CDs

CDs

Carmen

Artists: The Wave Quartet
2019, Sony Classical

The CD is available here.

The second album of the Wave Quartet with Sony Classical is focusing on the perhaps most popular female figure in opera history - "Carmen" from George Bizet. Almost a century later, the Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin arranged the highlights from Bizet's opera into a "Carmen Suite" for string orchestra and percussion. The Wave Quartet has now arranged this version for four Marimbas. After these 25 minutes long opera highlights, the ensemble presents arrangements of pop hits. The Wave Quartet chose Ed Sheeran's "Perfect", Sting's "Message in a Bottle" and Suzanne Vega's "Gypsy". "Udacrep Akubrad", a piece by the Israeli composer Avner Dorman, in an arrangement for three marimbas and percussion concludes the album. This mix of opera, pop and Israeli music reflects a big musical spectrum of the Wave Quartet.

Bach Concertos

Artists: The Wave Quartet, L'Orfeo Barockorchester, Michi Gaigg
2017, Sony Classical

The CD is available here.

WDR 3 (5 stars) Tonart suggestion of the week 
"I do not want to go so far and say, who needs a harpsichord for Bach's harpsichord concertos? But I do not really miss anything in this recording."
You can listen to the review on WDR 3 (in German)

CD of the week on rbb Kulturradio
"This harpsichord concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach can be discovered in a new way as Marimba concertos, bringing a wonderful meditative effect especially in the slow movements"
rbb Kulturradio (in German)

Pizzicato Supersonic Award
"Enjoy goose bumps and shivers going down your spine when the marimba players get a maximum of expressivity from the slow movements in those well-fitting transcriptions of Bach’s harpsichord concertos. The dancing outer movements of the works are no less exiting due to the refinement of the Wave Quartet’s exquisite playing."
Review by Remy Franck (in german) / Pizzicato 27/11/2017

MDR Klassik CD suggestion
"It is wonderful, the way the musicians including a Baroque orchestra play with each other, the voices are interweaved and maintain an elegant sound."
Review in german language / mdr Klassik 06/01/2018

Rondo Magazine 
"(...) The intimacy of the Marimba opens up completely new sound spaces."
This article was published in Rondo Magazine in german language.

Fono Forum 
"Musically, this new recording has quite a few charms to offer: for example the mysterious atmosphere in the slow movements, which is enchantingly enthralling, meditative, time-lasting. The conciseness with which the Wave Quartet plays is certainly one of the special qualities, especially in the exact coordination with Michi Gaigg's orchestra. Amazing is the clarity with which the Wave Quartet, reinforced by four other soloists, masters the final A minor concert. Precision specialists are needed here, who harmonize very well not only rhythmically but also in the dynamic progressions."
Review by Christoph Vratz / Fono Forum November 2017

SWR2
"(...) The intimacy of the marimba sound opens up a very unique sound magic (...)"
CD-Tip from 20.10.2017 from the program "SWR2 Cluster" (in german)

CD of the day on Radio Klassik Stephansdom
"Unusual in the sound and yet somehow familiar, these arrangements of the Bach concerts have a special effect."
Radio Klassik Stephansdom / 18 October 2017

Online Merker
"(...) From the first second of the Allegro from the D minor to the final Allegro of the A Minor Concerto, the percussionists from Austria, Luxembourg, Bulgaria (...) and Japan hold the musical threads firmly in their hands. In comparison to the harpsichord, the music sounds less ethereal, salon and chiselled, but more archaic and more dancing like. The expressive strings of the L'Orfeo baroque orchestra under the direction of Michi Gaigg also contribute unrestrictedly."
This article was published here in german language.

Kulturbericht OÖ
"Inspiring. (...) An absolute must for every decent sound library!"
The article by Norbert Trawöger is published here in german language.

Ohrenmensch
"Bach remains Bach (...) you not only hear opulent sounds, but you can also see impressive pictures."
Hans Ackermann / More at: www.ohrenmensch.de (in german language).

Lauda Concertata

Artists: The Wave Quartet, Bogdan Bacanu, Cristian Mandeal, Romanian National Symphony Orchestra
2016, Genuin Classics

Following their successful first GENUIN release Loco, the Wave Quartet is turning on the heat – when we hear them, we’d be forgiven for mistaking the marimba and percussion quartet for a full-fledged orchestra. Joining together with Bogdan Bácanu, the world’s youngest marimba professor and winner of many international competitions, the world-class musicians have committed two world premiere recordings to CD – concertos by Emmanuel Séjourné where they give full rein to their brilliant and varied malletwork. Romantic, with plenty of humor, groove, and feeling – an inspiration for percussion fans and music lovers everywhere!

WDR 3
"Es geht nicht um Anpassung, sondern um bedingungsloses Erforschen musikalischer Möglichkeiten, und zwar nicht nur in der Barockmusik, für die das Quartett eine besondere Leidenschaft pflegt, sondern auch in der radikalen Ausdruckskraft von Piazzollas Tangowerken oder in Stings “Message in a Bottle“."
Am 22.10. präsentierte WDR 3 die neue CD des Wave Quartets.

Pizzicato
"(...)der einfallsreiche Marimbapart, hinreißend gespielt von Bogdan Bacanu, gibt dem Werk eine persönliche Note."

"Das ‘Wave Quartet’ und das Orchester spielen mit Engagement und Raffinement."

Das Orchester
"(...) Admirably high performance art (...) The CD is a must for the audio library of every percussion enthusiast and a very enriching supplement for all classical listeners with a sense of something special."
Review (in german) by Stephan Froleyks / Das Orchester, April 2017

Loco

Artists: The Wave Quartet
2016, Genuin Classics

The 4th Wave Quartet CD was released in January 2016! An exciting repertoire with arrangements of some Latin - American Masterpieces as well as hot Mexican tunes add lots of spice to the Quartet's Discography!

Pizzicato
"makellose Technik und das faszinierende Ensemblespiel (...)"
Rezension und Auszeichnung mit dem "Supersonic" im Magazin 
Pizzicato von Remy Franck, 11.1.2016

ICMA Awards 2017
Nominated in 'Chamber Music'

25.01.16 / Deutschlandradio Kultur
In der Sendung TonArt wird die CD "Loco" vorgestellt.
Zur Homepage von Deutschlandradio Kultur

CD der Woche auf Radio Klassik Stephansdom
"Pures Leben. Wer zuhört, ist dabei."
Am 23. Januar wird die CD "Loco" CD-Tipp des Tages auf Radio Klassik Stephansdom sein.
Zum CD-Tipp auf Radio Klassik Stephansdom

SR 2
"mitreißende Spielfreude und respektvolle Herangehensweise an das Ursprungsmaterial"
Ein Gespräch mit Christoph Sietzen und Bogdan Bacanu vom Wave Quartet stand am 12. Januar im Mittelpunkt der Sendung "MusikWelt" auf SR 2. 
Zur Sendung auf SR 2

Videoempfehlung auf Crescendo
"Ein Geheimtipp ist das Wave Quartet schon lange nicht mehr. Erfrischend anders ist das exquisite Ensemble jedoch immer noch, wie man auf dem neuen Album “Loco” hören und im famosen Video sehen kann."
Zum Video auf Crescendo

Neues Volksblatt
"Den Kontrapunkt bildeten die sanften, weichen Töne, die Christoph Sietzen mit geradezu erotischem Streicheln seiner Marimba entlockte."
Werner Rohrhofer in der österreichischen Zeitung Neues Volksblatt am 13.06.2016

Hertener Allgemeine
"überragend vielseitig (...) Die Musik spricht authentisch aus sich selbst heraus."
Besprechung in der Zeitung Hertener Allgemeine von Stefan Pieper, 14.06.2016

American Record Guide
"(...) the warm, earthy tone of well-played marimbas, I find the program highly enjoyable and approachable. Their arrangement of pop singer Josh Groban’s ‘Wandering Kind’ is particularly well done."
Rezension im American Record Guide von Lamper, Juli/August 2016

Senza Ripieno

Artists:
 The Wave Quartet
2011

Marimbas & Orchestra

The Wave Quartet und Salzburg Barock
Conductor: Peter Sadlo
2009

Aurora Borealis

Artists:  The Wave Quartet 
2008

X