Hi-Res lossless 24 bit / FLAC tracks | Classical | 69:53 | 736 MbTo us, the Rolston String Quartet, the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is simply irresistible – and so, a debut album containing only his finest chamber works was an obvious choice.

Cherished for his memorable and beautifully simplistic melodies, Tchaikovsky’s music is innately joyous, virtuosic, and heart-wrenching, often all at once – yet never violent in nature.

As musicians, we adore the charm and childhood nostalgia that Tchaikovsky is able to encompass from start to finish.

In this album, we have selected a work from each of his early, middle, and late periods: his String Quartet No.

1 in D major, selections from his Children’s Album, and his beloved Souvenir de Florence for string sextet.

Not only could we showcase a quartet that we treasure, but we were given the opportunity to collaborate with two of the Chapel’s brilliant professors: violist Miguel da Silva and cellist Gary Hoffman.

We gravitate towards Tchaikovsky’s chamber music more than other composers’ because of his stunning ability to write symphonically: right from the opening chords of the D major quartet, Tchaikovsky expands the sonic possibilities of the traditional string quartet towards that of a symphony orchestra.

To round out the program are five delicate and endearing pieces: our favourite selections from Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album for solo piano, arranged for string quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky, the founding first violinist of the Borodin Quartet.

Tracklist:1. String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: I. Moderato e semplice (11:53)2. String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: II. Andante cantabile (6:54)3. String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: III. Scherzo. Allegro non tanto e con fuoco (4:19)4. String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: IV. Finale. Allegro giusto – Allegro vivace (6:54)5. Children’s Album, Op. 39: I. Morning Prayer (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky) (1:22)6. Children’s Album, Op. 39: VI. The Sick Doll (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky) (1:12)7. Children’s Album, Op. 39: VII. The Doll’s Funeral (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky) (1:31)8. Children’s Album, Op. 39: IX. The New Doll (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky) (0:31)9. Children’s Album, Op. 39: XIII. Kamarinskaja (Arr. for String Quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky) (0:36)10. String Sextet in D Minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70: I. Allegro con spirito (10:39)11. String Sextet in D Minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70: II. Adagio cantabile e con moto (9:58)12. String Sextet in D Minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70: III. Allegretto moderato (6:42)13. String Sextet in D Minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70: IV. Allegro vivace (7:07)