Mendelssohn: Quatuor à cordes, Op. 13 & 80 et Capriccio

Featuring

Philippe Bernhard
Loïc Rio
Laurent Marfaing
François Kieffer
Quatuor Modigliani
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

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Composition History

The two quartets on this album, Opus 13 and Opus 80, were musical reactions to the shock of death: the death of Beethoven in 1827 and his sister Fanny in 1847.

Composer Biography

Felix Mendelssohn, like Mozart and Schubert, was a child prodigy whose youthful works sometimes surpassed those of his elders at the same age.

Performer Biography

The Modigliani Quartet gained international recognition by winning three First Prizes at international competitions in Eindhoven (2004), Florence (2005), and New York (2006).

Composer's Artistic Vision

Although Mendelssohn's primary instrument was the piano, he was more attracted to string music and was particularly at ease composing for string ensembles.

Instruments

The Modigliani Quartet performs on four magnificent Italian instruments, including a 1780 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin and a 1706 Matteo Goffriller cello.

Composition History

Mendelssohn completed the Quartet Opus 80 in F minor, often called a 'Requiem for Fanny,' three months after his sister Fanny Hensel's death, and he died shortly after its completion.

Compositional Technique

The Quartet Opus 13 in A minor is deeply marked by Beethoven's influence, particularly his Quartet Opus 132, sharing its key and structural principles.