Gál believed that true emotion in music is best sublimated through form and structure, filtered by the rigorous discipline of composition.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Snelman's Hall in Kokkola, Finland, across two sessions in May and June 2021, with Simon Fox-Gál as the recording producer, editor, and mastering engineer.
Composer Biography
Hans Gál, born near Vienna in 1890, experienced Europe's political upheavals, including the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the rise of the Nazi regime, which forced him into British exile.
Composition History
The String Quintet, composed in 1976 when Gál was 86, and a subsequent Clarinet Quintet, were considered by Gál to be his last substantial works and the conclusion of his compositional life's work.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gál often used titles like Burla, Burletta, con Umore, or references to commedia dell' arte in his music, suggesting he used irony and humor as a mask to detach from direct emotional exposure.
Performer Biography
Katalin Kertész, a versatile artist, is equally at home on both historical and modern instruments and has performed for the Queen and Princess Anne at Windsor Castle.
Performer Biography
Lauri Pulakka, a cellist and founding member of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, tragically passed away between the recording and release of this CD.
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Klebanov: Chamber Works
Joly Braga Santos: Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 1
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