Novus Quartet
AP125 - 1CD - 68' - May 13, 2016
The Novus Quartet, formed in Korea and now based in Germany, blends Korean and German influences in a remarkable debut album. Featuring works by Beethoven, Webern, Yun, and the traditional melody Arirang, they showcase exceptional musicianship and technical brilliance, paying tribute to their roots while embracing the great string quartet tradition.
The Novus Quartet was formed in 2007 at Seoul University of the Arts. Adored in Korea, the four musicians moved to Germany in 2011. They have distinguished themselves in a number of international competitions (Salzburg, Osaka, Lyon, Vienna among others), and are rapidly making a name for themselves on Europe's leading stages. This debut album is a cross between their Korean (Yun, Arirang) and German (Webern, Beethoven) influences. The Novus demonstrate a prodigious technique at the service of exceptional musicality. Their versions of Werbern's Langsamer Satz and Beethoven's Quartetto Serioso will not pale in comparison. Isang Yun's quartet, a real discovery, takes up Bartók-like material from Korean musical folklore in brilliant colors. Arirang is Korea's best-known and most popular traditional song (included on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), a moving nod from the four musicians to their homeland.
Anton Webern (1883-1945)
1. Langsamer Satz (1905)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 (1810)
2. Allegro con brio
3. Allegretto ma non troppo
4. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
5. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
Isang Yun (1917-1995)
String Quartet No. 1 (1955)
6. Allegro moderato
7. Andante phantastique
8. Allegro giocosamente
9 - Arirang (arr. Sung-Min Ahn)
See also
