World Premiere Recordings
Kletzki: The Complete String Quartets presents the complete string quartets of Paweł Klecki (Paul Kletzki) in the first-ever World Premiere Recording, performed by the Bacewicz String Quartet.
Known internationally as a distinguished 20th-century conductor, Klecki’s achievements as a composer have long remained overshadowed. These quartets—written between the early 1920s and 1942—reveal a compelling late-Romantic voice navigating the stylistic tensions between tradition and modernity.
The String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 1 (1923) reflects a young composer deeply rooted in 19th-century structural models, balancing lyrical expressivity with rhythmic drive. Quartet No. 2 in C minor, Op. 13 (1925) demonstrates greater formal integration and harmonic boldness, with intensified narrative continuity and heightened dramatic coherence.
The Third Quartet in D minor, Op. 23 (1931) refines Klecki’s textural control, favouring blended sonorities and contrapuntal nuance over overt instrumental display. The Fourth Quartet (1942), preserved in manuscript form and edited for performance, ventures into more exploratory harmonic territory, suggesting a response—albeit measured—to developments associated with the Second Viennese School.
Recorded in July 2025 at the Chamber Hall of the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, this project coincides with the 125th anniversary of Klecki’s birth. The Bacewicz String Quartet delivers performances of clarity, intensity, and structural understanding, restoring these substantial works to the chamber repertoire.
Total timing:
Volume 1 – 75:12
Volume 2 – 64:38
Bacewicz String Quartet
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as MP3.Total time: 01:15:09
Additional information
| Label | |
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| SKU | PCL2501000 |
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| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Michał Bryła |
| Balance Engineer | Michał Bryła |
| Editing | Michał Bryła |
| Mastering | Michał Bryła |
| Recording Engineer | Michał Bryła |
| Recording Location | Chamber Hall of the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź |
| Instruments | |
| Release Date | February 27, 2026 |
Kletzki: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1 (World Premiere Recordings)
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | PCL25010001 |
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| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Michał Bryła |
| Balance Engineer | Michał Bryła |
| Editing | Michał Bryła |
| Mastering | Michał Bryła |
| Recording Engineer | Michał Bryła |
| Recording Location | Chamber Hall of the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź |
| Instruments | |
| Release Date | February 26, 2026 |
Kletzki: The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2 (World Premiere Recordings)
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | PCL25010002 |
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| Original Recording Format | |
| Release Date | February 25, 2026 |
Press reviews
Classical Source
(…) Paul Kletzki is better known as a conductor whose LPs command high prices. His four String Quartets were composed between 1913 and !942, the latter recreated from sketches. Apparently this is their first complete recording. Their musical language is fairly conventional, with echoes of Bartok, Dvorak, Schoenberg and late German Romanticism that never swamp Kletzki’s own voice. These are accessible, easy to listen to works full of melody and introspection, which should be heard more often and the eloquent performances are just as good.
The DSD512 download derives from a DXD master, where the hall’s acoustic signature is perfectly captured as is the players svelte tone and their individual voices are never lost. As an added bonus there are comprehensive programme notes by Karol Furtak. (…)
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