For the Record, Op. 311: Eybler Quartet, Mark Contreras

December 15, 2024, 8:40 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

The Eybler Quartet: Margaret Gay, Patricia Ahern, Patrick Jordan and Julia Wedman. Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Franz Weiss Two String Quartets, Op. 8 "Razumovsky"
Eybler Quartet
Julia Wedman, violin
Patricia Ahern, violin
Patrick Jordan, viola
Margaret Gay, cello

The Toronto-based Eybler Quartet's eighth album is a rare world premiere recording of previously unknown classical works, the Franz Weiss String Quartets, Op. 8 Nos. 1 & 2. Like his famous colleague Ludwig van Beethoven, the virtuoso Austrian violist Franz Weiss composed a remarkable set of string quartets for the Russian diplomat Count Andrey Razumovsky. While Beethoven’s "Razumovsky" Quartets are well known and beloved by audiences, Weiss’s have been all but forgotten—until now. The Eybler Quartet worked in close collaboration with Dr. Mark Ferraguto, using his new scholarly edition of the quartets to bring to life Weiss's magnificent work for modern audiences. "The first time we sat down to play the music of Franz Weiss, we knew it was something very special," quartet violist Patrick Jordan said. "Weiss was the extremely talented violinist in the string quartet that premiered many of Beethoven’s quartets. Coming from an intimate member of Beethoven’s musical circle in Vienna, the listener will recognize the style, but the voice is fresh and distinctive." The Eybler Quartet was founded in 2004 to explore the works of the first century and a half of the string quartet, with a healthy attention to lesser known composers such as their namesake, Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler. BELOW: String Quartet No. 1 in G Major: I. Allegro ma non troppo by Franz Weiss.

Good Things
Mark Contreras, electric violin
Ray Luer, percussion, digital editing engineer

Something outside the classical genre - in his first album "Good things" Madrid-based Venezuelan violinist Mark Contreras takes his electric violin to genres less typical for the instrument, combining Neo Soul with Trap and Latin Jazz. BELOW: "Pegasus."

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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For the Record, Op. 311: Eybler Quartet, Mark Contreras

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