Arnold Krug String Sextet Op.68 & Piano Quartet Op.16

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from cpo, although the blurb here refers to another CD altogether:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/arnold-krug-streichsextett/hnum/8456417

[eschiss1]

iirc the sextet was recorded with one of Draeseke's quintets awhile back but I never did hear that disc (I have the other recording of Draeseke's quintets- possibly NLA - and adore it. That said, it will be good to be able to hear Krug's sextet and other works of his too; they seem interesting @ IMSLP...)

[Santo Neuenwelt]

We published the parts to the Krug Prize Winning Sextet 12 years ago. It was not composed for the standard string sextet of 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos but for 2 violins, viola, Violotta, Cello and Cellone. the Violotta and Cellone were instruments created by Alfred Stelzner. You can hear soundbites and details here: http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/krug-string-sextet.htm

[eschiss1]

right, that's why I imagine it went well with the original version of the (lovely and songful) A major quintet by Draeseke.

[Alan Howe]

The main item of interest here will probably be the hitherto unrecorded Piano Quartet of 1878-9. It is symphonic in scale (38:38) and of quite superlative quality in every way. Indeed it shouts 'masterpiece' at every turn. Krug is definitely a composer who deserves further investigation.

This will be one of my discs of the year - and it's only March!

[Mark Thomas]

IMSLP has a tantalising and almost complete work list for Krug.

[Alan Howe]

Krug is certainly an innovative composer: there's a quite extraordinary (albeit brief) passage about 2½ mins into the finale of the Piano Quartet featuring trills and pizzicati the like of which I've not heard before. In general Krug has plenty of surprises up his compositional sleeve, making listening a continual delight. Although he's obviously working within a familiar idiom, he makes it his own with rhythmic and harmonic surprises frequently catching the ear. Wonderful stuff.

[Alan Howe]

...as usual, the late Alan Krueck knew a fine composer when he heard one:

Krug is typical of the talented, well schooled eclectics of his time in Germany, neither particularly New German (Wagner/Liszt) nor overtly influenced by Brahms, but astutely aware of his stylistic models of the Leipzig Conservatory, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Reinecke.
http://www.draeseke.org/akcoburg/dr10krug.htm

[Alan Howe]

The PQ's glorious. Just glorious.

[eschiss1]

This is now available for streaming over NML, so I'll now go listen to it - thanks

[semloh]

Even the very short excerpts on the cpo website are a joy. Yet more beautiful music by a truly Unsung Composer.