Morava - Fišer P. String Quartets Nos 1-3, Bittová I. String Quartet / Škampa Quartet

Pavel Fischer (*1965)

Morava / Moravia - String Quartet No. 1 (2008) 16:44

1. I. Lento - Allegro 3:28

2. II. Lento 4:24

3. III. Allegro 1:21

4. IV. Molto adagio 4:04

5. V. Allegro 3:23

6. Jedú chlapci, jedú for String Quartet and Voice (2011) 4:30

7. Brodil Janko koně for String Quartet and Voice (2011) 5:00

Wild Mountain Thyme. String Quartet No. 2 (2009) 16:49

8. I. Jig 5:58

9. II. Wild Mountain Thyme 6:13

10. III. Reel 4:33

Mad Piper. String Quartet No. 3 (2011) 15:59

11. I. Mad Piper 6:10

12. II. Carpathian 1:34

13. III. Sad Piper 3:44

14. IV. Ursari 4:25

All published by Thomas Music Publishing, Prague

15. Iva Bittová (*1958) - Hopáhop tálitá. String Quartet 8:20

Škampa Quartet: Helena Jiříkovská - 1st violin, voice, Lukáš Polák - violoncello

Iva Bittová - vocal, Pavel Fischer

Recorded at the Martínek Studio, Prague, on October 17 and November 29, 2011

Neither the Škampa Quartet, who have established a firm position among the world's finest chamber ensembles, nor the phenomenal musician Iva Bittová needs any introduction. Both names relate to several groundbreaking projects (including a singular conception of Janáček's Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs, Supraphon SU37942131). The genre-bending Škampa Quartet invited Iva Bittová to participate as a composer in their new project. Yet the majority of the pieces have been written by Pavel Fischer, formerly the ensemble's first violin, whose Moravian musical roots and years with the Škampa Quartet have resulted in remarkable accomplishments. His compositions, inspired by Moravian, as well as Scottish, Balkan and Roma folklore, have earned the quartet enthusiastic responses on stages worldwide. Yet the "artificial form" hasn't reduced the sheer emotion, joy, sorrow and nostalgia so purely contained in folk music an iota. The common denominator - the earthy and torrential energy of the musicians.

Moravia - the unfettered energy of folk music as an inspiration for Pavel Fischer and Iva Bittová.

(Supraphon 2012)