“Spanish Composer Ruperto Chapí was born in 1851 in Villena, Alicante province, where he began his musical studies at an early age. Showing an exceptional talent, he moved to Madrid at the age of sixteen, continuing his studies at the capital’s Conservatorio under the tutelage of Emilio Arrieta. After stints in Rome and Paris (where he met Saint-Saëns), he came back to Spain in 1880, where he began his affiliation with the world of zarzuela (Spanish lyric opera), eventually becoming one of the major exponents of this genre in the history of Spanish music. It is with his zarzuela La Tempestad (1882) that he achieves his first national success. Many more would follow during his lifetime, with over a hundred lyric works, including the one that made Chapí a household name in Spain, La Revoltosa (1897).

Towards the end of his life, however, Chapí became interested in chamber music, and beginning in 1903 he undertakes the composition of his four String Quartets, works that constitute one of the most important legacies of the Spanish post-romantic era.

Once he finished his quartets, Chapí went back to lyric music composition, finishing what would be his last opera, Margarita la Tornera at the beginning of 1909.  In March of that same year, Ruperto Chapí died of a heart attack.

Cuarteto Latinoamericano, is one of the world’s most renowned classical music ensembles, for forty years the leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet. Founded in Mexico in 1982, the Cuarteto has toured extensively throughout Europe, North and South America, Israel, China, Japan, and New Zealand. They have premiered more than a hundred works written for them and they continue to introduce new and neglected composers to the genre. Winners of the 2012 and 2016 Latin Grammys for Best Classical Recordings, they have been recognized with the Mexican Music Critics Association Award and three times received Chamber Music America/ASCAP’s “Most Adventurous Programming” Award.”

-Saúl Bitran-

Quartet No. 3
1. Grave-Allegro assai 11:16

2. Allegro Moderato 4:47

3. Larghetto 7:48

4. Finale-Allegro vivace 9:45

Quartet No. 4
5. Allegro moderato 9:06

6. Allegretto 6:42

7. Allegretto animato 6:58

8. Allegro vivo 16:43

Total Time 73:05

Total time: 40:02
Release date: January 28, 2022
UPC: 053479225429

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Quotes & Reviews

“played with fire and precision by Cuarteto Latinoamericano… We have the World Premiere recordings of his third and fourth on today's program and they are substantial and detailed, filled with a post-Romantic Spanish zing perhaps in a kind of Neo-Classical Modernist way, with ,lyrical moments that suggest the kind of dramatics of Zarzuelas without direct reference.” - Grego Applegate-Edwards, Classical-Modern Music Review

“This is a recording that may well remake the string quartet repertory.” - James Manheim, AllMusic

“El Cuarteto Latinomaericano transmite superlativamente bien el espíritu de estas obras subestimadas. Su virtuosismo es impresionante y los desafíos técnicos generalmente se resuelven bien. Su vigilancia y sensibilidad ante los humores de Chapí es inagotable, y transmiten una frescura que aumenta mucho el placer de este redescubrimiento. La grabación de esta integral, que ahora llega a su fin, es muy bienvenida y bien puede ayudar a impulsar los cuartetos de Chapí de regreso al repertorio.”

“[The Latin American Quartet conveys superlatively well the spirit of these underestimated works. His virtuosity is impressive and technical challenges are generally handled well. His vigilance and sensitivity to Chapí's moods is inexhaustible, and they transmit a freshness that greatly increases the pleasure of this rediscovery. The recording of this integral, now coming to an end, is very welcome and may well help propel Chapí's quartets back into the repertoire.]” - Luis Suarez, Tarraco’s Culture Club

“he passion of the quartet's playing illuminates the buoyancy of the scherzo-styled second movement, with melody again an alluring component. The nostalgic “Larghetto” slows the pace for a replenishing evocation imbued with the graceful sensuality Ravel and Debussy achieved in their own quartets, after which the rhythmically driving finale brings the work to a breathless close.” - Ron Schepper, Textura

“attractive, substantial and well-written works that present frequent technical challenges to the performers. The Cuarteto Latinoamericano, founded in Mexico in 1982, is in its element here in full-blooded performances.” - The Whole Note