Mozart: Divertimento & Preludes and Fugues for String Trio The Hermitage String Trio

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a:
• 1Mozart: Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a: Prelude No. 503:40
• 2Mozart: Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a: Fugue No. 503:52
• Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563:
• 3Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: I. Allegro12:39
• 4Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: II. Adagio10:08
• 5Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: III. Menuetto. Allegretto05:07
• 6Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: IV. Andante06:42
• 7Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: V. Menuetto. Allegretto05:18
• 8Mozart: Divertimento in E-Flat Major, K. 563: VI. Allegro06:25
• Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a:
• 9Mozart: Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a: Prelude No. 402:33
• 10Mozart: Six Preludes and Fugues for String Trio, K. 404a: Fugue No. 407:10
• Total Runtime01:03:34

Info zu Mozart: Divertimento & Preludes and Fugues for String Trio

This release highlights some of Mozart’s lesser-known works, all for string trio: the Divertimento in E flat major, KV 563 and two of the Fugues with slow Preludes from the set of six, KV 404a (after Bach).

The Divertimento, KV 563 is not only Mozart’s sole large-scale composition for string trio, it is also one of the first works ever written for the combination of violin, viola, and cello. It was composed in 1788, the same year as three of Mozart’s greatest and best-known works, the symphonies in E flat, G minor, and C (the ‘Jupiter’). Mozart was at the absolute height of his powers as a composer, and at the premiere of the divertimento in Dresden in 1789, he himself played the viola part.

The title ‘Divertimento’ implies music that is not excessively demanding or intense, but which exhibits a light-hearted appeal that was deemed perfect for the social and musical gatherings of the late eighteenth century. In this work by Mozart, however, each of the three instruments is called upon in turn to take on the role of virtuoso soloist, which ultimately takes KV 563 away from the being a mere ‘divertimento’, in terms of music entertainment, into something more profound.

The authorship of the Six Fugues with Slow Preludes, KV 404a is uncertain, but they are commonly considered to be works by Mozart. Nos 4 and 5, featured on this release, are transcriptions of works by Bach. In No. 4, the prelude comes from Bach’s organ trio Sonata No. 3, and the fugue is Contrapunctus VIII from Die Kunst der Fuge. The fifth prelude and fugue are formed from the second and third movements of Bach’s second organ sonata.

The works are performed by The Hermitage String Trio, one of the finest emsembles of its type. Steeped in the Russian tradition of string playing, the Trio has performed with such great musicians as Yehudi Menuhin, Martha Argerich, Anne-Sophie Mutter, and Gidon Kremer, and has given concerts at the Petworth, Newbury Spring, and Dart festivals, at the Sage, Gateshead, and the Wigmore Hall, London. It has also given concerts in France, Germany, and Australia, among others. In 2008, the distinguished violinist Boris Garlitsky joined the founder members Alexander Zemtsov, principal viola of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Leonid Gorokhov, who enjoys a flourishing career as a solo cellist. ‘True brilliance!’ noted The Strad of a recent performance by The Hermitage String Trio, adding: ‘This ensemble will do much to put more string trio repertoire on the musical map.’

"I do not think that Mozart's K563 has ever had a finer performance on record than this. The balance between the instruments is ideal and the realization of the part-writing is, in a word, perfect...with the consequence that the profound quality of the music is at all times conveyed...a superlative achievement which I cannot imagine ever being improved upon." (International Record Review)

The Hermitage String Trio:
Boris Garlitsky, violin
Alexander Zemtsov, viola
Leonid Gorokhov, cello

The Hermitage String Trio
In the short time since its foundation in 2004, the Hermitage String Trio has established itself as an outstanding ensemble. This European-based Russian trio is steeped in the great Russian tradition of string playing. Their love of chamber music shines through in their programmes which offer an enticing combination of lesser-known pieces and masterworks of the string trio repertoire.

The Hermitage String Trio made its London début at St John’s Smith Square in Academia Rossica’s Series Russian Virtuosi. They have given concerts throughout the United Kingdom and have appeared at the Petworth, Newbury Spring and Dart Festivals and at the Wigmore Hall; further afield, they have played at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville and have given concerts in Germany and in France. They have recorded for Chandos and for Naxos.

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