E. HUMPERDINCK's String Quartet!... . The original Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)--(whose delightfully colourful name was grossly hijacked and defamed by an absurd 1970s' soft-pop hack [!])--was at the turn-of-the-century a very talented working musician, assistant to Wagner at Bayreuth, and friend to the doomed Hugo Wolf. (Humperdinck had been a pupil of both Lachner and Rheinberger Rheinberger: Nonet in F major; Lachner: Nonet in E flat major.)
Humperdinck's String Quartet in C-major was probably written c. 1905. Not too long at :18 mins duration, it is a gorgeous example of Jugendstil esthetic which invokes folkish gestures in an highly organized architectonic structure featuring emotive themes in imaginative episodes suggestive of narrative. Engelbert Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel Humperdinck: Orchestral Works Humperdinck: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Engelbert Humperdinck: Klavierlieder . Verdi's e-minor String Quartet (1873) is here nicely performed, with timings closely paralleling the Amadeus' reading. Amadeus Quartet Plays Bruckner, Smetana, Verdi Verdi, Puccini: Music for String Quartet . Puccini's fragrant Chrysanthemums (1890) are richly redolent of the mauve Belle Époque--and far too short at :05 mins; ditto Wagner's Tristanesque Album-Leaf which cleverly suspends harmony for not even :02 mins. . Besides his noisome symphonic poems, Respighi wrote a piano quintet, two string quartets, a violin sonata, and this unhinged setting of Shelly's "The Sunset." Respighi: String Quartets Respighi: Piano Quintet; String Quartet; Six Pieces for Violin and Piano Strauss, Respighi: Violin Sonatas [Germany] . The Leipziger String Quartet is splendid as usual on this concept disc which is a little skimpy at 1 hour's duration. The star here is Humperdinck's Quartet--a rare catch for aficionados of that most refined genre. .
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Not Available Comics
Trevor
