GYÖRGY KURTÁG Intégrale des quatuors à cordes | Complete String Quartets Quatuor Molinari ACD2 2705 • The 90-year old Hungarian composer György Kurtág has recently devoted his efforts almost exclusively to composing chamber music.   The Molinari Quartet presents the composer's complete string quartets on this new recording. • Strongly influenced by the Vienna school (Webern and Schoenberg), and by Pierre Boulez's Domaine musical concerts, Kurtág wrote his first string quartet in 1959, and with it launched his career as a composer.   It was followed by a series of works referencing composers, performers, and friends he admired.   Olga Ranzenhofer, first violinist with the Molinari Quartet says, “Kurtág's music is always very personal, immediately recognizable, and stamped with characteristic depth and expression.” • Recipient of eighteen Opus Prizes awarded by the Quebec Music Council to recognize musical excellence on the Quebec concert stage, the Molinari Quartet is an “essential” and “prodigious” ensemble, “Canada's answer to the Kronos or Arditti Quartet.” • Molinari's recent CDs (Noravank, Schnittke’s complete quartet cycle, the quartets 8-12 by R. M. Schafer, the Gubaidulina cycle) have received rave reviews from, among others, The Strad, Gramophone (twice selected as Editor’s Choice) Diapason and Fanfare.       Quatuor à cordes op 1 (1959)   1. I. Poco agitato     [1:04]   2. II. Con moto     [2:04]   3. III. Vivacissimo     [2:58]   4. IV. Con spinto     [2:01]   5. V. Molto ostinato     [2:08]   6. VI. Adagio     [3:34]   7. Hommage à András Mihály (1977 1978)       Douze microludes pour quatuor à cordes op 13     [9:00]       I.       II.   (Quasi allegretto)       III.       IV.   Presto       V.   Lontano calmo appena sentito       VI.       VII.       VIII.   Constando       IX.       X.   Molto agitato       XI.        XII.   Leggìero, con moto, non dolce   8. Officium breve in memonam Andreae Szervanszky op 28 (1988-1989)   [2:58]       I. Largo       II. Più andante       III. Sostenuto, quasi giusto       IV. Grave molto sostenuto       V. (Fantasie über die Harmonien des Webern Kanons) Presto       VI. (Canon a 4) Molto agitato       VII. Canon a 2 (Frei nach op.31/VI von Webern) Sehr Fließend       VIII. Lento       IX. Largo       X. (Webern: Canon a 4 (op. 31/VI)) Sehr Fließend A tempo Da capo al fine       XI. Sostenuto       XII. Sostenuto quasi giusto       XIII. Sostenuto, con slancio       XIV. Disperato, vivo       XV. Arioso interrotto (di Endre Szervanszky) Larghetto   9. Aus der Ferne III (1991)     [1:59] 10. Aus der Ferne V (1999)     [2:58]       Alfred Schlee in memoriam 11. Hommage à Jacob Obrecht (2004-2005) Sostenuto     [4:01]       Six momenti musicaux op 44 (1999-2005) 12. I. Invocatio [un fragment] Con moto passionato     [1:18] 13. II. Footfalls - …mintha valaki jönne…   Molto sostenuto     [2:30] 14. III. Capriccio Ben ritmato     [1:33] 15. IV. In Memonam Sebok Gyorgy Mesto, pesante     [3:08] 16. V. …rappel des oiseaux… [étude pour les harmoniques]       À Tabea Zimmermann Léger, tendre, volatil     [2 39] 17. VI. Les adieux [In Janaceks Manier] Parlando, rubato     [2:23] 18. Arioso (2009)       Hommage a Walter Levin 85 In Alban Berg's Manier   Adagio     [2:52] ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879