For the Record, Op. 336: Nancy Zhou, Chiaroscuro Quartet, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

June 6, 2025, 2:32 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! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.

Violinist Nancy Zhou. Photo by Titilayo Ayangade.

Stories (re)Traced
Nancy Zhou, violin

The violin "is capable of three modalities essential to human expression - singing, speaking, and the representation of dance, the last of which has profound personal significance for me," said violinist Nancy Zhou, whose mother is a former professional Bouyei folk dancer from Zhexiang, China. Nancy herself was born in Texas to Chinese immigrant parents and is currently a professor of violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in addition to her active solo career. "The album's program explores the confluence of these modalities to varying degrees," with a program that includes Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonata No. 4; Béla Bartók's Sonata for Solo Violin; J.S. Bach's Partita No. 1 in B minor and Fritz Kreisler's Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6. Zhou used three different bows for the recording: a transitional bow — made between the Baroque and Classical eras — for the Bach, and two Tourte-model bows — a Peccatte and a Voirin — for the other works. "Each bow enables me to more compellingly manifest the stylistic differences and unique sound worlds of each piece," Zhou said. She plays on a Carlo Bergonzi violin (ca. 1725). BELOW: the second-movement "Fuga" from Bartók's Sonata for Solo Violin - "This electrifying fugue is a grungy and pointillistic nod to J. S. Bach, bringing to life four voices that interact with each other in a kaleidoscope of motions and blistering sound effects," Zhou said.

Haydn, String Quartets Op. 33 No. 4-6
Chiaroscuro Quartet
Alina Ibragimova, violin
Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux, violin
Emilie Hörnlund, viola
Claire Thirion, cello

Having previously recorded Haydn's Op. 20 and Op. 76, the Chiaroscuro Quartet - celebrating 20 years since its founding - continues its historically informed and also illuminating journey through Joseph Haydn's string quartets. After releasing the first three of Haydn’s Op. 33 quartets in 2023, this album features the final three of the Op. 33 set. Known as the "Russian Quartets," the works are dedicated to Grand Duke Paul, later Tsar Paul I, and show Haydn at his most accessible. They were printed by various publishing houses as early as 1792 and received enthusiastically by the public, triggering a string quartet fashion "à la Haydn" among composers from Hoffmeister to Pleyel and even Mozart. Opus 33 is also interesting from a social history perspective, as travelling ensembles were formed to give concerts with this increasingly popular instrumentation. The Chiaroscuro Quartet plays on gut strings and with historical bows. BELOW: Haydn's String Quartet, Op. 33, No. 4 in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro moderato.

Convergence
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Andrew Sewell conducting

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra highlights the music of diverse, living composers in its newest album, which was recorded live during a October 10, 2024 concert. Works include "Fanfare and Fantaisie" by four-time Grammy nominee Patrice Rushen, followed by contemporary composer Andre Myers' "Changes." There are also selections from the "Nope" film suite by Michael Abels, recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music as well as a Grammy and Emmy nominee; followed by "Umoja: Anthem of Unity" by composer and flutist Valerie Coleman. Another work by Abels, "Global Warming" concludes the album. BELOW: "Global Warming" by Michael Abels.

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. 336: Nancy Zhou, Chiaroscuro Quartet, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

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