Taneyev: Complete String Quartets Vol. 3 Carpe Diem String Quartet

• Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915): String Quartet No. 7 in E-Flat Major
• 1I. Allegro12:56
• 2II. Adagio cantabile09:56
• 3III. Scherzo05:16
• 4IV. Finale. Allegro molto09:56
• String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 13
• 5I. Allegro con spirito09:18
• 6II. Adagio espressivo06:35
• 7III. Allegro molto03:44
• 8IV. Presto04:33
• Total Runtime01:02:14

Info for Taneyev: Complete String Quartets Vol. 3

Sergey Taneyev was a pivotal figure in Russian musical life. A student and later close friend of Tchaikovsky, he was the teacher of Rachmaninov and Scriabin. Taneyev’s chamber music is some of the most distinguished music of its time, expertly crafted and revealing a masterly control of form. His quartets are especially notable. No 7 in E flat major is an early work whose classicism recalls Mozart and Beethoven but whose expressive power is concentrated in its lovely slow movement. No 5 in A major, Op 13 is a melodically appealing work, at times energetic and dramatic, at others playful and exuberant.

The Carpe Diem String Quartet is a boundary-breaking ensemble that has earned widespread critical and audience acclaim for its innovative and electrifying performances. The quartet is dedicated to community engagement, and regularly performs programmes specifically designed to relate to audiences of all ages, even making use of video game songs and TV and movie theme music, such as The Simpsons. Through diverse musical partnerships with artists from many different genres, programming that reflects a passion for Gypsy, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music alongside the traditional string quartet repertoire, Carpe Diem is committed to pushing the limits of the classical string quartet and revitalizing the chamber music experience.

The Quartet champions the music of living composers, and has commissioned, premièred, and performed works from a stylistically diverse range of composers including Frank Bennett, Danny Elfman, Ken Fuchs, Korine Fujiwara, Osvaldo Golijov, André Hajdu, Donald Harris, Jennifer Higdon, Jonathan Leshnoff, Nicholas Maw, William Thomas McKinley, Clancy Newman, Carter Pann, Kevin Putts, Eric Sawyer, Gunther Schuller, Richard Smoot, Bradley Sowash, and Bruce Wolosoff, among others.

„…the Carpe Diems display a good deal of poise and commitment to Taneyev’s deserving cause…the Carpe Diem Quartet’s set is the one to have. Audio quality is very good in its way …and Anastasia Belina-Johnson’s booklet notes are interesting and well written.“ (MusicWeb International)

„…the Carpe Diem gives us superb accounts of both works with virtuosity to spare.“

„…the recordings present a wide soundstage in a sere studio environment. The string tone is musically bright, and the individual instruments clearly delineated revealing all the subtleties of these intricately structured quartets.“(Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found)

Charles Wetherbee, violin
Amy Galluzzo, violin
Korine Fujiwara, viola
Carol Ou, cello

Carpe Diem String Quartet
One of the most unique and sought-after chamber ensembles on the concert stage today, the Carpe Diem String Quartet performed over 90 concerts in 33 states across the USA in the 2011-12 season, most recently playing for an audience of over 4000 at the Redlands Bowl in southern California. Carpe Diem is a boundary-breaking ensemble that has earned widespread critical and audience acclaim for its innovative programming and electrifying performances. With programming that reflects its passions for Gypsy, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music alongside the traditional string quartet repertoire, Carpe Diem has defied easy classification while quickly becoming one of America’s premier “indie” string quartets.

The quartet continues to rack up accolades and awards. For three consecutive years, Carpe Diem was the only quartet in America chosen to receive the prestigious PNC Foundation’s ArtsAlive Awards, and they have received rave reviews such as:

“Extraordinary…” “The Carpe Diem’s performance of Beethoven’s Op. 59 No. 1 quartet (one of the hardest in the repertoire) had everything: care with dynamics and accents, timing of nuances, clarity of voice-leading and the widest ranges of character in each movement. This was one of the finest performances of a quartet standard I’ve heard in years.” “…Fun and sexy…” “Among these contemporary quartets who speak in different tongues, the Carpe Diem is the best one out there.”

Booklet for Taneyev: Complete String Quartets Vol. 3