"Far too good just to have as background music: this is utterly superb string quartet art. You have surely not heard these French treasures played with more sensitivity or clarity." (Stuttgarter Zeitung) "The Auryn Quartet plays these works with such sovereign ease that in places they sound positively casual. But don't let this fact give any impression of complacency on the part of the players - rather the performances reveal a certain aristocratic elegance that serves these works particularly well. (...) Another winner from this small but almost invariably excellent label." (classics today)

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"I have become more sensitive to superfluous notes. I wish to convey my subjects, which can only be of a musical nature, as directly as possible, not dressed up, not encoded or covered by too much artistry..." Günter Bialas explained in 1990 about his style of composing. Numerous works of contemporary composers were dedicated to the Auryn Quartet which played all - some of them even for the first time. This CD, the 12th of "The Auryn Series" by TACET, is devoted to Günter Bialas who died in 1995.

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"You can be pleased to hear an interpretation which sets standards with its ideal transparency, its sensuality and its emotionally rich intensity. Here there are no mannerisms to bother us, no rhetorical gimmicks or vocal inadequacies. The almost thirty singers always retain their vocal serenity, whether in the double-choral furore of “Singet dem Herrn” or in the delicacy of the “Fürchte dich nicht” (Be not Afraid) motet. Everything sounds relaxed but never trivial, with the sound mix perfectly balanced and performed with verbal discipline. If you do not yet have this Bach treasure in your collection, look no further than here." (klassik heute) (...) verve, unusually articulate expressive gestures that arise from the texts, exceptional ensemble precision, illuminating inner detail, and an overall atmosphere that conveys a sense of occasion and gives the distinct feeling that these singers both understand and love this music. These are uncompromisingly exciting performances that show, given a virtuoso ensemble and some of the most challenging music ever written for voices, just how captivating choral music can be." (classics today)

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Tacet is one of the handful of companies that seem quite competent at delivering superb ambience and acoustical cues from just a couple of well-placed microphones. Very highly recommended – this disc is such a delight to listen to, that it′s more than generous 75-minute playing time passes all too quickly!

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nTune 2/1996: "... We′ve not had a recording any smoother since the old Milstein or Menuhin versions. - Born in Romania in 1958, Paul went on to win major European prizes ... Technically secure in all departments, his playing is simply fabulous. But more than that, Paul is incredibly tasteful in bringing unexaggerated tempos and elegance of phrasing to these daunting masterpieces... - There′s no point in going into extreme detail. In Tacet′s audiophile sonics and with terse, serious notes in English, German and French, the production is an absolute triumph. Sensational - a major discovery."

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"Beethoven composed his Op. 1 piano trios under the shadow of Haydn. The younger composer′s personality, though, was squarely intact. You already get those sudden dynamic surges, unsettling accentuations, and slow movements filled with sustained, lyrical tension that count among the hallmarks of Beethoven′s quintessential style. The Abegg Trio′s masterful performances of Beethoven′s first two trios go straight to the heart of the music. Faster movements sing out with headlong brio, abetted by rock-steady tempos that benefit from tasteful inflection. Notable, too, is the ensemble′s sly transition from the G major trio′s introductory adagio into an effortlessly sustained vivace, plus the rollicking give and take in the opera-buffa-like finale. It′s good to have these excellent-sounding 1987 recordings available again. Strongly recommended." (ClassicsToday)

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"Beethoven viewed the three piano trios as his first complete work; you can hear one of them here - in combination with the "Ghost Trio", whose ghostly middle movement was the reason for the title. The [...] Abegg Trio probably offers the most united performance of all the Beethoven Trios on four single CDs. It is powerful, vital playing, yet which always stays controlled, precise and melodious, that makes the performances so attractive. The ensemble sound is very homogeneous and the balance of the instruments outstanding. The commentaries in the booklet are also excellent." (CD-Führer Klassik)

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We awaited the third and fourth instalments of Beethoven’s Piano Trios by the Abegg Trio with eager anticipation. Now that they have been released, we can sum up as follows: our first impressions were right and our high expectations were confirmed; this trio, founded in Hanover in 1976, can rightly be called one of the great German piano trios. [...]" (Fono Forum)

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"The meticulously prepared releases by the Stuttgart label Tacet deserve attention ... this tells me that Gerrit Zitterbart can rank with the most gifted Beethoven performers of his generation..." (Frankfurter Rundschau)

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"(...) The results are fascinating at every turn - these are braking renditions, and the entire set of four CDs is highly recommended, even to those who are already intimately familiar with these scores (...)" (Fanfare)

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Twice Brahms worked on his first piano trio [op. 8]: in 1854, when he put it to paper [...] and 1889, when he worked on it again and thoroughly revised it. [...] Both versions have their merit and, more importantly still, their own specific musical charm. This applies particularly to the finely chiselled interpretations by the Abegg Trio [...]. (Fono Forum)

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Ulrich Beetz, Birgit Erichson and Gerrit Zitterbart, the three musicians of the Abegg Trio, are a faithful threesome: they have been playing together for thirty years and the constant motto of the ensemble has remained unchanged: authentic reproduction of musical works. This concept of “authenticity” has altered a little in the course of the years. In recent years the three musicians have become more ambitious in their choice of instruments. For example, Gerrit Zitterbart only plays on pianos which are from the time of the composition, here a pianoforte built in 1864 by Johann Baptist Streicher in Vienna. Ulrich Beetz and Birgit Erichson use gut strings for their instruments; and Stephan Katte blows Brahms’ Horn Trio on a natural horn – just as Brahms expressly requested.

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Brilliant audiophile recordings of various styles by various artists! The star of this recording is not the artists and not the composers but the CONDENSER microphone!

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Enjoy finest mainstream jazz played by the Georg Rox Quartet, recorded with ribbon microphones from the 1930′s and 40′s, with the oldest, 1927, condenser microphone, or with modern mikes. Compare with the latest developments! Mikes by Brüel & Kjaer, Clara, Coles, Elektro-Voice, MBHO, Microtech Gefell, Neumann, RCA, Schoeps, Sennheiser and Sony.

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The Welte- Mingnon- Mystery Vol. IV This is not an historical recording. Yet mysteriously the music is performed in an interpretation which is historically authentic down to the last detail. The key to this mystery is: the original performer was present at the recent recording session, but not physically: the music is heard on a modern Steinway. Never has music stored in the Welte-Mignon system sounded so "right" or so well - so unadulterated that it need not fear comparison with a living pianist! Can you tell the difference: dead or alive?

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Erdmann, Rihm, Killmayer, Acker, Henze Abegg Trio

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"The Abegg Trio is a terrific group, and its recordings for Tacet have been almost uniformly outstanding. This Dvorák CD is no exception. They play with scrupulous attention to detail, excellent balances, gorgeous tone, and most importantly (for the "Dumky" Trio particularly), a welcome lightness of texture and enlivening sense of rhythm. (...) Once again the ABEGGs turn in performances that are second to none. (...) Sonics are, as always with Tacet, state of the art." (classics today)

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The Goethe cycle Heut und ewig (Now and Forever) is E. Pepping’s most extensive secular choral work. It was first performed by Spandau choir on the occasion of the honouring of Goethe by the municipal authorities of (west) Berlin on 16th July 1949. In fact its first performance - as truly befitted Goethe bicentennial year - had been planned for the great Goethe celebrations in Weimar; but this pan-German plan was overtaken by political events whilst the work was still being written. For a west Berlin choir, a journey to the Soviet Occupied Zone would have been not only political folly but also risky. Thus Pepping’s Goethe cycle unintentionally became part of the cultural and political labyrinth at the time of the foundation of two German states, both of which liked to view and portray themselves as the intellectual heir of the great German poet...

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"...When I heard all this, I had the suspicion that there were not four players and four fiddles, but a fabulous string instrument with endless capacity: the whole thing fitted together with such musical homogeneity. Altogether the Auryn Quartet achieves astonishing perfection which never becomes soulless. What more could one want?" (HiFiVision) "Enthusiastically recommended!" (Fanfare)

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Works by Tomaso Vitali, Joseph Joachim, Johannes Brahms, Niccolò Paganini, Henryk Wieniawski, Sergei Rachmaninoff Hartmut Lindemann, viola Ben Martin, piano

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