# Wolf - Italian Serenade (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Apart from being remembered as 'the guy who dissed Brahms' and for his mental health issues Hugo Wolf left behind very little string quartet music but for a few scraps - a very enjoyable Quartet in D (I reviewed it in my blog) and two single movement works for string quartet. One was a nice Intermezzo and his other this short ditty, the Italian Serenade (1886) which kept Mr. Wolf busy for a fair while considering it was such a short piece. Wolf actually didn't add the word "Italian" until late on and close to publishing it. It's a lovely little piece, often played these days as an encore as it is catchy, colorful and has a great rhythmic bounce. 'Serenade' usually conjures up a certain lightness, honour, nobility or love but this is a showpiece and a delightful one at that's seemingly simple but it's a dexterous and clearly well-written vignette. The music develops quickly and I do enjoy the little call and response in the middle. Whether this is supposed to be an "Italian evening at a Venetian carnival" (as one source suggested) is doubtful but it is just perfect for an end of the night treat. Another where the world and his wife have recorded it and tacked it on as a disc filler but for fun here's a quick rundown (I need a lighthearted break every now and again from some of those monstrous, serious, 4-movement pieces). Little need for big descriptions here as nearly everyone does it well so here's the recommended (everyone apart from a few) below and some that I enjoyed a little more... .

Recommended

Lotus
Carpe Artem
Los Angeles SQ (1967)
Guarneri
Alfama
Juilliard (1964)
Escher (live)
Emerson
Hagen
Alcan
Takacs
Francesco
Koeckert (1951)
Wihan
Lin et al (bcmf live 2012)
Copenhagen Classic
Sonnenberg, Kim, Harrell
Delmé

*Enthusiastically endorsed*

Artemis
Auryn
Quatuor Ludwig
Calidore
New Music (1953)
Hugo Wolf Quartet
Di Cremona
Fine Arts (both)
New Zealand
Amphion
Oslo
Modigliani
Formosa
Musikverein
Hollywood (1953)
Prometeo

*Divine

Signum* - clear, transparent and beautifully caught in lovely sound
*Arabella* - boisterous, lively and played lovingly.
*Silesian* - love the slavic tones of those violins. Very realistic acoustic.
*Brodsky* - lyrical and warmly romantic in great sound.


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