Regarded by the Fitzwilliam Quartet itself as one of its finest recordings, this performance of the Franck String Quartet has long been out of circulation and now returns to the catalogue with an ultra-sensitive reading of the Violin Sonata with Amoyal and Rogé.
CESAR FRANCK
String Quartet in D major
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major
Fitzwilliam Quartet
Pierre Amoyal, violin
Pascal Rogé, piano
‘Franck’s Quartet, highly ambitious in its scale, its almost orchestral textures and its complex use of cyclic form, always seems on the point of bursting the seams of the intimate genre of the string quartet. Yet as a very late inspiration it contains some of the composer’s most profound, most compelling thought, and this magnificent performance by the Fitzwilliam Quartet, superbly triumphing over the technical challenge with totally dedicated, passionately conceived playing, completely silences any reservations … Richly recorded, with the thick textures nicely balanced, this is one of the finest chamber records of the 1980s’ *** Penguin Guide
‘here one recognises the totally idiomatic response to this high romantic music in its own free use of rubato, natural and unaffected … in the Franck sonata it is remarkable how Amoyal and Roge allow themselves greater freedom over rhythm and tempo without ever seeming undisciplined. … this is a reading full of fantasy, giving the impression of music emerging spontaneously on the moment’ Gramophone
‘This magnificent performance by the Fitzwilliam Quartet superbly triumphs over the technical challenges with totally dedicated, passionately conceived playing … This is one of the finest chamber records of the 1980s’ Penguin Guide
‘Amoyal and Roge impress through their impeccable musicianship and confident virtuosity … a powerful and stimulating performance of the string quartet’ ClassicsToday.com