Kuhlau – Piano Quartets (2014)

Fridrich Kuhlau – Piano Quartets no.1 & no.2

Copenhagen Piano Quartet (Beneditke Damgaard – violin, Kristina Fialova – viola, Adam Stadnicki – cello, Neel Teilmann – piano)

Friedrich Kuhlau was the most cosmopolitan personality in Danish music at the beginning of the 19th century. A creative, forward-looking and extremely productive composer, he rarely let his pen lie idle. The two piano quartets recorded on this CD by the young Copenhagen Piano Quartet are major works from the composer’s most artistically fertile decade, besides testifying to Kuhlau’s own brilliance as a pianist.

Reviews

"What we have here are two pieces of very high quality music with melody and energy. The recordings are spacious and detailed with the piano placed behind the strings and with the ambience of the acoustically excellent, and rather beautiful, DKDM Concert Hall subtly present."

Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International

"Let’s have the Third Quartet and some more Kuhlau from these fine young Danish musicians"

Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone

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"…Kristina Fialová has a velvety tone, perfect for the works’ lyricism…"

Gramophone

"…Kristina Fialová’s refined taste matches up with her interpretive approach to the compositions selected and gives her temperament, natural virtuosity and emotionally engaged tone of her instrument an opportunity to shine…"

MusicWeb International

"…Kristina Fialová is universally acclaimed for her expressive and lively interpretation, brilliantly cultivated tone, and coherent general conception. Her flawless technique and immense musicality did not take long to manifest themselves…"

Ostravan