"On Česko we go on a musical journey across Europe to the extraordinary land of Bohemia (popularly known as Česko, but officially means Czech), the homeland of two composers we have come to love so much. It doesn't seem to matter that we hardly know their country: the indescribable energy of the music, with its folk melodies and harmonies, revealing the essence of a nation steeped in a deep cultural history, takes us there instantly.
These composers are the much celebrated and revered Antonín Dvořák, along with the younger and lesser-known Erwin Schulhoff, whose life and career was tragically cut short by the Nazi regime. Both were masters in harnessing the old to the new, fusing a rich musical heritage with the influence of new worlds.
Their works take us through the full range of emotions, from the tranquil to the fiery, from the elated to the melancholic. A reflection of human life." Ragazze Quartet
“The Ragazze Quartet…[favour] keen inflections, luminous textures (especially in the first movement [of the Dvorak] and a consistent sense of mobility…Their biggest strength is an added quota of spontaneity, which keeps you consistently engaged.” (Gramophone)
“The playing of the wittily named all-female Ragazze Quartet is fresh, light in texture, nimble and just occasionally a little ragged, but always spirited.” (Observer)