THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS QUARTETTO ITALIANO

Berlin, 1951-1963 GAETANO DONIZETTI (1797-1848) String Quartet No. 7 in F minor I. Agitatissimo 5:48 II. Adagio, ma non troppo 5:30 III. Presto 4:51 IV. Marcia lugubre 6:15 recording: October 18, 1959 • RIAS Funkhaus, Berlin – Studio 7

LUIGI CHERUBINI (1760-1842) String Quartet No. 5 in F major I. Moderato assai – Allegro 7:55 II. Adagio 6:49 III. Scherzo. Allegro non troppo 5:38 IV. Finale. Allegro vivace 5:15 recording: October 13, 1958 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

GIAN FRANCESCO MALIPIERO (1882-1973) String Quartet No. 4 Allegro 8:29 Allegro 6:42 recording: October 13, 1963 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108 I. Allegretto 3:32 II. Lento 4:05 III. Allegro 5:37 recording: October 13, 1963 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) String Quartet in F major I. Allegro moderato 8:44 II. Assez vif. Très rythmé 6:58 III. Très lent 9:05 IV. Vif et agité 5:57 recording: October 18, 1959 • RIAS Funkhaus, Berlin – Studio 7 FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828) String Quartet No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 168 I. Allegro ma non troppo 11:31 II. Andante sostenuto 10:13 III. Menuetto. Allegro 5:59 IV. Presto 4:51 recording: February 25, 1951 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 41/2 I. Allegro vivace 6:05 II. Andante, quasi Variazioni 8:13 III. Scherzo. Presto – Trio. L‘istesso tempo – Coda 3:04 IV. Allegro molto vivace 4:10 recording: February 26, 1951 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809) String Quartet in G major, Op. 77/1 (Hob. III: 81) I. Allegro moderato 5:41 II. Adagio 7:53 III. Menuetto. Presto 4:47 IV. Finale. Presto 3:32 recording: February 26, 1951 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz ROBERT SCHUMANN String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 41/3 I. Andante espressivo – Allegro molto moderato 5:54 II. Assai agitato 7:51 III. Adagio molto 8:17 IV. Finale. Allegro molto vivace 7:24 recording: October 13, 1958 • Siemensvilla, Berlin-Lankwitz

QUARTETTO ITALIANO Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. Numerous composers were influenced by Corelli’s achievements, culminating in the countless violin concertos and violin violin and concertos violin countless the in culminating achievements, Corelli’s by influenced were composers Numerous Gesù. del Guarneri and Stradivari grossi – was made possible not least by the spread of string instruments, around starting 1670, from the Cremona school of famous violin makers Antonio and glory with purely instrumental music (without leaving behind any operas or sacred music). His work – mainly trio sonatas, violin sonatas, and concerti mental music for strings musical and string ensembles experienced an early Italy’s heyday. Arcangelo Corelli dominated was probably the first opera composerto succeed in achievingfame question, Without however: deceiving, be can life throughout the nineteenth century. But what is forgotten often Appearances is that at song. the beginning of art the seventeenth the centuryor – in the early Baroque era – instru concerto, the symphony, the music, chamber is it whether itself, besides genre musical forany space allownotother does inItaly “Melodramma” the glance, at first At least of opera. land the is considered Italy opera? of land the Italy, Italiano Quartetto The into his music the ideas that he encountered during his editing work (like his countryman Ottorino Respighi). In the wake of a return to the ideals of the eighteenth eighteenth the of ideals the to conflict return a dramatic of of avoidance the in wake apparent the was This In music. Baroque of means Respighi). expressive and forms the upon drew composers of Ottorino generation entire an century, countryman his (like work editing his during encountered he that ideas the music his into Monte of Claudio music of the revival the to contributions for great his Known for years. many repertoire Italiano’s Quartetto the of part formed recording, this on heard (1934) Malipiero, Francesco Quartet by Gian String Fourth The 1972. in premiered orchestra, and quartet com Piedmontese of the Quartet String Second the including contemporaries, Italian Leona their by to dedicated exclusively quartet almost were performed string they for premieres few the And Corelli. Arcangelo transcriptions and compositions included musicians young the by rehearsed works first The and spread it internationally. music fellow the of their countrymen perform to goals was one of four the Inaddition, primary presence. musicians’ or nec international was It aims. principal its of one a national with no role models had almost young ensemble the years, in those undoubtedly culture; was quartet name of Italian a tradition ensemble’s if not re-establish the establish, to at time the honoring essary of idea the 1945, in Emilia Reggio in founded was Italiano Quartetto the When countrymen fellow their of music performs Italiano Quartetto The 1873. in Eminor, in written Quartet String Verdi’s popular Giuseppe was developments these to answer The audience. an receive to began quartets string Beethoven’s time – and at same the in Italy kindled was culture in German a interest renewed enthusiasm, 1870, of around wake Wagnerian in the until when Beet and this terrain Mozart, firmly under Haydn, of control.But withthe beginning triumvirate ofthe the nineteenth Alps; century, the the opera across crowded out instrumental northward music way tothe point their of found insignificance these of few Relatively works. 550 around with alone Italy Over the following years thirty up to around 1800, the writing of string developed quartets into an extremely popular fashion, enriching the musical life of productivity only by Giuseppe Cambini, an Italian-born composer active in Paris from the 1770s onward, who behind left at least 149 composed in his firstquartet of string quartet, the Italian 1761,which wasto be followed by another ninety bythe year Hewas surpassed interms of1804. form of the “classical” string asquartet it was developed by Joseph Haydn during his middle creative period). Luigi Bocche that Joseph Haydn was writing his first string (Many quartets. ofthe early however, Italian quartets, stillhad little very in common withthe structure and the firsttime (with FilippoManfredi, Giuseppe Cambini, and LuigiBoccherini), for which the for fourFlorence musicians in composedtheir quartet own works string – a at the same timefounded Nardini Pietro 1710 composer and 1760between 1730.violinist Around and the Vivaldi Antonio by written sonatas poser Giorgio Ghedini (1892-1965) Ghedini Giorgio ­poser writ – Italy’s contribution to the string quartet Olympus quartet string the to contribution Italy’s ten in 1959,­ten and I semi di Gramsci by the Flo by the rentine composer Sylvano Bussotti (born 1931) (born Bussotti string for Sylvano composer ­rentine verdi and Antonio Vivaldi, Malipiero incorporated incorporated Malipiero Vivaldi, ­verdi and Antonio rdo Vinci (1690–1730), Luigi Boccherini, and and Boccherini, Luigi (1690–1730), Vinci ­rdo ­rini, who is considered the father Quatuors concertants Quatuors hoven had had ­hoven - - . QUARTETTO ITALIANO 1835, seven years before Schumann’s three quartets op. 41, it is stylistically closer to the latter stages of the Classical period than to Romanticism. More lyrical lyrical More Romanticism. to than period Classical of the stages latter to the closer op. 41, it is stylistically quartets three Schumann’s 1835,before seven years poser who no was longer accepting opera commissions, instead composing string for quartets his own pleasure. Although was the written in Quartet Fifth later. years afew quartets last his composed who Beethoven, of that to than music his to melodies, drawn-out and character closer, is its it in music, Schubert’s before years 1819, in several composed work early an is minor F in the composer’s Quartet operas that are well-knownSeventh today, The career. but at his about of the same time as Schubert’s great Though beginning quartets. Donizetti the did at not have any knowledge of quartets string his 1797, in wrote Schubert compro ever without guise altered in repeatedly awareness. our into flash return models, that early Malipiero’s of one Ravel’sof Quartet, characters memories passages, some In the work. different of tone unified very the of mising movements form, concentrated in presents, which Quartet String Fourth and a frequent use of polyphonic compositional techniques, together with a lightness and dance-like in quality the rhythm. All this can also be found in Malipiero’s 1 culture intet remained Europe had– andlong evenera since indays wakethe so the ofless pre-war of majorthe final asin fascism the ensembles –Italy of 1951). until quar a living scarcely performing at when a came time continued founding The that ensemble from a then-active apart themselves set to name this all war, the of end the after months two (Using Italiano.” Just Quartetto “Nuovo the 20, they Bonucci. founded on August 1945, specifically Arturo time, this During to rehearse. cellist again once of together came four musicians guidance the under minor G in Quartet String Debussy’s Claude perform and rehearse Forzanti Lionello violist with joining again, time. oldthethey atmet later years Two years twenty-one and eighteen Rossi, Franco andcellist Pegreffi, Elisa violinist Borciani, Paolo violinist Spezia: in La a competition during met World Second of the War, middle musicians In the aspiring 1940, year three the it was listener. prospects future and Beginnings the to accessible them making and pieces dodecaphonic and non-tonal predominantly the illuminating of challenge the relished they and temperament, natural musicians’ the suited Webern’s of miniatures texture intricate the 1970. in Perhaps ­ quartets string Stra his of Igor by recording brilliant a oeuvre releasing ensemble quartet the limited very entire, the and Quartet, First his only later Quartet, Sixth Bartók’s Béla performed initially They entirely. almost tonality of limits the beyond gone had that music shunned they but composers, Seiber non-Italian by Mátyás and Britten Benjamin contemporaries their and day present the toward Purcell’s Henry to include past the toward repertoire its broadened Quartet Amadeus British-based the contrast, several Historically, Italiano the Quartetto tended to expand its repertoire in the direction of the past rather than its own present, performing transcriptions of music –New music Early him.” of think we will highly more the him, understand to more learn wethe us: to speaks who foreigner anoble but arewe addressed, which in language native familiar our isnot “It unusual: it finding to admitted Schumann Robert in 1838, quartets of one Cherubini’s he heard When scene. opera evokes a trio veritable movement third the parts but third, of the outer the and movement second the in as passages, some in Schubert recalls it that in quartet Donizetti’s resembles language tonal its dramatic, than Piero Farulli Farulli Piero In contrast to Donizetti’s quartets, Luigi Cherubini’s string quartets are late works; the Fifth Quartet in F major is the work of a seventy-five-year-old com in work of F is the a major seventy-five-year-old Quartet Fifth the works; are late quartets string Cherubini’s Luigi quartets, to Donizetti’s In contrast Luigi Cherubini and Gaetano Donizetti have both gone down in the history of music as opera composers. Donizetti, who was born the same year as Franz Canzonipersonar followed Lionello Forzanti as violist in 1947 in violist as Forzanti Lionello followed from the pen of the Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, which mark the transition from late Renaissance to early Baroque. In [audite 21.429]. The Quartetto Italiano tended to avoid modern music music modern avoid to tended Italiano Quartetto The 21.429]. [audite vinsky. A striking exception was the work of Anton Webern, with with Webern, Anton of work the was exception striking A vinsky. Fantasias and and Chacony , and at the same time time same the at , and 1 to to - - -

QUARTETTO ITALIANO The music of the Viennese Classicists Viennese the of music The predecessors. their as tradition of line same the to belong also musicians the Farulli, Piero teacher their through and generation,” “grandchildren’s the of part as itself sees Cremona di Quartetto today. The Italy of culture quartet the extent a great to represents 2012) that since by audite ensemble – an released been have CD recordings (their in2000 founded di Cremona, Quartetto thein successor afound worthy finally Italiano turn the Quartetto and the to up new of millennium, the rapidly increased the quartets of new of year number 1981The (the Italy. in began after culture until not quartet of was it renaissance 1954; a in that Italiano) founded Quartetto the cellist), of as dissolution final Bonucci Arturo (with Quartet Carmirelli the by only years ensuing the in followed were on appeared playing in 1947. quartet they quartets modern In Italy and Amadeus of Janáček in 1946, and the epitome Quartet the and LaSalle be to Quartet String in 1945, Juilliard the Italiano Quartetto the internationally scene: the considered were 1970s, and 1960s the in that, ensembles the years, three just Within generation. young the for opportunity invaluable an be proved to development tragic This circumstances. political to due emigrate to forced been or disbanded confronted in those days, and the skepticism with which Schumann’s (at the time) less well-known works were heard and received fifty years ago, are attested ago,are attested years fifty and received were heard works (at well-known Schumann’s time) less the which with skepticism and the days, in those confronted buthand, also as an outlying region within RobertSchumann’s oeuvre as a whole. The of listening the audience expectations which with the musicians were recording, which Italiano the Quartetto performed frequently and with enthusiasm, may also be counted among these – as a regional side path on the one individual works by Alexander Borodin, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky. The string quartets by Schumann Robert heard onthis Twelfth was Quartet added. Hungary contributed Béla Bartók’s first andthe sixth quartets, Czech RepublicAntonín Dvořák’s genre’s the of two provided music French Ravel, Maurice and Debussy Claude by quartets of pair the century: with twentieth early the from mostly music, chamber European of variants regional diverse the was repertoire Italiano’s Quartetto the of focus third A music chamber European in regions different Hofstetter. Roman by Haydn’s contemporary authored was it findings, current to according – recording the before year a counterfeit a as unmasked was which “Serenade,” nicknamed 5, no. 3, op. quartet early very the with along quartets late very the of four just recorded career. They their of years later the in Haydn’s to quartets marginally only themselves dedicated they Beet to devoted was Italiano Quartetto 1931,from previously-mentioned the and Orchestra and Quartet String for Concerto Martinů’s Bohuslav curiosities: rare of category the in them places combination instrumental whose works two Mozart’s Clarinet and Quintet, towards the end of it they performed Brahms’s F-minor Piano Quintet several times with Mauri for de Bavier Antoine-Pierre with joined they career of their at beginning the were purists: colleagues Italian their musicians, guest with collaborating enjoyed latter the While for strings. music chamber complete Mozart’s record to endeavored Quartet Amadeus the repertoire, quartet string on the purely focused Italiano Quartetto the whereas later.But years few a only it completed and time same the around at cycle Mozart their prepared Quartet, Amadeus the of Haydn. that more so and much than of Beethoven music the even more so than perfection, musical and 1966 between realized they which quartets, string Mozart’s of recording 1973 with complete their record the label at the time. The music probably of Mozart seems was to have been close to their sound achievement ideal, their elegant playing greatest and style, their vision Their of recordings. and concerts Italiano’s Quartetto the in role central a played Schubert) (and Beethoven and Mozart, Haydn, Classicists Viennese the of music the beginning, the From hoven’s string quartets, but their Schubert project remained unfinished. One mystery remains, however, why namely remains, One mystery unfinished. remained project Schubert their but ­hoven’s quartets, string I seme di Gramsci by Sylvano Bussotti for the same setting. The second major complete recording undertaken by the the by undertaken recording complete major second The setting. same the for Bussotti Sylvano by

Their strongest competitor on the European continent, continent, European the on competitor strongest Their piècesde résistance American Quartet American , to which Darius Milhaud’s ­zio Pollini. They also played , and Russia Russia , and QUARTETTO ITALIANO interpretive approach, which can be heard most clearly in the present recording of Maurice Ravel’s to Quartet: an even greater extent than in the later LP Italianothe was eager Quartetto to surprise their audience in their concerts (and initially with their recordings as well). Another surprising classics, the facet is their repertoire, core the on always was focus chief whose Quartet, Amadeus the to contrast In today). it enter have to yet which of (and some time at the repertoire standard the entered yet not had that works of consists it Ravel, and Haydn of quartets two the besides that is today) produced are Kultur from 1951 recorded of Deutschlandfunk Italiano programs the 1963(where to Studios at Berlin’s RIAS Quartetto the that repertoire of the aspect A notable RIAS the at Berlin visits Italiano Quartetto The merit.” would value its than effect 41, opus greater 1to no. Quartet A-minor monotonous cally sweetness canto-like bel or elegance virtuoso “...with follows: as reads which Berlin’s 15, in 1969 January from review the is regard this in surpass to Difficult fashion. drastic in often reviews, concert contemporary by to Shostakovich can be heard performed by the Quartetto Italiano for the first time ever on CD. on ever time first the for Italiano Quartetto by the performed heard be can Shostakovich studio’s the legendaryof music divisioninstinct directorunerring of and the time, Elsa Schiller.farsightedness Withthe this to release, the string of quartets Luigitestament a Cherubini, is Gaetano Donizetti, andcritics, Dmitrithe by ignored virtually was which Waldsee, am 1952Haus the 26, at February on concert Berlin first of their occasion on the RIAS the to invited were already they that fact The concert. the or after a day before agenda on the was Studios apparent). become already had of fatigue signs certain when ensemble, of the dissolution the before years three only written was review this that mentioned any of think cannot I melancholy. of touch a by be it should cellist, of the overshadowed judgement the regarding of fairness: usually interest the is (In competently.” cello the plays He simply Rossi. Franco to say about special thing musicality powerful his so And concerto. viola a into turned be cannot quartet string Elisa in drawing from violinist, her the part utmost in characterization.second Pierothe Farulli, is the violist, loves anoopportunity big, loses she fullantipode sound.His excitable, Sometimes he seemsandnervously to suffer fromenergy with the fact that aviolinist. Bursting ensemble. thein first a from personality anddistinctive expects interesting most the one undoubtedly Pegreffi, dominance leading the of necessarily not but sleepy, exactly not restrained, is ment characterization of “Paolo the Borciani quartet: is first and foremost an aesthete who seesto itthat he does nottoo attract much attention. His tempera the In productions. radio extreme through intensive rehearsing, the to but without possible the ever of limits exceeding the push to these have been to limits seems – this could Italiano already be heard Quartetto the of in their early principles recordings, the of One as well as interpretation. in these asaccharine invites practically previously-mentioned the way, with as same very the in “temptations” other approached Italiano Quartetto the that by to fact the midday is also musicsouthern is insun. bright Thatthe shines not this attested the soberness be to confused with miss who Those filling. as merely or role incidental an serve never Parisian which the voices, middle the of favor in broken is – voices four all of equality and homogeneity the is writing quartet string classical of feature central a – voice upper the of dominance The arc. sweeping a under together joined time same the at and through worked meticulously are which units, smallest the from up built is form The playing. fresco al impressionistic from liberated is work the recording, Rüdiger RIAS the in production a times, four 1951 first 1979. the between and During halls concert Berlin in times ten of total a appeared Italiano Quartetto The Albrecht | fin-de-siècle flair, perhaps finding a certain soberness in its place, are compensated by a very clear and meticulous presentation of the of score here – presentation meticulous and clear by very a arecompensated place, its in soberness certain finding a flair,perhaps

review of the concert on September 23, 1977 published in the the in 1977 23, published September on concert the of review

[...] they performed Schumann’s at times limp and contourless, at times rhythmi times at contourless, and limp times at Schumann’s performed they [...] Berliner Morgenpost Berliner Serenade by Hofstetter, an innocuous yet pretty Rococo piece that that piece Rococo pretty yet innocuous an by Hofstetter,

Translation: Translation: , we can read the following somewhat humorous humorous somewhat following the read wecan , Aaron Epstein Tagesspiegel - - - , recording producer: Salomon (1951), Reuschel (1958 + 1963), Destinn (1959) rights: audite claims all rights arising from copyright law and competition law recording engineer: Heinz Opitz (1951, 1958 + 1959), Kiehn (1963) in relation to research, compilation and re-mastering of the original audio tapes, as well as the publication of these takes. Violations will be prosecuted. Eine Aufnahme von RIAS Berlin We have made every attempt to clear rights for all material pre- (lizenziert durch Deutschlandradio) sented here. Should you nonetheless believe that we have accidentally recording: P 1951-1963 Deutschlandradio infringed your rights, please let us know at your earliest convenience. research: Rüdiger Albrecht We will endeavour to resolve any issues immediately. remastering: Ludger Böckenhoff, 2019 photos: Courtesy of Associazione Amici del Quartetto “Guido A. Borciani” (Reggio Emilia, Italy), Società del Quartetto di Milano (Milan, Italy). The historical publications at audite are based, without exception, on Piero Farulli (viola) followed Lionello Forzanti in 1947 the original tapes from broadcasting archives. In general these are the original analogue tapes, which attain an astonishingly high quality, even art direction and design: AB-Design MASTERst measured by today’s standards, with their tape speed of up to 76 cm/ RELEASE sec. The remastering – professionally competent and sensitively ORIGINAL TAPES applied – also uncovers previously hidden details of the interpreta- tions. Thus, a sound of superior quality results. Publications based on e-mail: [email protected] 1 private recordings from broadcasts cannot be compared with these. © 2019 Ludger Böckenhoff