Karl Weigl - String Quartets Nos. 4 & 6; Intermezzi (Thomas Christian Ensemble)

Information

Composer: Karl Weigl

• String Quartet No. 6 in C major
• Three Intermezzi for Strings
• String Quartet No. 4 in D minor

Thomas Christian Ensemble

    Thomas Christian, violin

    Raimund Lissy, violin

    Robert Bauerstatter, viola

    Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg, cello

    Christoph Wimmer-Schenkel, double bass

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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A close examination of the later works of Austrian composer Karl Weigl reveals a persistent sense of cultural memory shaped by exile. Forced to emigrate to the United States in 1939, he remained deeply connected to his Viennese roots, a quality reflected in both his tonal language and expressive grace. Even when adopting more advanced musical elements, his compositions retain a strong sense of lyrical beauty and structural clarity. In works such as his 1939 quartet and the Three Intermezzi composed in 1941, Weigl conveys both introspection and resilience, affirming a belief in the restorative power of beauty amid historical upheaval.

Thomas Christian (b. 1951), founder and first violinist of the Vienna String Quintet (est. 1986), has led his ensemble on worldwide tours across Europe, Japan, and South America. The quintet’s recordings include the complete Mozart string quintets, Bruckner’s quintet, Schubert’s quintet with two cellos, and works by Dvořák, Lanner, and Strauss with double bass. Since 2003, Christian has expanded the group into the Thomas Christian Ensemble, performing chamber music from trios to larger works, including rare pieces by H.W. Ernst, J. Marx, and W. Kienzl, as well as arrangements of Bruckner and Mahler. The ensemble features top international musicians and regularly appears at major festivals such as Schloss Elmau, Brucknerfest Linz, Beethovenfest Bonn, Osterklang Wien, and Romanesque Nights Cologne.