Stefano Golinelli; Vincenzo Antonio Petrali - Romanticismo Italiano (Quartetto Altemps)

Information

Composer: Stefano Golinelli; Vincenzo Antonio Petrali

• Golinelli - String Quartet Op. 100, No. 1 in B Minor
• Petrali - String Quartet in G Major

Quartetto Altemps

    Stefano Barneschi, violin

    Angelo Calvo, violin

    Ernest Braucher, viola

    Marco Testori, cello

Date: 2026

Label: Challenge Classics

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The Quartetto Altemps’ new album, Romanticismo Italiano, offers world premiere recordings of nineteenth-century string quartets by Italian keyboard virtuosi Stefano Golinelli (1818–1891) and Vincenzo Antonio Petrali (1830–1889). This release bridges a historical gap in Italy's chamber music heritage, blending native lyricism with Austro-German structural traditions. Golinelli’s String Quartet Op. 100 No. 1 combines operatic intensity with Classical structures, while Petrali’s Quartet in G major merges cantabile warmth with rigorous counterpoint. Rooted in meticulous manuscript research, the Quartetto Altemps delivers a vibrant, stylish, and deeply passionate performance that successfully restores these forgotten Romantic masterpieces to the modern chamber music repertoire.

Composed of veteran musicians from acclaimed historical performance ensembles like Il Giardino Armonico and Europa Galante, the Quartetto Altemps offers an innovative alternative reading of Classical and Romantic string quartet repertoire. Rather than taking a retrospective view, the ensemble approaches these historical works with the forward-looking spirit of contemporary musicians. Grounded in a meticulous comparative study of original sources, manuscripts, and first editions, the quartet utilizes decades of early music expertise to inform their interpretations. This rigorous, historically informed methodology allows the Quartetto Altemps to deliver performances marked by exceptional stylistic awareness and deep interpretive maturity.

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