Search - Erwin Schulhoff, Prazák Quartet, Kocian Quartet :: Schulhoff: Chamber Music [Hybrid SACD]

Schulhoff: Chamber Music [Hybrid SACD]
Erwin Schulhoff, Prazák Quartet, Kocian Quartet
Schulhoff: Chamber Music [Hybrid SACD]
Genre: Classical
 
This the fourth in Praga's series under the rubric of "Czech Degenerate Music," the term "degenerate" being an ironic reference to the Nazi's perverse label for Jewish artists and musical styles that they deemed undesirabl...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Erwin Schulhoff, Prazák Quartet, Kocian Quartet
Title: Schulhoff: Chamber Music [Hybrid SACD]
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Praga Czech Rep.
Release Date: 9/14/2004
Album Type: Hybrid SACD - DSD, Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Instruments, Reeds & Winds
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 794881740864

Synopsis

Amazon.com
This the fourth in Praga's series under the rubric of "Czech Degenerate Music," the term "degenerate" being an ironic reference to the Nazi's perverse label for Jewish artists and musical styles that they deemed undesirable. Schulhoff died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1942; his music was largely forgotten until recently, when it became apparent that he was among the era's most talented composers. The 1924-1925 works here are neoclassical, with bracing touches of expressionistic angst and sardonic humor. Influences include jazz, Czech folk dance, Stravinsky, and modern French composers (Poulenc and Milhaud are dedicatees, and the Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass is reminiscent of Debussy). The opening work, Five Pieces for String Quartet, is a delightful romp through various dances including the tango; the Duo for Violin and Cello, a successful blend of Czech folk melody with severe neo-classicism. The String Sextet is a harmonically adventurous work whose darker shadows never exclude melodic inventiveness. Featuring two of the top Czech ensembles, the performances are outstanding. --Dan Davis
 

CD Reviews

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Richard Nelson | Chicago, IL | 01/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of four works by Ervin Schulhoff, a gifted composer robbed of his career and his due by the Nazis, makes a strong case for the notion that more of his music deserves such loving treatment. The string quartet that opens the disc is a fluttering delight, while later works pick up foreboding hints from the first and turn darker, though never departing from Schulhoff's overall, slightly jazz-infused and exciting sound. The playing is superb, and the sonics throughout are stellar; this is what Super Audio CD technology is all about! Buy this disc, if only to encourage record labels to release more of Schulhoff's under-appreciated music in this format and give the man the audience he deserves."