Smyčcový kvartet č. 14 d moll Smrt a dívka, Kvintet C dur - 2CD

This two-CD set brings together two outstanding works by Franz Schubert, performed by the Pavel Haas Quartet with exceptional German-Japanese cellist Danjulo Ishizaka: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, Death and the Maiden, and String Quintet in C major. The quartet’s title refers to Schubert’s song of the same name, quoted in the second movement. The theme of death is reinforced by further quotations and by the choice of D minor, described in the period’s characterization of keys as marked by melancholy, feminine gloom and foreboding. Schubert completed the String Quintet in C major, with its unusual doubling of the cello, only two months before his death. Its instrumentation sometimes creates an almost orchestral impression, while the cello has an important melodic role. The recording follows the Pavel Haas Quartet’s acclaimed Dvořák album, which received the 2011 Gramophone Award for Recording of the Year. Danjulo Ishizaka’s playing is represented by Mstislav Rostropovich’s description of him as phenomenal in technical ability and perfect in musical creative power.