String Quartets 1-3

Ilya Gringolts completes his survey of the major Schumann chamber works with the 3 string quartets and one of the composer’s masterpieces, the piano quintet op 44.

Schumann: String Quartets, Op. 41 Nos. 1-3:
 No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1
 No. 2 in F major, Op. 41 No. 2
 No. 3 in A major, Op. 41 No. 3
 Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44

"These four fine players are consistently musical in their approach and there is nothing outlandish or suspect about their interpretations. And therein perhaps lies their weakness, for it's precisely that degree of risk-taking that makes this music come alive...There is elegance to the new reading, though, which can be persuasive, such as in the variation-form second movement of No. 2"
Gramophone Magazine - January 2012

"This new set...is of a very high standard: the account of the powerful first movement of the A minor is breathtakingly impressive - at times, Schumann's invention seems fit to burst the confines of four stringed instruments - and I was captivated by this intense performance throughout...a fine set of performances, very well recorded in a St Petersburg church in a rich and naturally warm acoustic."
International Record Review - January 2012