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Eduard FRANCK (1817-1893) String Quartet in F minor Op. 49 (1855) [31.43] Piano Quintet in D major Op. 45 (1853) [35.02] James Tocco (piano) Edinger Quartet (Christiane Edinger (violin 1), Alexander Kortschmar (violin 2), Igor Budinstein (viola), Katharina Maechler (cello)) rec. 9-11 Feb 2000, Sendesaal des Funkhauses Köln co-production with Deutschland Radio premiere recordings AUDITE 20.033 [67.41]

Audite have rescued the music of Breslau-born composer Eduard Franck from oblivion. At the invitation of Ferdinand Hiller, Franck became one of the eminent lights of Cologne's musical life. Hiller rejuvenated the cathedral city's music with other figures too, Theodor Pixis and Carl Reinecke amongst them. Franck, a pupil of Mendelssohn, was lured to the city from Berlin. Franck conducted the choral society. His own works were included in the Concert Society's programmes. The String Quartet in F minor Op. 49 is Mozartian but infused with a more modern Mendelssohnian sensibility. It has a swimmy sense of flow with fugal activity (4.48 in I) and something of the Viennese flâneur in the last two (of four) movements. The Adagio Molto Espressivo has the Olympian calm of the Schubert String Quintet. The Piano Quintet has the tempestuous nature of the first Brahms Piano Concerto offset somewhat by the sort of childlike simplicity we have come to associate with Mozart's simple sets of variations. The later movements track through sturdy village dances, weighty hymnal seriousness and rude virtuoso energy. There is much more Schumann in the last movement which sports a conventional 'flashed' ending. Civilised chamber music partly in the shadow of Schumann and Mendelssohn. Rob Barnett   Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage There will be NO VAT Rises [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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