Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartets Consone Quartet

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847): String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44 No. 2:
• 1 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44 No. 2: I. Allegro assai appassionato 10:58
• 2 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44 No. 2: II. Scherzo. Allegro di molto 04:22
• 3 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44 No. 2: III. Andante 06:08
• 4 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44 No. 2: IV. Presto agitato 07:23
• Fanny Mendelssohn (1805 - 1847): String Quartet in E Flat-Major:
• 5 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Flat-Major: I. Adagio ma non troppo 03:29
• 6 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Flat-Major: II. Allegretto 03:49
• 7 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Flat-Major: III. Romanze 06:10
• 8 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Flat-Major: IV. Allegro molto vivace 06:12
• Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80:
• 9 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80: I. Allegro vivace assai 07:42
• 10 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80: II. Allegro assai 04:34
• 11 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80: III. Adagio 06:44
• 12 Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80: IV. Finale. Allegro molto 05:56
• Total Runtime 01:13:27

Info for Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartets

In the second instalment of the Consone Quartet’s cycle, the foursome continues its exploration of Felix Mendelssohn’s string quartets, simultaneously delving into the work of his sister Fanny, with her only work in the genre. Despite its turbulent character, Felix’s String Quartet in E minor, Op. 44 No. 2, was written three months after the composer’s marriage, during a period of stability and creativity. In contrast, the String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80, was composed while he was recovering from shock, following Fanny’s premature death. It is a work of striking bitterness and agitation, an unambiguous reflection of his distraught mental state. Fanny’s String Quartet in E flat major is an attractive and well-crafted work, which, due to her family discouraging her pursuit of a career in composition, remained unpublished until 1988. It is given a vibrant performance here by the Consone Quartet, the first period instrument quartet to be selected as BBC New Generation Artists.

Consone Quartet

Consone Quartet
Formed at the Royal College of Music in London, the Consone Quartet is dedicated to exploring Classical and Early Romantic repertoire on period instruments. Winner of the 2016 Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Prize in London, Consone was also awarded two prizes at the 2015 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, including a place on the ‘EEEmerging’ Emerging European Ensembles Scheme associated with the Ambronay Festival in France and six other early music festivals across Europe.

Recent highlights include an acclaimed debut at London’s Wigmore Hall, performances at Cadogan Hall, St James’s Piccadilly, the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, and at the Cheltenham, Brighton Early Music, Lake District Summer Music, Buxton and King’s Lynn Festivals, as well as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Consone Quartet is rapidly gaining international recognition performing in France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Belgium (AMUZ in Antwerp), Italy, Switzerland and in spring 2018 they completed their debut tour to South America performing across Bolivia and Peru.

The Consone Quartet’s debut CD, featuring music by Haydn and Mendelssohn, will be released on the Ambronay Label during the Festival in October 2018 and will be followed by a London launch kindly hosted by the Royal Over-Seas League in December.

The ensemble regularly collaborates with other musicians, such as the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, members of the Hanover Band, Mahan Esfahani, Gillian Keith, Jane Booth, Ashley Solomon, and Colin Lawson. Consone participated in the “Brighton Early Music Festival Live!” mentoring scheme and in a number of Chamber Studio masterclasses at King's Place, London. In 2018 the quartet was selected to become a Concordia Foundation Artist. ​

Booklet for Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartets