Onslow Mandelring Quartett

What a pity that Vol. 3 of string quartets by George Onslow (1784-1853) is the last in the survey. It may just be the best of the three, including Onslow’s great early C minor quartet op. 8, and two other top-notch specimens overflowing with melody, excitement, and power. If you’re new to Onslow, this program is the perfect introduction to his variegated talents and expressive aims. The Mandelring Quartet is a spirited and persuasive team playing from the heart; three members of the quartet are siblings and their father was an Onslow scholar.

Georges Onslow (1284-1853) was the prime example of a highly talented composing nobleman who was fortunate never to have to fight for a living as a musician. Significantly, it is the chamber music that makes up the bulk of his work: 70 alone He has left string quartets and quintets. The fact that there are almost jewels among them, cpo proved a few years ago with a recording of the Mandelring Quartett.

Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was a highly respected and much-played composer of chamber music works in the 19th century. Hailing from the highest English aristocratic circles, he spent his life in France and was fortunate never to have to compose for his livelihood. His music was not only highly valued by Beethoven, and its originality and ingenuity also impressed one of the most ambitious young string quartets that we could win for our production of the quartets op. 9, 1 and 3 and op. 47: the Mandelring Quartett.

In der Zeit nach Beethoven galt Onslow als einer der führenden Komponisten von Kammermusik, . Vor allem seine 70 Streichquartette und -quintette begründeten seinen Ruf als außergewöhnlich befähigter, sehr detailreich und differenziert komponierender Musiker. Dem Mandelring Quartett ist sein Schaffen ein echtes Anliegen und neben der Einspielung seiner Streichquartette, von denen schon 9 auf cpo-CDs erschienen sind, hat das Ensemble zusammen mit dem Kontrabassisten. Wolfgang Güttler jetzt sein 1832 entstandenes spannungsreiches Streichquintett op. 44 eingesielt.