Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: Rolston String Quartet, Miguel Da Silva, Gary Hoffman
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Fuga Libera
Release: 2019
Size: 736 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11
01. I. Moderato e semplice
02. II. Andante cantabile
03. III. Scherzo. Allegro non tanto e con fuoco
04. IV. Finale. Allegro giusto – Allegro vivace
Album for the Young, Op. 39
05. I. Morning Prayer (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky)
06. VI. The Sick Doll (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky)
07. VII. The Doll’s Funeral (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky)
08. IX. The New Doll (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky)
09. XIII. Kamarinskaja (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky)
Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
10. I. Allegro con spirito
11. II. Adagio cantabile e con moto
12. III. Allegretto moderato
13. IV. Allegro vivace
To us, the Rolston String Quartet, the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is simply irresistible – and so, a debut album containing only his finest chamber works was an obvious choice. Cherished for his memorable and beautifully simplistic melodies, Tchaikovsky’s music is innately joyous, virtuosic, and heart-wrenching, often all at once – yet never violent in nature. As musicians, we adore the charm and childhood nostalgia that Tchaikovsky is able to encompass from start to finish. In this album, we have selected a work from each of his early, middle, and late periods: his String Quartet No. 1 in D major, selections from his Children’s Album, and his beloved Souvenir de Florence for string sextet. Not only could we showcase a quartet that we treasure, but we were given the opportunity to
collaborate with two of the Chapel’s brilliant professors: violist Miguel da Silva and cellist Gary Hoffman. We gravitate towards Tchaikovsky’s chamber music more than other composers’ because of his stunning ability to write symphonically: right from the opening chords of the D major quartet, Tchaikovsky expands the sonic possibilities of the traditional string quartet towards that of a symphony orchestra. To round out the program are five delicate and endearing pieces: our favourite selections from Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album for solo piano, arranged for string quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky, the founding first violinist of the Borodin Quartet.