Pacifica Quartet - The Korngold Collection (1) (2025)

The Pacifica Quartet presents The Korngold Collection, a landmark recording of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s complete string quartets and rarely heard chamber works tracing the composer’s extraordinary evolution from prodigy of post-imperial Vienna to pioneering film composer in Hollywood.

Described by The Daily Telegraph as “nothing short of phenomenal,” the multiple Grammy Award–winning Pacifica Quartet brings more than three decades of acclaimed artistry to this sweeping portrait of Korngold’s chamber music.

The three string quartets, written between 1923 and 1945, chart Korngold’s artistic journey: the First Quartet pulses with adventurous harmony; the Second, composed just before his emigration from Austria, overflows with lush melody; and the Third, finalized after WWII, draws on themes from his iconic film scores, including The Sea Hawk and Between Two Worlds.

Complementing the quartets are two early chamber gems: the radiant Piano Quintet in E major (1920), written in the wake of his operatic triumph, Die tote Stadt and performed with pianist Orion Weiss; and the vibrant String Sextet in D major (1914), a youthful work that helped establish Korngold’s early reputation, featuring violist Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and cellist Eric Kim.

Praised for their “remarkable expressive range and tonal beauty” (The New York Times), the Pacifica Quartet has distinguished itself through a deep commitment to complete composer cycles, including The Soviet Experience, their celebrated survey of Shostakovich’s 15 string quartets, plus quartets by his contemporaries.

TRACKLIST

1. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: I. Allegro molto
2. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: II. Adagio quasi Fantasia
3. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: III. Intermezzo
4. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16: IV. Finale. ALlegretto amabile e comodo
5. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: I. Allegro
6. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: II. Intermezzo. Allegretto con moto
7. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: III. Larghetto
8. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 26: IV. Walz (Finale)
9. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: I. Allegro moderato
10. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: II. Scherzo. Allegro molto
11. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: III. Sostenuto. Like a folk tune
12. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34: IV. Finale. Allegro
13. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: I. Mässiges Zeitmaß, mit schwungvoll blühendem Ausdruck
14. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: II. Adagio. Mit größter Ruhe, stets äußerst gebunden und ausdrucksvoll
15. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: Piano Quintet in E major, Op. 15: III. Finale. Gemeßen, beinahe pathetisch
16. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: I. Moderato - Allegro
17. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: II. Adagio
18. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: III. Intermezzo (Moderato, con grazia)
19. Pacifica Quartet - Korngold: String Sextet in D major, Op. 10: IV. Finale (Presto)