt. Expansive cantilenas are paired with weighty accompanying pizzicatos.
   Christoph Vratz

3. Rheinische Post – 1. January 2002

   I have often wondered whether Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s E-flat major Octet Op. 20 should, strictly speaking, fall under the Narcotics Act. When eight string instruments—thus, according to the legal text, “plant matter in processed or unprocessed form”—and their sounds force such unrestrained access to the human sensory center that states of intoxication and uncontrollable feelings of bliss ensue, surely the public prosecutor ought to intervene. From my own consumption I know that this party drug (disguised under the cunningly inconspicuous title “Octet”) has often been used to liven up boring gatherings, provoking reactions such as humming along, euphoria, melancholy, and ecstasy.
   As a good citizen, I feel I must tip off the prosecutor that he should in particular confiscate the exciting, poppy-red-glowing recording of the work by the Auryn and Minguet Quartets and put a judicial stop to its circulation. At the same time, he must ensure that potential addicts cannot still quickly stock up on this dangerous Auryn-Minguet mix preparation in clubs and backrooms.
   Wolfram Goertz

4. Diapason – 1. January 2002

   We had been waiting for the Auryn Quartet in Mendelssohn. Their remarkable complete Schubert cycle, followed by equally inspired Grieg and Schumann recordings, had already revealed an enthusiasm and energy one could easily imagine blending perfectly with the sparkling, fairy-like elegance of Mendelssohn’s world. The result fully lives up to expectations.

   While Mendelssohn’s effervescent Octet often suffers from being performed by two quartets, here it radiates an impeccable homogeneity, without that cohesion ever dulling its chamber-like character. The savor of the strings, the vitality of the phrasing, the fervor of the discourse, and the depth of the sonic contours allow this Octet to stand comparison with the very best—starting with the famous Archibudelli reading.

   The Quartet Op. 44 No. 1 is likewise brimming with passion, springing and dream-like, as refined as lace, as blazing as crimson, with that touch of nervous tension already perceptible in some of the Auryns’ earlier interpretations.

   Jerome Bastianelli

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   Original Review in French language:

   On attendait les Auryn dans Mendelssohn. Leur remarquable intégrale Schubert, puis des Grieg et des Schumann également fort inspirés avaient montré un enthousiasme et une énergie que l′on imaginait s′acoquiner parfaitement avec le bouillonnement féerique et élégant de l′univers mendelssohnien. Le résultat est à la hauteur de nos espérances. Alors qu′il pâtit souvent d′être imerprété par deux quatuors, le pétillant Octuor du jeune Felix est ici d′une homogénéité impeccable, sans que cette cohésion n′altère son caractère chambriste. La saveur des cordes, la tonicité des phrasés, la ferveur du discours, la profondeur du relief sonore permettent ainsi à cet Octuor de soutenir la comparaison avec les meilleurs, à commencer par la célèbre lecture signée par l′Archibudelli. Le Quatuor op. 44 n° l est également fougueux à souhait, bondissant et rêveur, raffiné comme une dentelle, flamboyant comme le carmin, avec ce soupcon de nervosité que l′on avait pu décéler dans certaines des précédentes lectures des Auryn…“
   Jerome Bastianelli

5. Klassik heute – 1. November 2001

   There are discs which can give the critic instant joy. This recording of Mendelssohn′s string chamber music on the TACET Label – also available on DVD – is one of that unusual breed. The interpretation of the octet sounds so astonishingly charming, vital and vivid that you can sense the euphoria the 16-year-old Mendelssohn experienced in creating it. Here we hear music in its most optimistic form, as an acoustic expression of joie de vivre. The crystal-clear recording quality and the stable tonal picture, clearly audible even in the orchestral passages, are largely responsible for this impression.
   Robert Spoula

6. Pizzicato – 1. September 2001

   […]The composer would have been delighted with this interpretation of his octet: in the surround sound of the DVD Audio the listener sits in the middle of the eight musicians, who are placed around him or her in the form of four string trios. But it is not only the sound that we find so good: above all it is the pulsating music-making of the Auryn and the Minguet Quartets which is so enthralling. The overflowing melody, the wealth of colour, the swing and bounce of the music are quite remarkable. Strong musical fire burns in this interpretation…
   Rémy Franck