Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, Friedrich Fuchs - The Art of the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet <stereo recording from 1962> (mastered in 2024) - Japan 2 SACD Hybrid

Credits:

Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, Friedrich Fuchs

Description:

The Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet celebrates its 90th anniversary] A rare stereo recording from 1962 by the legendary quartet that embodies the sound of old and fine Vienna. This is the world's first SACD release, remastered from the original master tapes owned by Nippon Columbia! The Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet (1934-1967) made this rare stereo recording for Nippon Columbia during their visit to Japan in 1962. The quartet, whose parent organization is the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the virtuoso Fuchs give a graceful and sweet performance that has become a favorite of chamber music fans even today. The original analog master tapes owned by Nippon Columbia have been remastered and released on SACD for the first time. The CD layer also uses the newly remastered sound sources. The Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, whose parent orchestra consists of players of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, won many devoted fans in Japan in the monaural LP era of the 1950s with its masterpieces of chamber music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms on the Westminster label of the United States. In the 1950's, the group's monaural LPs were released on the Westminster label in the United States.His first performance in Japan in November 1960 was praised by many critics and welcomed by audiences throughout Japan for its fine, Vienna-style expression, neatness, and fluidity. During a performance of Schubert's "Mas" with Paul Badura-Skoda in Tokyo, which happened to be during a visit to Japan, they were so successful that the audience was seated on top of the stage. The quartet recorded four stereo LPs for Westminster Japan, Westminster's contract company in Japan. The Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet returned to Japan in May and June 1962, giving 13 concerts in 10 cities throughout Japan. During the three days between those dates, Nippon Columbia, which had absorbed Westminster Japan under the same capital group, made stereo recordings of the quartet, which are included on these two SACD hybrid discs (the first LP release was for three discs). In the Clarinet Quintet by Mozart & Brahms, the quintet performs with clarinetist Friedrich Fuchs, who accompanied them on their tour of Japan.Fuchs was a pupil of Leopold Urach, and at the time was the principal player of the Vienna Volksoper and a member of the Vienna Wind Quintet. During his visit to Japan, Urach and the Konzerthaus recreated on stage the famous Mozart & Brahms Clarinet Quintet, and Nippon Columbia "remade" the monaural masterpiece in stereo. Fuchs and the Konzerthaus' Mozart & Brahms gave a performance that rejuvenated the Urrach disc in both tone and expression, and it became a popular disc that was re-released three times in the LP era and three times in the CD era. Fuchs was a member of the NHK Symphony Orchestra for a year in 1968. (1/2)