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Eduard FRANCK (1817-1893) String Quartet in C minor Op. 55 (1855?) [34.06] String Quartet in E flat major Op. 54 (1847) [35.23] Edinger Quartet (Christiane Edinger (violin 1), Alexander Kortschmar (violin 2), Igor Budinstein (viola), Katharina Maechler (cello)) rec. 7-9 Mar 2000, Sendesaal des Funkhauses Köln co-production with Deutschland Radio premiere recordings AUDITE 20.032[69.29]

Here are two of the three surviving string quartets of Eduard Franck. All three have been recorded by Audite. Franck was a pupil of Mendelssohn who rated Franck's work very highly. Franck was the son of a family deeply rooted in the banking activity of Breslau. The C minor quartet (Op.55) has a pattering, purposeful and almost ruthless Allegro. It is startling and really catches the imagination. The Allegretto makes for a rest after such unrelenting activity offering ‘stillness and the night’ from another age. The vivace third movement has a Hungarian restlessness of mood. In the mercurial finale the moods melt and move but the music is nowhere near as dark as that of the first movement. The Op.54 Quartet starts with a reverent Adagio of the same mien as the Adagietto of the Op. 55 work. The Olympian calm continues into the powerfully sustained second movement (Adagio molto espressivo). After two Adagios come two Allegros in which quicksilver restlessness and contentment are the order of the day. In common with the other three Audite Francks the detailed booklet notes are by Franck scholar, Michael Struck-Schloen. The excellent audio qualities of the recording add lustre to these world premiere recordings. 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   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 MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage [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     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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