This recording celebrates the Asasello-Quartett's 20th anniversary and includes the very first recording of the string quartet version of Scriabin's Messe Noire.
Recording & Production
The recording sessions took place at Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal in Cologne, Germany, across multiple dates in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Compositional Technique
Ivan Wyschnegradsky's music explores quarter tones, expanding the accustomed hearing into a new space.
Historical Context
Arthur Vincent Lourié, a composer on this album, was the head of the music department of the Narkompros (People's Commissariat for Education) and authored the manifesto "We and the West."
Composition History
Alexander Scriabin, a composer featured on this album, completely omitted chamber music as a genre, but his influence is traced through various composers on this album.
Interpretation
The Asasello-Quartett's name is an homage to Asasello, a figure connected to the Russian avant-garde and the Faustian theme of tension between opposites.
Performer Biography
The Asasello-Quartett, a European string quartet based in Cologne, was founded in 2000 by students at the Basel Music Academy.
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