The founding of the 'Nuovo Quartetto Italiano' in 1945 occurred when quartet culture in Europe, especially Italy, had largely disappeared due to World War II and the end of fascism.
Performer Biography
The Quartetto Italiano was founded in Reggio Emilia in 1945, with a primary goal of performing music by Italian composers and spreading it internationally.
Recording & Production
This release features the string quartets of Luigi Cherubini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Dmitri Shostakovich performed by the Quartetto Italiano for the first time ever on CD.
Performer Biography
The Quartetto Italiano's strongest competitor, the Amadeus Quartet, also recorded a Mozart cycle around the same time, but the Amadeus Quartet included guest musicians and broader chamber music, while the Quartetto Italiano focused purely on the string quartet repertoire.
Interpretation
The Quartetto Italiano's interpretive approach, particularly evident in Maurice Ravel's Quartet, emphasizes meticulously worked-through small units joined under a sweeping arc, breaking the dominance of the upper voice.
Recording & Production
The historical publications by Audite are based on original analogue tapes from broadcasting archives, which achieve high quality even by today's standards.
Composition History
Luigi Boccherini, considered the father of the Italian string quartet, composed his first quartet in 1761 and went on to write ninety more by 1804.
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