There's a new release on Bis from the Gringolts Quartet with Lilli
Maijala. I listened once on streaming, with a positive impression,
so intend to spend some more time with it at some point.... I enjoy
e.g. the "orchestral" feel they get from Op.88.

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I listened to the first movement of the G major Quintet. Sounds great.

BTW Lilli Maijala, the extra violist, is part of the Finnish artists'
community in Amsterdam - mostly a bunch of great musicians and
dancers.

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In article <[email protected]>,
Herman <[email protected]> wrote:

I listened to the first movement of the G major Quintet.

One of my favorite "canon" pieces....

BTW Lilli Maijala, the extra violist, is part of the Finnish artists' >community in Amsterdam - mostly a bunch of great musicians and
dancers.

I wasn't familiar with any of these performers, I don't believe,
but I'll probably listen to a few related recordings while I consider
these in more detail....

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Todd:
"There's a new release on Bis from the Gringolts Quartet with Lilli
Maijala. I listened once on streaming, with a positive impression,
so intend to spend some more time with it at some point.... I enjoy
e.g. the "orchestral" feel they get from Op.88."

What I don't understand is labels are still doing these museum-like
recordings. All of Brahms's string quintets. Admittedly, it's only two
pieces, but it's not like anyone isn't fully and duplicatedly aware
Brahms wrote these two pieces.

It would have been more fun and interesting if the Gringolts had done
one of the Brahms works (pref the F major) and recorded one or two more
works demonstrating that great chamber music was really getting composed
AFTER the year 1900, or even much later. A Reger work, a Hindemith piece
or even Kurtag or Ligeti, just to combat the ever shrinking repertoire.

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So, here is a live performance of Kurtag's Moments Musicaux op 44, a
piece which would have fitted very well after the Brahms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRz4WyCyryA

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So here is a live performance of Kurtag's Moments Musicaux op 44, which
would have fitted very well after the Brahms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRz4WyCyryA

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In article <[email protected]>,
Herman <[email protected]> wrote:

What I don't understand is labels are still doing these museum-like >recordings. All of Brahms's string quintets. Admittedly, it's only
two pieces, but it's not like anyone isn't fully and duplicatedly
aware Brahms wrote these two pieces.

You make a good point about expanding horizons, but on the practical
level, I might not have noticed the recording if it had been a
broader program....

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In article <v697an$poa$[email protected]>,
Todd M. McComb <[email protected]> wrote:

You make a good point about expanding horizons, but on the practical
level, I might not have noticed the recording if it had been a
broader program....

Actually, I wonder about the convention of releasing two such works
on one album, rather than only one! In the days of streaming/download,
there's not really a "value" equation around a CD-length program. So
the convention of hour-long programs may have no real meaning. Why
not put out e.g. Brahms Quintets one at a time?

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In article <v6986l$r8i$[email protected]>,
Todd M. McComb <[email protected]> wrote:

I wonder about the convention of releasing two such works on one
album, ....

In the first post I think I also mentioned this was on Bis, purchased
by Apple. Or at least I assume the purchase actually happened, so
presumably this is a release by Apple -- and in this specific
(typical) format. These sorts of "recording business" topics were
a part of the (not so) old RMCR....

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In article <v5v1vs$vvm$[email protected]>,
Todd M. McComb <[email protected]> wrote:

I wasn't familiar with any of these performers, I don't believe,
but I'll probably listen to a few related recordings while I
consider these in more detail....

I finally got around to listening to more from the Gringolts Quartet
today, their Schoenberg & Schumann albums. Theirs is a generally
articulate sound that I enjoy. Everything seems present & clear &
available to the ear, so to speak.

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Some of the Schoenberg quartets are on youtube, too, in live
performances from 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-4uJIHKYPc&t=315s

I couldn't help but notice this is one of those quartets that play one
very very historical instruments. Simionescu's alto (she's second from
left in this video) even predates Stradivari. Of course instruments this
old have been restored many times.

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In article <[email protected]>,
Herman <[email protected]> wrote:

I couldn't help but notice this is one of those quartets that play
on very very historical instruments.

I suppose that's a factor in my enjoyment of their sound? It's
kind of hard to say, in any really linear sense, since as you say,
the instruments have generally been modified....

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Todd: "I suppose that's a factor in my enjoyment of their sound? It's
kind of hard to say, in any really linear sense, since as you say,
the instruments have generally been modified...."

I have no doubt you can hear the particularities of these long-lived instruments in a live performance, and perhaps on a very good sound
system. Otherwise all I can say is you will hear that these four guys
are very happy with the instruments they lucked into.

As I suggested, a pre-1700 fiddle has eperienced so many modifications
and repairs I would be bet fifty percent of the hardware is modern.
Also, there are very good instruments being made both in Europe and the
USA and other places today. In a blind test today's best instruments
often win over Strads and the like... One of the best contemporary viola luthiers lives in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Ann Arbor, Michigan used to be a
veritable violin makers hub.

Don't get me started...

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