Dvorák wrote his String Quartet opus 96 in just three days while on holiday in Spillville, a little colony of Bohemian emigrants in Iowa. He stayed there in the pleasant company of farmers, friendly priests and hearty housewives, among whom he could speak his native language. It has been suggested that this may explain the relative simplicity of the work. About his stay in Spillville Dvorák wrote: ‘As far as my new Symphony, the F-major String Quartet and the Piano Quintet (written here in Spillville) are concerned – I would never have written them in this way if I had not seen America’.
The themes of the four movements seem to originate from Bohemian or American folk tunes, in view of the fact that they are based on the pentatonic scale F-G-A-C-D. The second movement suggests a melancholic negro spiritual, as if the Bohemian Dvorák is writing to get his own homesickness out of his mind. The sparkling third movement (Scherzo) imitates the rhapsodic warbling of an American bird, the Scarlet Tanager. The quartet closes with a rondo in which echoes are heard of the church music of ‘Bohemian’ Spillville, which Dvorák and his wife regularly took part in. And do we also hear a steam train speeding along in the distance?
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:03:36
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 39417 |
| Qualities | DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Cables | van der Hul |
| Digital Converters | Horus |
| Editing Software | Pyramix |
| Mastering Engineer | Jared sacks |
| Mastering Room | Grimm LS1 |
| Microphones | Bruel & Kyaer |
| Mixing Board | Rens Heijnis custom made |
| Instruments | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording location | Renswoude, The Netherlands |
| Recording Software | Merging |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD256 |
| Release Date | May 20, 2017 |
Press reviews
Audiophile Audition [Best Of The Year]
(…) debut recording of a powerhouse Chinese ensemble (…) This could be the group that moves into the spot vacated by the now defunct Tokyo String Quartet. It is a tremendous debut and very well recorded.
Luister
Wat we horen is strijkkwartetspel op hoog niveau. Virtuoos, fraai van klank (…)
klassik.com
Mit ihrer ersten CD liefern die vier Musiker des Dragon Quartet eine erstklassige Leistung ab. Ihre in jeder Hinsicht stimmige Interpretation zeigt, dass man auch häufig gespielte Werke immer wieder aufs Neue entdecken kann. (…) Schon nach den ersten Takten von Schuberts Streichquartett weiß der Hörer, dass die Solisten des Dragon Quartet genau wissen, was sie da tun. (…) Auch das ‚Amerikanische’ Quartett von Dvo?ák steht seinem Vorgänger hinsichtlich der Stimmigkeit der Interpretation, der Ausgewogenheit des Klangs, der Brillanz der Virtuosität und nicht zuletzt der Schönheit des Klangs in nichts nach. (…) Vielversprechender kann ein Debut kaum sein.
Music Emotion
Zeer fraaie uitvoering.
Diapason
La dynamique, l’intonation et la cohésion sont en tout cas superlatives.
De Volkskrant
Schubert springt bij de Chinezen tevoorschijn als een gespierde dichter. En Dvorák toont zijn weemoed zonder effectbejag.
Nederlands Dagblad
Ze geven een levendige, op en top muzikale interpretatie van deze muziek.
The Guardian
If you don’t already have recordings and want this combination, these are fresh, played with pinpoint accuracy, well paced and free from excessive vibrato (noticeably in the opening bars of the Schubert). If “Death in the Maiden” feels a little cool for some tastes, the Dvorák is a delight.
Opus Klassiek
Ze kennen hun Dvorák en hun Schubert, en ze spelen … de sterren van de hemel. (…)
een opname die klinkt als een klok.
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