BARTÓK · STRAVINSKY · WEBERN / Amati-Ensemble | Deutsche Grammophon

The Amati-Ensemble Berlin is a conductorless, stand-up group of 11 string players, made their debut in 1965 at the Berlin High School of Music. They didn’t want to bind themselves to a particular composer, a style or epoch, but merely to use as a means of expression the stringed instrument in the most noble form created by Italian violin maker Amati. They drew on artistically significant and vital works from Bach to contemporary composers, and on less frequently played chamber works from the Romantics to Schoenberg and Shostakovich.  

Their upcoming album of works by Bartók, Stravinsky and Webern is released on 27 February as part of DG’s debut series, which presents first or very early recordings by artists who went on to build considerable careers. Listen to a second pre-release track, the energetic first movement of Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings. The album is available for pre-order.