If a string quartet wins two of the most important competitions for their instruments within only a few months, this is something of a sensation – even if the Amaryllis Quartett, whose debut GENUIN CD is now being released, had long been a household name among chamber music fans. Now listeners can revel in the refined tone and technical perfection of their playing.

Lieder and Pictures, featuring 12 Schubert-Liszt transcriptions and Mussorgsky's greatest piano cycle, is the young pianist Mikhail Mordvinov’s GENUIN debut CD. + Mr. Mordvinov was first propelled onto the international stage when he won the 12th Robert Schumann Competition (Zwickau ‘96) and the 6th Schubert Competition (Dortmund ‘97). + His busy touring schedule includes performances at the world’s major concert venues. + Reviews have noted his virtuosity, clarity, lyricism and confidence.

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Genuine presents the third release in the "Homage 'a Debussy" series. This time, we are introduced to young Chinese pianist Chenyin Li. Chenyin has collected an impressive array of international first prizes including the European Beethoven Gold Medal, the Jacques Samuel Competition, the Sheffield Piano Competition, the Dudley International Competition and the Campillos International Piano Competition.

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A mysterious instrument, ethereal sounds, explosive music and a virtuoso player of the highest order: Carolina Eyck is one of the few internationally acclaimed theremin players. For her instrument, the Leipzig composer and pianist Christopher Tarnow composed two sonatas that he and Ms. Eyck, who enjoy a productive artistic friendship in the city of Leipzig where they both reside, recorded together for their debut CD on the Genuin label. Carolina Eyck is the developer of a new playing technique, using a new and technically more advanced instrument that she obtained in 2006. Greater precision in playing possibilities resulting from this technical development allowed for the discovery of previously unknown realms of sound. This performance technique she introduced in her textbook, The Art of Playing the Theremin.

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The Essence of Christmas is the Leipzig Flute Ensemble Quintessenz second release on the Genuin label. Anna Garzuly who leads the ensemble has studied in Budapest Munich and New York with Paul Meisen and Jeanne Baxtresser. She has also won prizes in renowned international competitions in Kobe Budapest Geneva and more.

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The two musicians Lenka Matej�kov� (violin) and Dariya Hrynkiv (piano) possess Slavic sound in their blood. You can hear this in the glowing recordings of their debut release, which is dedicated exclusively to Czech composers. The two prizewinners of numerous competitions follow the stylistically diverse paths of works by Anton�n Dvor�k, Leo� Jan�cek, Josef Suk and Bohuslav Martinu down to the smallest detail. With enthusiasm and deep insight, they allow us to experience how each of the four composers uniquely unite national heritage with European culture. A musical treat!

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GENUIN fans have already admired the horn playing skills of Christoph E� on many occasions, including in the albums of German hornsound, the celebrated ensemble founded by Christoph E�. Now the solo hornist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra presents four effervescent, lively and soulful concertos by Mozart with the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra, perfectly laid out and light as a feather. With his colleagues from German hornsound, he plays-as an encore, so to speak-a quartet of Madsen with tongue-in-cheek and breathtaking virtuosity. Horn couldn't be better! Christoph E� is considered today one of the leading hornists of his generation. In addition to his work as solo horn of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, he is a laureate of numerous international competitions and also appears as a sought-after soloist and chamber musician.

MENDELSSOHN String Quartet in f, op. 80. 4 Pieces for String Quartet, op. 81. MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL String Quartet in E? • Merel Qt • GENUIN GEN 11204 (69:26)


The pairing of the two chief works on this disc is most apt: the only string quartet by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel and the last string quartet by brother Felix, the latter penned in 1847 to express his terrible grief over her tragically early death, with his own following shortly thereafter. They are supplemented by the four pieces of the op. 81, of which the first two ( Andante and Scherzo ) also date from 1847, the third ( Capriccio ) from 1843, and the last ( Fuga ) from 1827; they were published together posthumously. Mendelssohn’s op. 80 surely needs no introduction from me; suffice it to say that it is to my mind his greatest masterwork among his chamber pieces, and its heartfelt searing drama completely refutes the absurd canard that its creator was content with producing works of faultless formal elegance but lacking in expressive depth. The Mendelssohn-Hensel work, timing out at about 20 minutes, is finely wrought and delicate. It opens with a genteel and placid Allegro ma non troppo, moves on to a graceful but stately Allegretto and slightly pensive (and slightly overlong) Romanze, and closes with a spirited and energetic Allegro molto vivace. As always, the compositional style is markedly similar to that of her brother, somewhat less imaginative melodically and harmonically but nonetheless of considerable quality and having distinct touches of individuality. One can only wonder about and regret what she might have produced but did not due to her untimely demise and the social restrictions of her era.


The Merel Quartet of Zurich, performing on modern instruments but with interpretive touches clearly informed by period-instrument practices (leaner tone and use of reduced vibrato), presents top-notch performances all around. The Mendelssohn-Hensel quartet is given a warmly sympathetic reading; the rendition of the Mendelssohn op. 80 has a knife-edge tension and keenness that unashamedly bears comparison to the best recorded competition, and the members of the op. 81 foursome are treated as substantial works in their own right rather than as mere afterthoughts. The recorded sound has a bright, crisp immediacy without harshness.


I presume that most collectors already have at least one recording of the op. 80 and are more likely to consider acquiring this disc for the Mendelssohn-Hensel quartet, for which alternatives are scarce. I would avoid the Asasello Quartet on Avi, the Lafayette Quartet on CBC Musica Viva (currently out of print, but available as an MP3 download), and the Fanny Mendelssohn Quartet on Troubadisc (diffidently reviewed by David Johnson in Fanfare 18:1, though he recommended the accompanying performance of her trio), all of which are slack or overly cautious and lackluster. That leaves only the Erato Quartet on cpo, a performance strongly recommended by John W. Lambert in 23:5. That is a fine interpretation, but very different from this one; it takes an overtly big-boned romantic approach, and is set in an extremely resonant recording acoustic, with the result sounding more like a small string ensemble than a quartet. That disc is filled out by the quartets of two now quite obscure women composers, Maddalena Laura Lombardini-Sirmen and Emilie Mayer. One’s choice between the cpo disc and the present one will therefore be determined by preferences in pairings, interpretive approach, and sonic ambience. For anyone desiring alternative recommendations for the op. 80 and 81 of Felix, I would turn to the complete quartet cycles by either the Leipzig or Emerson quartets; see the excellent summary of their respective strengths by Burton Rothleder in his review of the Leipzig cycle (my own preference) in 32:6.


FANFARE: James A. Altena

Maria Kliegel, one of the most sought-after cellists today, was once heralded by the great Rostropovich as "La Cellissima." She has won numerous prizes and two Grammy nominations. A personal compilation of exciting music for cello and piano is now available with her piano partner Oliver Triendl on her new GENUIN release "Voyages Sonores." The duo refers to the collection of works from Spain and France as a "musical journey" - music that shimmers in the sun and is Mediterranean, but at the same time is full of passion and darkness. And all this played in such an electrifying way that you immediately think you are on the Mediterranean: from Poulenc to de Falla, from Debussy to Granados... Ol�!

This new release of compositions by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann is pianist Natalia Ehwald’s debut album. Natalia rises to the challenge of these two very contrasting works- Schubert’s reflective sonata in G major and Schumann’s vociferous Kreisleriana. She brings out both the forward expression in the pieces, and the moments of deep introspection. Natalia Ehwald has been praised by competition jurors and critics alike. She is the first prize winner and Menuhin Foundation special prize winner at the Robert Schumann Competition for young pianists in Zwickau.

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After the release of their first CD "White", which received an ECHO Klassik award, the Amaryllis Quartett continues it's successful CD series with "Blue". This time, alongside the shimmering magic of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, the young, internationally acclaimed and award-winning musicians perform the world premiere of a quartet by the Chinese composer Lin Yang, who has dedicated the work to them. It is impressive how the tonal concentration of contemporary music and the richness of impressionistic works unfold when juxtaposed. State of the art quartet playing at the highest level!

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