Ellemis Piano Quartet
"Works by Johannes Brahms & Ernest Chausson"

The recording company Subways Music presents a special edition. It is a 76-minute CD that includes works by Johannes Brahms and Ernest Chausson. Behind the performance of these masterpieces is the ELLEMIS piano quartet, consisting of: Stella Tsani (violin), Michael Smirnov (viola), Lefki Kolovou (cello) and Elena Chounta (piano). It is, perhaps, the only " permanent" chamber music format in Greece with this composition of instruments (i.e. violin - viola - cello - piano) and searches the world music philology for masterpieces written for this rare form of musical format. This path of search brought them in front of Ernest Chausson (Ernest Chausson – 1855 - 1899), a French amazing composer wronged by his not huge fame, thanks to his work "Piano Quartet in A major", a musical feast that combines in a unique way the French romanticism and post-romanticism with the impressionist artistic style. 

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) is a composer who needs no introduction, as his work has variously occupied all music lovers on the planet. His work "Piano Quartet, opus 60" is an absolute masterpiece true to the composer's style and the "Ellemis" give their interpretation highlighting their own distinct artistic identity. 

Stella Tsani, leading member of the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens and the National of the ERT Symphony Orchestra, is an accomplished soloist with a personal discography, active in Greece and abroad and with a particular interest in contemporary spoken music, as she collaborates with the Union of Greek Musicians and the Hellenic Contemporary Music Orchestra. Elena Chounta has given many recitals, has appeared as a soloist with major Greek and foreign symphony orchestras and is also active as a composer and piano teacher. The prize-winning Russian violinist Mikhail Smirnov, a graduate of the Tchaikovsky Academy in Moscow, is a member of the Athens State Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist in Greece and abroad. The cellist Lefki Kolovou has collaborated with the most important Greek orchestras, collaborates with the Union of Greek Musicians and is very active in the field of chamber music. Four charming people who fascinate even more with their music, prove that Greece has a musical potential that has no envied nothing on the international music scene, creating a discography that elicits laudatory public reviews and enchants every lover of classical music...

Tracklist:

Ernest Chausson
1) Piano Quartet in A, op 30: i) Animé
2) Piano Quartet in A, op 30: ii) Très calme
3) Piano Quartet in A, op 30: iii) Simple et sans hâte
4) Piano Quartet in A, op 30: iv) Animé

Johannes Brahms
5) Piano Quartet No 3, in C minor, op 60: i) Allegro non troppo
6) Piano Quartet No 3, in C minor, op 60: ii) Scherzo - Allegro
7) Piano Quartet No 3, in C minor, op 60: iii) Andante
8) Piano Quartet No 3, in C minor, op 60: iv) Finale - Allegro comodo
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Musicians:
Stella Tsani (violin)
Mikhail Smirnov (viola)
Lefki Kolovou (cello)
Elena Chounta (piano)

Contributors:
Production: Sophocles Sapounas
Recording: Subway Studio
Mastering: Vangelis Sapounas
Mixing: Vangelis Sapounas & Ellemis
Photography: Ioulis Moutsatsou & Panagiotis Tsirigotis
Cover design: Panagiotis Tsirigotis