Schumann Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 #1

Introduzione: Adagio espressivo; Allegro
Scherzo: Presto; Intermezzo 9:09
Adagio 13:20
Presto 20:09
VERMEER QUARTET

Shmuel Ashkenasi, 1st violin
Pierre Menard, 2nd violin
Richard Young, viola
Marc Johnson, cello
Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England)

November, 1989
Every year for over two decades, the Vermeer gave concerts and master classes at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. In 1991 they were made “Fellows” of this prestigious institution.
Unfortunately, the clarity and balance of this recording were muddied by poor microphone placement. To make matters worse, the cassette tape was damaged, causing a momentary blip in the 2nd movement. Since the Vermeer performed the 1st Schumann quartet countless times, it’s likely that many recordings exist. But thus far, this is the only one that can be found.
The Vermeer was scheduled to record the three Schumann quartets in Berlin for TELDEC in 1991. But the project was cancelled under tragic circumstances. The morning of the first recording session, 2nd violinist Pierre Menard was taken ill. One week later he informed Shmuel, Richard, and Marc that he would have to resign from the quartet because he had AIDS. He died in 1994.

Видео Schumann Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 #1 канала Vermeer Quartet