Quatuor Danel present Sergei Prokofiev’s rarely heard string quartets in a stunning new recording. Prokofiev composed only two quartets, yet these works reveal his genius in crafting masterpieces within a genre he rarely explored.
The String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50, was commissioned by the Library of Congress during Prokofiev’s American tour in 1930. Its intricate textures and unconventional form, culminating in a poignant slow finale, showcase Prokofiev’s unique voice and meticulous attention to detail. String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92, composed during Prokofiev’s wartime exile in the Caucasus, integrates Kabardinian folk themes into a vibrant, classical framework.
Completing the album is the Visions Fugitives, a series of fleeting miniatures originally written for piano and arranged for string quartet. This adaptation highlights Prokofiev’s kaleidoscopic tonal palette and lyrical depth. Recorded in the Mendelssohn Hall of Leipzig’s Gewandhaus in March 2024, this album offers a deeply immersive journey into Prokofiev’s “closed world” - a magical blend of drama, intimacy, and innovation that defines his chamber music legacy.
"Prokofiev’s Visions fugitives , 20 short pieces the composer wrote for piano between 1915 and 1917, performed here in an arrangement for string quartet by Sergei Samsonov, is perhaps a bit of an odd choice as a complement to the two string quartets, but the sad fact (our loss) is that Prokofiev didn’t really compose much chamber music. These two string quartets, a Quintet for mixed winds and strings, a couple of sonatas for violin and piano, a Sonata for cello and piano, a Sonata for two violins, and a Sextet, better known as Overture on Hebrew Themes , are about the extent of it, unless one counts a few miscellaneous pieces for violin and piano and for cello and piano. Though the Visions fugitives string quartet arrangement is not in Prokofiev’s hand, it makes more sense to me as a disc filler than does the Emerson Quartet’s choice of the two-violin sonata—the identical program offered by the Pavel Haas Quartet—or the St. Petersburg Quartet’s choice of a not very appealing 1985 string quartet by Georgian composer Zurab Nadarejshvili. And Energie Nove’s choice is certainly preferable to the Chilingrian Quartet’s filler on Chandos, which is nothing, a 43-minute disc I’m now retiring from my collection.
I’m hoping to hear a lot more from Quartetto Energie Nove in the future. Meanwhile, this new Prokofiev offering is strongly recommended." (FANFARE, Jerry Dubins)
booklet.pdf
曲目列表:
01. String Quartet No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 50 I. Allegro
02. String Quartet No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 50 II. Andante molto. Vivace.
03. String Quartet No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 50 III. Andante
04. String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 I. Allegro sostenuto
05. String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 II. Adagio
06. String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 III. Allegro. Andante molto.
07. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 1, Lentamente
08. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 2, Andante
09. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 3, Allegretto
10. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 4, Animato
11. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 5, Molto giocoso
12. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 6, Con eleganza
13. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 7, Pittoresco
14. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 8, Commodo
15. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 9, Allegro tranquillo
16. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 10, Ridicolosamente
17. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 11, Con vivacità
18. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 12, Assai moderato
19. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 13, Allegretto
20. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 14, Feroce
21. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 15, Inquieto
22. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 16, Dolente
23. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 17, Poetico
24. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 18, Con una dolce lentezza
25. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 19, Presto agitatissimo e molto accentuato
26. Visions fugitives, Op. 22 (Arr. for String Quartet by Sergei Samsonov) No. 20, Lento irrealmente