ARRIAGA – Complete String Quartets

After close to a quarter of a century building a distinctive musical voice that connects the great canon of string quartet literature with rare jewels of the repertoire, the internationally acclaimed Cuarteto Quiroga returns with a new album – 9th release of their discography – which represents a tribute to an amazing composer that has accompanied the ensemble since the very beginning of their musical career: Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga.

Because even if Arriaga only got to live 19 years the prodigy of his genius caused great admiration during his lifetime (he was called the Spanish Mozart) and is still today subject of awe and well-deserved fascination. How much would he had developed, had he lived longer and had he had the chance to mature? Would we be now talking of one of Europe’s greatest composers of the 19th Century?

His 3 string quartets, written when he was only 16 years of age (!!!) can be easily compared to those that Schubert, Mozart or other great composers wrote at such early age. Arriaga’s masterful command of the most demanding of all musical genres, the String Quartet —a mastery few others could proof at such early age— certifies the stature of his genius. Cuarteto Quiroga celebrates such greatness by portraying the outstanding value of Arriaga’s 3 string quartets on this album, through a recording on gut strings formulated with a serious historical informed performance practice approach, after more than two decades researching these brilliant scores, performing them worldwide and working on them intensively and extensively.

Cuarteto Quiroga, named after the famous Spanish violinist Manuel Quiroga, stands for the union of tradition, research, and a passionate joy of music-making like few other ensembles. Since its foundation in 2003, the quartet has appeared on leading concert stages throughout Europe, North and South America, consistently praised by critics for its unique sound and creative programming. They combine historically informed performance practice with the energy and precision of modern interpretation. Numerous awards, honors, and invitations to major halls underline their reputation in the international chamber music world.

An album containing three musical jewels, that is in itself – because of its unique interpretational approach, born out of more than twenty years of exhaustive research and experience – a rarity and a precious collector’s item.