Fauré Quartett FAURÉ Quartets

 

QUARTETS

 

Fauré Quartett PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

On 14 September 2018, the world-famous Fauré Quartet  released its album: "Pictures at an Exhibition" - a world premiere of the recording as a version for a piano quartet. This brings completely new, unheard colours and gripping drama to Mussorgski's classical work. Rachmanninov's "Études-Tableaux" also receive a new coat of paint in a brushstroke: flexible, yet dense in sound - with a unique soul and in a colourfulness with unheard facets and twists. The range extends from great turbulence to breathless calm.

The moving history of the "Pictures at an Exhibition" and "Études-Tableaux" from solo piano to orchestral work culminates in the phenomenal sound nuances of the Fauré Quartet. In the epicentre between solo piano and large orchestra, the Fauré Quartet unites the best of two worlds in this unique recording. The violinist Erika Geldsetzer, violist Sascha Frömbling, Konstantin Heidrich on cello and Dirk Mommertz on piano have been a team for over 25 years and can undoubtedly be described as the most influential piano quartet in the world. They are known for breaking new ground, are not afraid to leave the beaten track. Voilà - here you can let the "Pictures at an exhibition" and the "Études" have a completely new effect on you.

SVEN HELBIG Pocket Symphonies

While Sven Helbig's Pocket Symphonies is presented by Deutsche Grammophon as a collection of lavishly produced songs in symphonic guise, the style has more in common with adult contemporary or easy listening categories than with classical music. Despite the appearance of Kristjan Järvi, the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony, and the Fauré Quartet, who bring ample talent and commitment to the proceedings, the album actually consists of lush and occasionally lively instrumentals that no one would mistake for western symphonic music, except for the use of an orchestra. Helbig can't even be described accurately as a crossover artist, because he neither plays with traditional forms nor takes off from classical ideas, but is already firmly set in the sphere of modern studio music. His tracks are arranged to perfection and filled with plaintive melodies, gorgeous sonorities, and rich harmonies, but they offer nothing that suggests symphonic contrasts, modulations, or development. This is no discredit to Helbig, who composes his miniatures with professional skill and presents his themes in digestible pieces, from two to five minutes in length. The dominant mood of the album is introspective and melancholy, with some bursts of activity along the way, and Helbig's titles suggest an autumnal resignation and sentimentality that at times evoke the Romantic composers of short character pieces. This album is sure to appeal to casual listeners who like pretty instrumental music in the vein of Karl Jenkins or Ludovico Einaudi, though it is unlikely to draw in serious classical fans. (Blair Sanderson)

SVEN HELBIG Pocket Symphonies

Sven Helbig is a young German composer equally drawn to classical, pop and hip-hop modes, probably most famous for his orchestrations on Pet Shop Boys' Battleship Potemkin and The Most Incredible Thing. That populist spirit informs this debut release, with emotionally expansive pieces restricted to pop-song length.
The unnatural compression works in some cases like film music, bringing an evocative potency to the likes of “Gone” and “Eisenhüttenstadt. Elsewhere, ”Am Abend“ is a reflective piano piece akin to Einaudi, the weightless rising triplets of ”Autumn Song“ are like leaves borne on breeze, while the chugging strings and urgent double-time piano of ”Frost“ reflect the industrious rhythmic drive of minimalism.