​The second concert of a series of three follows the motto "Visionaries":

Wednesday, April 17th 2013, 20:00 PM
Berlin Cycle II: "Visionaries"

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - String Quartet Op. 44 No. 2
Béla Bartók - String Quartet No. 3 Sz 85
Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131

Three visionaries from three different periods- an intriguing musical journey.

The next concert:

Sunday, June 9th 2013, 20h
Berlin Cycle III: Brahms-Haydn-Variations

Johannes Brahms - String Quartet B flat major Op. 67
Joseph Haydn - String Quartet C major Op. 76 No. 3 "Kaiserquartett"
Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Quintet B minor Op. 115
(with Laura Ruiz Ferreres, clarinet)

More information about the concerts here.

​Deutschlandradio describes the works as "two works of extraordinary subjectivity and at the same time of exceedingly objectivity, because they are key works of the 20th century detached from their biographic background." Bernhard Schmidt, who recorded these works with the Mandelring Quartett for audite will be giving information about his approach to the two quartets in the interview with the host Jürgen Liebing.

The clarinetist Martin Spangenberg (Solo Clarinet of the Münchener Philharmoniker under Sergiu Celibidache), the violinist Stephan Picard (Deutscher Musikwettbewerb & competition Maria Canals) and the violist James Creitz (Unesco Prize 2000) will perform toghether with the Trio Testore. Initiator and artistic director of the festival is the cellist of the Trio Testore Hans-Christian Schweiker.

Please listen also to a program about the festival from the Belgium radio.

The concerts in detail:

May 5th 2013 8:00 PM
J. Haydn: Piano Trio C major Hob. XV:27
D. Schostakowitsch: Piano Quintet G minor,  Op.54
J. Brahms: Clarinet Quintett B minor, Op. 115

May 11th 2013 8:00 PM
W.A: Mozart: Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Viola "Kegelstatt-Trio"
Z. Kodaly: Duo for Violine and Violoncello, Op. 7
S. Prokofjew: Ouverture about a Hebrew theme, Op. 34
J. Brahms: Piano Trio B major, Op. 8 (original version)

May 12 th 2013 11:00 AM
R. Schumann: Piano Trio  No. 2 F major Op. 80
A. Dvorak: Terzet, Op. 74
W.A. Mozart: Duo for Violin and Viola B major KV.424
M. Bruch: Piano Quintett G minor, Op. posth.

Festival venue: 
ENERGETICON
Fördermaschinenhaus
Konrad-Adenauerallee 7
52477 Alsdorf / Germany

You can find more information in the flyer of the festival and here.

​

​From May 29th to June 2nd renowned artists follow the Mandelring's invitation to the Palatine and present a top-class festival program. Besides the Mandelring Quartett this year also audite artists Laura Ruiz Ferreres (Brahms: The Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet, Gala Concert ICAM Milano for audite: Label of the Year 2013)  and Anne-Cathérine Heinzmann (Works for Flute) will be participating in the HAMBACHERMusikFEST.

The HAMBACHERMusikFEST was founded in 1997 under the artistic direction of the Mandelring Quartet, and takes place each year during the week of Corpus Christi. The success of this international chamber music festival is determined by an unique combination of highest musical standards and delightful concert venues such as Hambach's famous Schloss, idyllic wine estates, and the town's beautiful baroque church.

In 2013 the host ensemble presents a colorful mixture of compositions from the 18th to the 20th century. Special focus will lie on the Romantic Period, with works like Richard Strauss' Introduction from „Capriccio", Op. 85 for String Sextet, the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano from Claude Debussy as well as Pyotr I. Tchaikovskys String Quartet C minor ,Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence". Alomgside the Mandelring Quartett two more audite artists will take part in Hambach. The clarinetist Laura Ruiz Ferreres (Brahms: The Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet & performance as audite representative for the award Label of the Year 2013 in the gala concert of the International Classical Music Award) as well as the flutist Anne-Cathérine Heinzmann (Works for Flute).

The Mandelring Quartett points out that next to the traditional Surprisekonzert on Saturday after Corpus Christi another specialty takes place on the very same weekend: The city of Neustadt celebrates its 1st Neustadter Kulturfest.

The Mandelring's expressivity and remarkable homogeneity of sound and phrasing have become its distinguishing characteristics. The four individual members are as one in their shared determination always to seek out the innermost core of the music and remain open to the musical truth. By grasping the spiritual dimension, exploring the emotional extremes and working on the details, these musicians probe far beneath the surface of each work, thus revealing the multiple layers of meaning inherent in each. Their approach to the music is always both emotional and personal.

Their success in winning some great competitions - in Munich (ARD), Evian and Reggio Emilia (Premio Paolo Borciani) - was what initiated their international career. In addition to numerous performances in Germany, the Mandelring Quartet's concert tours have taken them throughout Europe - Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris and Vienna; annually to North America - New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and Vancouver; to Japan -- Osaka and Tokyo; to Central and South America - Buenos Aires, Lima and Montevideo; the Middle East and Asia. The Mandelring Quartet has enjoyed highly successful appearances at international Festivals including Lockenhaus, Montpelier, Montreal, Ottawa, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Enescu Festival in Bucharest and the Salzburg Festival.

Numerous CD recordings, repeatedly awarded the German Music Critics' Prize and nominated for the International Classical Music Award, confirm the Mandelring Quartet's exceptional quality and wide-ranging repertoire. Their recording of the complete string quartets of Shostakovich has been hailed by the press as one of the outstanding complete recordings of our time. The discs of works by Schubert and Schumann have been selected as new benchmark performances, and their recent CD of the string quartets of Leos Janáček has received a range of awards. Currently, the quartet is recording the complete chamber music for strings by Mendelssohn. Two of the four CDs have already been published.

Information on the Festival can be found here or by calling +49/(0) 6321/92043.

Impressions of a recording session for the complete Beethoven Quartets with the Quartetto di Cremona in "Fondazione Spinola Banna per l'Arte" in Poirino (near Turin).

​Founded in 1999 by Christophe Le Gall, established in France but international by its team active across Europe and in North America, ResMusica covers news on performances, concerts, festivals and musical institutions with daily reports and articles, interviews and analysis on all aspects of classical music and dance. Reviews on albums, videos and books are also available.

Each month ResMusica give five La Clefs du mois to reward outstanding publications on albums, videos and books. Since 2009, a selection of these La Clefs du mois are awarded the La Clefs d'Or, rewarding outstanding releases of the year.Since 2009, ResMusica is the French representative to the jury ICMA, the International Classical Music Awards.

The 11,000 articles freely available and the 1200 reviews published every year, the team of 40 writers spread across 7 countries contribute to make ResMusica the most active francophone publication for classical music and dance on the Internet.

A fortiori we are very happy about this important decoration!

​Complete Review:
Stereo | 7/2013 (Juli) | Marcus Stäbler | 1. Juli 2013

Die Mitglieder des Quartetto di Cremona sind mit feurigem Temperament gesegnet. Das flammte schon vor zwei Jahren aus der CD mit Werken von Haydn und Bartók - und es springt den Hörer auch beim Start der neuen Beethoven-Gesamtaufnahme an. Wie ein Blitzschlag kracht der Beginn des f-Moll-Quartetts op. 95 in die Stille, dessen ersten Satz die italienischen Streicher in atemberaubendem Tempo durchrasen. Die virtuose Passage kurz vor Schluss bürsten sie mit einem Furor in die Saiten, dass einem der Atem stockt. Beethoven am Rande des Wahnsinns.

Wie unter Hochdruck beginnt auch das frühe Quartett op. 18,6. Dadurch bekommt das Allegro einen energischen, auf Dauer vielleicht etwas zu zornigen Ton, der die neckischen Anteile der Musik kratzbürstig verleugnet. Absolut packend dagegen das Scherzo mit seinen vertrackten Rhythmen und einem unglaublich rasanten Trio. Als spätes Quartett haben die Cremoneser das op. 135 für den Auftakt ihres Großprojekts ausgesucht. Und da zeigen sie neben erneuten Wutausbrüchen und zersplitternden Motiven auch die weichen Seiten der Musik. Wunderbar, wie der ganz leise Geigengesang im Lento von den anderen drei Instrumenten liebevoll eingehüllt und beinahe versteckt wird; wie die Streicher dann, im Mittelteil, geheimnisvoll raunen, als würden sie uns Beethovens intimste Botschaften zuflüstern.

Ob diese neue Gesamteinspielung auf Dauer an das herausragende Niveau der Artemis- und der Belcea-Aufnahme heranreicht, müssen die kommenden Folgen zeigen. Mit dem Auftakt setzt das im Jahr 2000 gegründete Ensemble jedenfalls schon mal ein Ausrufezeichen. Dass es bei Beethoven immer wieder Neues zu entdecken gibt, steht ohnehin außer Frage.

For 40 years audite has delighted the ears of international music experts and music lovers, producing high-quality classical music recordings in all available formats, be they CD, SACD, LP or download. audite also offers stimuli for the intellect: alongside high audiophile and musical quality, another audite hallmark is carefully-researched accompanying material, providing historical context at a scholarly level. It is precisely this fusion of emotion and intellect that enables a profound and moving music experience for the listener. We remain strongly committed to these high standards: we firmly believe that these enriching musical experiences are of timeless value and thus we look ahead with optimism.

* Details anniversary productions and press conference

The audite anniversary event on June 23rd in the Bertelsmann Representative Office Berlin was a great success! About 90 invited guests from press, radio and music industry enjoyed the presentation of the anniversary productions in the press conference. Speakers were Michael Haefliger (Artistic and Executive Director LUCERNE FESTIVAL), Siegwald Bütow (Orchestra Manager WDR-Sinfonieorchester), Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Rathert (Universität Mücnchen) and Stefan Lang (Deutschlandradio Kultur). Remy Franck, Editor-in-Chief of pizzicato and Jury Chairman of the ICMA, led through the press conference and also presented the ICMA Award Label of the Year 2013 which audite received in March in Milan. Musically the press conference was embraced by appearances of the Mandelring Quartett and the Piano Duo Mona & Rica Bard.
The following reception on the roof terrace of the building ("Alte Kommandantur") brought not only sunshine and summer feelings but also phantastic views, culinary delights and plenty of conversation in relaxed atmosphere. During the reception the Mandelring Quartett delighted all guests with a second appearance, this time with non-classical repertoire.

You can find impressions of the anniversary celebration in the video and the picture gallery (photo credits: Martin Hoffmeister, ICMA). An overview of the anniversary productions can be found here.