FOERSTER J.B. (1859-1951) STRING QUARTETS (COMPLETE) / Stamic Quartet (2CD)

Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951) - The Complete String Quartets / Stamic Quartet

String Quartets Nos. 1-5, Allegro giocoso, The Prayer, Erinnerung, String Quintet, Op. 3

CD 1

String Quartet No. 1 in E major, Op. 15 (1888) 26:34

1. I. Allegro 9:43

2. II. Scherzo Allegro con brio 3:42

3. III. Adagio 6:16

4. IV. Allegro con brio 6:45

String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 39 (1893) 28:21

5. I. Lento. Allegro 8:13

6. II. Andante 7:13

7. III. Andantino 12:48

8. String Quartet No. 3 in C major, Op. 61 (1907, rev. 1913) 15:35

Allegro moderato e cantabile - Tempo di Polka - Andante sostenuto

CD 2

String Quartet No. 4 in F major, Op. 182 (1943-44) 22:04

1. I. Allegro grazioso 8:13

2. II. Adagio cantabile - Allegretto malinconico - Adagio (Tempo I) 8:24

3. III. Allegro 5:20

String Quartet No. 5 in G major "The Vestec", sine op. (1951) 16:11

4. I. Allegro 4:40

5. II. Allegro vivo 4:48

6. III. Adagio - Andante sostenuto 6:41

The Prayer for String Quartet, sine op. (1940)

7. Moderato, ma appassionato 8:03

Erinnerung for String Quartet and Harp, sine op. (1901)

8. Andante commodo 2:06

String Quintet for two violins, viola, cello and double bass, Op. 3 (1886) 5:57

9. I. Viola odorata (Andante cantabile) 3:16

10. II. Rosa mystica (Allegretto) 2:39

11. Allegro giocoso for String Quartet, sine op. (1894) 6:40

Stamic Quartet: Jindřich Pazdera - 1st violin, Josef Kekula - 2nd violin, Jan Pěruška - viola, Petr Hejný - cello. Jana Boušková (harp) and Jiří Hudec (double bass) as guests

Following the acclaimed recordings of the two violin concertos (SU39612131) and the cello concerto (SU39892031), Supraphon returns to the work of Josef Bohuslav Foerster, a composer somewhat neglected until recently. This double CD presents for the first time his complete string quartet oeuvre. The first quartet (1888) is dedicated to Tchaikovsky, who recognised in Foerster a talented music creator and in a letter encouraged him to persevere with composing. The form of string quartet would subsequently accompany Foerster until the very end. The fifth quartet, "The Vestec" (1959), is Foerster's final work. After a long and arduous creative journey and seeking, he returns in it to his Smetana and Dvořák roots, already evident in the first quartet. This recording is supplemented by three minor compositions (including Erinnerung for string quartet and harp) and the idiomatic two-movement string quintet with double bass. Stamic Quartet, one of the foremost ensembles representing the renowned Czech quartet school worldwide, interprets Foerster with technical mastery and an understanding of the deeper layers of his work.

(Supraphon 2010)