infinite voyage barbara hannigan

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Emerson String Quartet: Infinite Voyage review – leading quartet bid farewell with Schoenberg and Berg

Hannigan/Chamayou/Emerson String Quartet (Alpha) This wonderful parting gift from the quartet features warm lustrous performances of Schoenberg’s Second Quartet (with soprano Barbara Hannigan) and Berg’s opus 3, plus two beautifully rendered rarities by Hindemith and Chausson

N ext month, after more than four decades as one of the world’s leading string quartets, the Emerson Quartet will give their final concerts. Their last disc before they go their separate ways is built around one of the cornerstones of the 20th-century quartet repertoire, a work they had never recorded before. Schoenberg’s Second Quartet is remarkable not only for including settings for soprano of poems by Stefan George in its final two movements, but also as the piece in which he took his first tentative steps into the unknown world of atonality, even though in its closing bars the music returns to the safety of F sharp major.

Alban Berg’s Op 3 Quartet, completed in 1910, two years after his teacher Schoenberg’s Second but not published until 10 years later, makes a logical companion piece, and the Emersons give both works warm, lustrous performances, more generous than many of their earlier, more objective recordings. Barbara Hannigan is the soprano in the Schoenberg, her elegance and cool, precise shaping of every phrase perfectly tailored to the keenly expressive vocal lines, though the recording seems to place her voice just a bit too far forward in the audio picture.

There’s also room on the disc for a couple of beautifully rendered rarities, both unearthed by Hannigan. Hindemith’s Melancholie sets four poems by Christian Morgenstern for soprano and quartet; it was composed during the last years of the first world war, when Hindemith’s music was much closer to the expressionist world of the Second Viennese School than to his own later neoclassicism. But the real discovery is Chausson’s Chanson Perpétuelle, a setting for soprano, quartet and piano (Bertrand Chamayou here) of a poem of abandoned love by Charles Cros, which though less than eight minutes long seems to encapsulate a whole world of tragedy with operatic intensity.

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Schoenberg is also the focus of Transfiguration , the latest Chandos disc from the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective , on which they are joined by the soprano Francesca Chiejina. The original string sextet version of Verklärte Nacht, in a nicely expansive, supple performance, provides that focus, alongside Alexander Zemlinsky’s Maiblumen blühten Überall, settings for soprano and quartet of poems by Richard Dehmel (also the author of the poem on which Verklärte Nacht is based), Anton Webern’s early piano quintet and a group of songs by Alma Mahler , arranged for soprano and string sextet by Tom Poster. It’s a thoughtfully linked collection, beautifully presented.

• Classical music
• Arnold Schoenberg

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Infinite Voyage

Barbara Hannigan (soprano), Bertrand Chamayou (piano)

• Emerson String Quartet

Much the finest experience comes in Schoenberg’s quartet, where the Emerson Quartet ’s playing masterfully combines forensic technical precision and expressive warmth. And Hannigan’s identif... — BBC Music Magazine, December 2023, 3 out of 5 stars More…

• Release Date: 8th Sep 2023
• Catalogue No: ALPHA1000
• Label: Alpha
• Length: 72 minutes

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This release includes a digital booklet

Hindemith: Melancholie, Op. 13

• Barbara Hannigan (soprano)

No. 1, Die Primeln blühn und grüßen...

No. 2, Nebelweben

No. 3, Dunkler Tropfe

No. 4, Traumwald

Berg: String Quartet, Op. 3

II. Mäßige Viertel

Chausson: Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37

• Bertrand Chamayou, Barbara Hannigan (soprano)

Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 10

II. Sehr rasch

III. Litanei. Langsam

IV. Entrückung. Sehr langsam

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Emerson string quartet's final album, "infinite voyage", released on alpha classics, the disc celebrates the ensemble's 47-year-long journey and their friendship with soprano barbara hannigan.

Released on Alpha Classics , the Emerson String Quartet 's Final Album, " Infinite Voyage ," closes their 47-year-long journey as a quartet.

The album features Schoenberg 's Quartet No. 2 for soprano and string quartet, alongside Hindemith 's Melancholie Op. 13 , Berg 's String Quartet Op. 3 , and Chausson 's Chanson perpétuelle Op. 37, evoking the lifelong journey of the quartet members and their lasting friendship with soprano, Barbara Hannigan .

Pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins the Emersons for Chausson's Chanson perpétuelle Op. 37.

Barbara Hannigan and the Emersons first performed Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 in 2015 and were determined to record it together. "The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into previously uncharted territory," said the Emerson musicians. "It's like a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet, it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots," continues Barbara Hannigan. "The soprano’s fin-de- siècle primal scream at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love, is a heavy hitter."

To purchase and listen to the album, click here .

Listen to the Emerson String Quartet 's Final Recording process below

The Emerson String Quartet has made more than 30 acclaimed recordings and has won nine GRAMMY s (including two for Best Classical Album), three Gramophone Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s “Ensemble of the Year” award. They have worked with some of today’s most esteemed composers to premiere new works, and have partnered with soloists such as Renée Fleming, Barbara Hannigan, Evgeny Kissin, Emanuel Ax, and Yefim Bronfman.

Barbara Hannigan will join the Emerson String Quartet for their farewell concerts in Paris at the Fondation Louis Vuitton on October 7, 2023, and in Milan at the Società del Quartetto at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi on October 10, 2023 .

After 47 years of award-winning music-making, the Emerson String Quartet will disband in October 2023.

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The Emerson String Quartet to release their final album Infinite Voyage, on September 8 with Alpha Classics

After 47 years of award-winning music-making, the Emerson String Quartet will disband in October 2023 and will release their final album Infinite Voyage on September 8 with soprano, Barbara Hannigan The album evokes the lifelong journey for the four musicians and their lasting friendship with Hannigan Joined by Bertrand Chamayou, the record features Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 for soprano and string quartet alongside works by Hindemith, Berg, and Chausson's Chanson perpétuelle

Track Listing

String Quartet No. 2 in F sharp Minor, Op. 10 Arnold Shoenberg (b. 1874-1951)

Melancholie, Op. 13 Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37 Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)

String Quartet, Op. 3 Alban Berg (1885-1935)

Made with ❤️ and 🔥 by Unison Media

© Emerson Quartet

Infinite Voyage

The Emerson Quartet has been active for 47 years, during which it became one of the world’s leading string quartets with a recorded catalog that covers almost all the standard repertoire in often unbeatable performances. But as the Emersons prepared to retire in the autumn of 2023, this album was set to be their last. Choosing the repertoire to bow out on, however, was not easy, as violinist Philip Setzer tells Apple Music Classical. “We thought about Mozart but couldn’t agree what. So we ended up with something very different.” And indeed it is­—it’s a recording that’s off-piste, exploratory, and involves friends of the Quartet to join in as collaborative artists. At its heart is Schoenberg’s Quartet No. 2, which pulls into its textures a soprano (here, the charismatic Barbara Hannigan), alongside other works from roughly the same early-20th century Austro-German culture, including Berg’s String Quartet, Op. 3, and another, almost-unknown piece by Hindemith for quartet and soprano called Melancholie. But then there’s a surprising shift in soundworlds, back to the French fin de siècle with Chausson’s equally unknown Chanson perpétuelle, a keyboard quintet featuring pianist Bertrand Chamayou. Why choose this music to go out on? One answer is that the players are fascinated by it and deliver it with passionate commitment, relishing the way “small gestures are invested with a great deal of expressive meaning,” as violinist Eugene Drucker says of the Schoenberg. But another answer lies in the collective sense of passing and renunciation that holds all these works together. “They come steeped,” says Drucker, “in a sense of transition from one era of aesthetics to another,” surrendering the old language of Romanticism to the new of atonality. Involving loss, regret but also a desire to move on, it reflects what Philip Setzer calls the “bittersweetness of the recent months of farewell concerts,” adding that “although it’s sad, it’s not all loss.” Things end, things start: the cycle of existence.

September 8, 2023 11 Songs, 1 hour, 12 minutes ℗ 2023 Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France

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Interview - Barbara Hannigan

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It’s in Brittany, in the distant countryside of Trégor, on the outskirts of Plestin-les-Grèves, that Barbara Hannigan settled into in 2021, shortly following Covid. We show up at her doorstep a bit intimidated. It must be said that her exploits are numerous: first roles at Glyndebourne, Aix-en-Provence, or La Fenice, international prizes, creations and collaborations all over the world…but the Canadian soprano and conductor welcomes us with disarming curiosity and spontaneity. She wants to know if we’re from the area, if we play an instrument, where our English accents come from, if we’re allergic to cats…”I have three that hang around here, but they’re shy around strangers.” Meanwhile, we sit on the terrace, having coffee and chocolate. This was the beginning of what ended up feeling more like a conversation between friends than an interview.

We first turn to the release of Infinite Voyage , a record-event released on September 8, 2023, in collaboration with the legendary Emerson String Quartet . Dedicated to the repertoire of the Second Viennese School, with a few nods to Paul Hindemith and Ernest Chausson , the album is born of a long history of friendship between the soprano and the quartet. A friendship further bonded around Schönberg’s “String Quartet No.2, Op. 10″, whose score brings in the soprano during the last two movements: “I t goes back to 2013 or 2014. The Emerson Quartet contacted me with the idea for us to work together on the piece. Emerson are legends, it was a huge honor for me to be sought out by them, I remember nearly having to hold back from screaming over the phone! ” A collaboration defined by complicity from the very first rehearsals. “ I felt like I was with a group of old friends – we joked around, we could always offer each other constructive criticism without it bothering any of us. We worked a lot, but we had so much fun! ” A program they’re offering everywhere: New York, Berlin, Vienna, Switzerland. “ I ended up saying: guys, we HAVE TO make a record of this. ”

Infinite Voyage marks the Emerson Quartet’s emotional farewell to recording – they announced their retirement from the stage next October, after a 47-year-long career. Any extra pressure on Hannigan during recording? “ Of course! I wanted to do them justice, so that they could celebrate their departure in all its glory! What I remember from the recording sessions more than anything else, though, is the friendship, love and respect that unite us. ” Strong ties, immortalized on screen by Barbara’s partner, director and actor Mathieu Amalric, who filmed their session work in the studio, resulting in a 70-minute-long documentary. The film will be shown October 7, 2023 in Paris at the quartet’s farewell concert.

A Turning Point for Schönberg

Hannigan confesses to having an undying passion for Schönberg’s second quartet: “ I’d sung it a number of times, well before meeting the Emerson Quartet. With the Arditti , JACK , and Diotima quartets, sometimes even with colleagues that I brought together for the occasion. It’s a piece that I find fascinating, unsettling. It’s also a turning point where Schönberg takes a break from tonal harmony, during a very painful time in his life, when Mathilde Zemlinsky left him to be with painter Richard Gerstl. I think this event was a catalyst for his creativity, because he wrote the last two movements very quickly .” This helps make sense of the riots caused by the work at the time of its creation in 1908. “ Well, ‘riots’ of classical music traditionalists !”, Hannigan clarifies, half-joking.

'Infinite Voyage' by Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou

The Canadian soprano’s predilection for Schönberg can be better situated in the larger context of her career on stage and in the studio, in which she’s carved out a special place for 20th-century music, and, more specifically, for the Second Viennese School. A liking that can be attributed to the stimulating technical challenges characteristic of serial and twelve-tone music. And with good reason, since we know the coloratura to be capable of rising to any vocal challenge. “ Of course, this repertoire can be technically difficult, but what interests me most of all is the notion of decadence. I’m referring to the etymological meaning of the word: in English, there’s a common root with ‘decay,’ and, for something to decay, it has to have flowered first! I find this fascinating, this tightrope, this turning point where the tree has flowered and flowered and flowered, until it begins to perish. It’s an important reflection on the notion of goodbye: the Schönberg quartet is an aesthetic goodbye to tonal harmony, and this album is also a goodbye album for the Emerson Quartet!”

A very dramatic, almost theatrical vision of musical gesture that we suspect to feed off of the numerous operatic heroines that the singer has incarnated on stage: Lulu in the opera of the same name, Agnes in Written on Skin , Isabel in Lessons in Love and Violence , “Elle” in La Voix Humaine…roles that are often dark and tortured, the opposite of the singer’s sunny personality. What dark secrets are you hiding, then, Barbara Hannigan? She laughs: “ I’d have to talk to my therapist about that! Honestly, I have no idea. Actually, I think that I love dying on stage, I loved throwing myself off the balcony in Written on Skin! ” She laughs, again and again. “ In all seriousness, I think that we all go through personal struggles: the loss of a loved one, a break-up, what have you. Music has almost a sacred power, a cathartic power to heal. And even the most tough or violent pieces, I find great joy in working on them. And I try to bring some light to them. In my own production of La Voix Humaine , I added a few touches of humor, a few jokes! ”, she tells us, vibrantly, with grand hand gestures.

A Conductor Without Her Baton

Movements that evoke conducting an orchestra, another facet of her career that has become increasingly more important in recent years. Recordings of her concerts, which she almost always conducts without a baton, are a testament to her full-body engagement, her way of reworking a singer’s use of breath into instrumental interpretation: “ In looking more closely, you notice that most composers write with a ‘sung’ vision of the music. It’s enough to observe the indications on a score: cantare, cantabile .” Her experience as a singer makes her a well-appreciated guest teacher in masterclasses for students who play instruments, especially percussionists, for whom learning to make their instruments sing is a true challenge.

Yet conducting an orchestra wasn’t something she took to easily. “ I wasn’t particularly interested in becoming a conductor. It was my colleagues who are producers, musicians, or conductors who told me to give it a try, because they felt like I had it in me. ” Her first “official” step onto the podium took place in 2011, during the Festival Présences at the Châtelet Theater in Paris. “ I didn’t think that it would cause my career to change course, but, one thing led to another, and people called me to conduct this orchestra or that piece…at the beginning, singing made up 80% of my career, and conducting 20%. Now, it’s been inversed! ”

An inversion that the Canadian is at peace with: “ I still have total freedom to choose my projects. If, next season, I only want to sing, I can. ” These two hats seem to fit her perfectly: “ Better yet, it’s considerably expanded my approach to singing! I was scared of aging for so long, vocally speaking, because there is this ingrained idea that us singers have an expiration date. Of course, I won’t be able to sing certain roles or scores forever, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use my voice forever. I can explore other repertoires, other styles! ” Hannigan has also been multiplying her collaborations with musicians from other universes, as she’s currently doing with New York jazz musician John Zorn , working on a Parisian creation for next fall.

A Voice for the Ages

It’s certainly in contemporary creations that the soprano seems to thrive. To date, she has nearly a hundred world premieres to her name. In 2019, British newspaper The Guardian compiled a list of the 25 best classical music works of the 21st century and, unsurprisingly, Hannigan participated in a great number of them: Let Me Tell You by Hans Abrahamsen, Written on Skin by George Benjamin, Passion by Pascal Dusapin…” I’m very proud to have worked on these projects, but I decided to not play some of them anymore. It’s very important for new generations to take over and propose their own interpretations. I can’t be the only one to sing them, otherwise, it would be repertoire that would be at risk of dying out. For Let Me Tell You , for example, I sent the editor a list of five or six sopranos I thought would be perfect for the role! ”

A laureate of numerous awards, Hannigan was named artist of the year in 2022 at the Gramophone Awards, and was just selected as one of the 20 best sopranos of all time by Classic FM. Honors that she welcomes with humility. “ People talk a lot about artists’ egos, but I think that most of them are humble. You obviously have to have a certain amount of self-confidence in order to get on stage and tell the audience: I’m going to sing or play this piece, and it’s worth it for you to stay and listen. But as we say in the business: ‘You’re only as good as your last concert.’ And if your last concert was bad, you have to work even harder. Most of us spend a lot of time studying and practicing .”

Barbara HANNIGAN interprète Gershwin

Highly personable, Barbara Hannigan nearly seems disappointed when we tell her the interview is coming to an end. So we stretch it out a bit, just to continue enjoying our chat. We actually did have one last question in mind, but would it bother her? “ Oh, I know what you’re going to ask me! Something about being a female orchestra conductor, am I right?” , she teases, mischievously anticipating the journalistic tics she’s likely suffered through countless times. But while we’re on the topic, let’s formulate it properly: from the reign of the politically correct and cancel culture in productions, to the worthy denunciations of sexual abuse and sexism in the music industry, how does one keep a freedom of tone and creativity, far from any reductive dogmas? “ Honestly, I don’t have a clear answer, given it’s such a vast subject. There are a lot of changes in the way things are done now, and I think that’s a good thing. But I recently read a fascinating article about the death of nuance in our society. Now, people say: it’s either black, or it’s white. Yet nuance is important, it’s healthy. In any situation, we have to make sure to take the time to be discerning, to understand sub-texts. Throughout my career, questions have always been more interesting to me than clear-cut answers. I love mystery. ” We head off on these words, full of calm wisdom, only regretting not having been able to meet her cats: “ They tend to stay away when people talk about Schönberg !”

• Released on 9/8/23 by Alpha Classics
• Main artist: Emerson String Quartet
• Genre: Classical
• Available in 24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo
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• Barbara Hannigan

Infinite Voyage

Emerson string quartet / barbara hannigan / bertrand chamayou.

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Emerson String Quartet & Barbara Hannigan - Infinite Voyage - Europadisc

This is as immersive an account of this masterpiece as we’ve heard ... Hannigan’s minutely attentive yet thrillingly communicative singing brings the despairing ‘Litanei’ and the gradually more ecstatic and intense ‘Entrückung’ urgently to life ... The Emersons have a similar command of expressionist and early modernist nuance throughout this landmark work, and it sets the seal on one hell of a final bow: a powerful end to a glorious career on record!

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Infinite Voyage

Infinite Voyage Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou

Album-Release: 2023

HRA-Release: 08.09.2023

Label: Alpha Classics

Genre: Classical

Subgenre: Vocal

Artist: Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou

Composer: Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), Alban Berg (1885-1935), Ernest Chausson (1855-1899), Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)

Album including Album cover Booklet (PDF)

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• Discography
• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963): Melancholie, Op. 13:
• 1 Hindemith: Melancholie, Op. 13: No. 1, Die Primeln blühn und grüßen... 03:28
• 2 Hindemith: Melancholie, Op. 13: No. 2, Nebelweben 02:53
• 3 Hindemith: Melancholie, Op. 13: No. 3, Dunkler Tropfe 02:57
• 4 Hindemith: Melancholie, Op. 13: No. 4, Traumwald 04:45
• Alban Berg (1885 - 1935): String Quartet, Op. 3:
• 5 Berg: String Quartet, Op. 3: I. Langsam 10:14
• 6 Berg: String Quartet, Op. 3: II. Mäßige Viertel 11:15
• Ernest Chausson (1855 - 1899): Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37:
• 7 Chausson: Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37 07:28
• Arnold Schönberg (1874 - 1951): String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10:
• 8 Schönberg: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10: I. Mäßig 06:23
• 9 Schönberg: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10: II. Sehr rasch 06:47
• 10 Schönberg: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10: III. Litanei. Langsam 05:47
• 11 Schönberg: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10: IV. Entrückung. Sehr langsam 10:52
• Total Runtime 01:12:49

Info for Infinite Voyage

After 47 years of award-winning music-making, the Emerson String Quartet will disband in October 2023 and will release their final album Infinite Voyage on September 8 with soprano, Barbara Hannigan. The album evokes the lifelong journey for the four musicians and their lasting friendship with Hannigan. Joined by Bertrand Chamayou, the record features Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 for soprano and string quartet alongside works by Hindemith, Berg, and Chausson's Chanson perpétuelle. The title of this album evokes not only the life-long journey of all these musicians, but also a lasting friendship between soprano Barbara Hannigan and the Emerson String Quartet. One of the greatest string quartets of the last four decades, the Emersons will disband in October 2023. Barbara and the Emersons were determined to record Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 since they started performing the work together in 2015. "The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into previously uncharted territory" say the Emerson musicians. "It's like a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet, it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots", continues Barbara Hannigan. "The soprano’s fin-de- siècle primal scream at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love, is a heavy hitter". Melancholie is a rare and intimate work by the young Hindemith, "a gem of a piece" that the Canadian soprano has wanted to explore for many years. The fascinating Quartet Op. 3, composed by Berg in 1909 as he was finishing his apprenticeship with Schoenberg, features the quartet on its own. And to round out the album, pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins Barbara and the Emersons for another deeply moving encounter by way of Chausson's heartbreaking Chanson perpétuelle. Barbara Hannigan, soprano Bertrand Chamayou, piano Emerson String Quartet

Emerson String Quartet, Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou

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The title of this album evokes not only the life-long journey of all these musicians, but also a lasting friendship between soprano Barbara Hannigan and the Emerson String Quartet. One of the greatest string quartets of the last four decades, the Emersons will disband in October 2023. Barbara and the Emersons were determined to record Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 since they started performing the work together in 2015. "The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into previously uncharted territory" say the Emerson musicians. "It's like a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet, it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots", continues Barbara Hannigan. "The soprano's fin-de- siècle primal scream at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love, is a heavy hitter". Melancholie is a rare and intimate work by the young Hindemith, "a gem of a piece" that the Canadian soprano has wanted to explore for many years. The fascinating Quartet Op. 3, composed by Berg in 1909 as he was finishing his apprenticeship with Schoenberg, features the quartet on it's own. And to round out the album, pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins Barbara and the Emersons for another deeply moving encounter by way of Chausson's heartbreaking Chanson perpétuelle.

Product details

• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.72 x 0.35 x 5.51 inches; 2.82 ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Alpha
• Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2023
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 24, 2023
• Label ‏ : ‎ Alpha
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CBSSFJ6X
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #220 in Classical (CDs & Vinyl)

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Infinite Voyage by Emerson String Quartet, Hannigan & Chamayou

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Infinite Voyage / Hannigan, Chamayou, Emerson Quartet

The title of this album evokes not only the life-long journey of all these musicians, but also a lasting friendship between soprano Barbara Hannigan and the Emerson String Quartet. One of the greatest string quartets of the last four decades, the Emersons will disband in October 2023.

Barbara and the Emersons were determined to record Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 since they started performing the work together in 2015. "The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into previously uncharted territory" say the Emerson musicians. "It's like a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet, it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots", continues Barbara Hannigan. "The soprano’s fin-de-siècle primal scream at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love, is a heavy hitter."

Melancholie is a rare and intimate work by the young Hindemith, "a gem of a piece" that the Canadian soprano has wanted to explore for many years. The fascinating Quartet Op. 3, composed by Berg in 1909 as he was finishing his apprenticeship with Schoenberg, features the quartet on its own. And to round out the album, pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins Barbara and the Emersons for another deeply moving encounter by way of Chausson's heartbreaking Chanson perpétuelle.

This is the final release from the legendary Emerson String Quartet, disbanding nearly five decades after it was formed as a student group. Here, the group takes on monuments of 20th century music, mostly works that it has never recorded before. There are thorny works by Berg and Schoenberg, each on the edge of atonality; the Second String Quartet No. 2 of Schoenberg dispensing with a key signature altogether in the finale. The last two movements of this work feature a vocalist, and the precise, tense singing of soprano Barbara Hannigan makes a perfect foil for the Emerson. There are some little-known songs for voice and string quartet by the young Paul Hindemith, and a fascinating Chanson perpétuelle of Ernest Chausson, which fits the Infinite Voyage theme of the album even if it may not at first seem to be appropriate musically. All in all, this release will hang in listeners’ minds for a good long time, which is exactly what is desired from a valedictory release. Infinite, indeed.

-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)

Product Description:

Release Date: September 08, 2023

Catalog Number: ALPHA1000

UPC: 3701624510001

Label: Alpha

Number of Discs: 1

Period: 20th Century

Composer: Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Ernest Chausson, Paul Hindemith

Orchestra/Ensemble: Emerson String Quartet

Performer: Barbara Hannigan, Bertrand Chamayou

Melancholie, Op. 13

Composer: Paul Hindemith

Ensemble: Emerson String Quartet

Performer: Barbara Hannigan (Soprano)

String Quartet, Op. 3

Composer: Alban Berg

Chanson perpétuelle, Op. 37

Composer: Ernest Chausson

Performer: Barbara Hannigan (Soprano), Bertrand Chamayou (Piano)

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10

Composer: Arnold Schoenberg

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Product description

The title of this album evokes not only the life-long journey of all these musicians, but also a lasting friendship between soprano Barbara Hannigan and the Emerson String Quartet. One of the greatest string quartets of the last four decades, the Emersons will disband in October 2023. Barbara and the Emersons were determined to record Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 since they started performing the work together in 2015. "The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into previously uncharted territory" say the Emerson musicians. "It's like a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet, it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots", continues Barbara Hannigan. "The soprano’s fin-de- siècle primal scream at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love, is a heavy hitter". Melancholie is a rare and intimate work by the young Hindemith, "a gem of a piece" that the Canadian soprano has wanted to explore for many years. The fascinating Quartet Op. 3, composed by Berg in 1909 as he was finishing his apprenticeship with Schoenberg, features the quartet on its own. And to round out the album, pianist Bertrand Chamayou joins Barbara and the Emersons for another deeply moving encounter by way of Chausson's heartbreaking Chanson perpétuelle.

Product details

• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12 x 0.9 x 14 cm; 80 g
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Alpha
• Label ‏ : ‎ Alpha
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CBSSFJ6X
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

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