Review of the world premiere of the Duo composed by Zwicky (Engadin News, Engadiner Nachrichten):
“Conrad Zwicky (*1946), born in Basel and well known as an instrumentalist both as viola player and as organist, had composed and dedicated to the slovakian artists Igor Karsko and Jana Karskova a Duo for violins, which had it’s world premiere on this evening (in presence of the composer). Also in this work we admired both stunning virtuosity and – according the spirit of the age – much dissonance, srtiking accents, sallow, overton emphasised sounds and abrupt changements of the atmosphere (“Danse bizarre”). The brillant performance of the composition enthused an audience – which is not liking too much modern sounds, but had no doubts about the fact, that Zwicky’s Duo enriched in this evening the literatur of music with an exciting composition.”
Captivating music (Swiss music paper, Schweiz. Musikzeitung Nr.3 / März 2004, translated from a french article)
Conrad Zwicky is a multipurpose musician, a representative of a rare species in our days. Today the specialisation is requested everywhere. In historical tradition of the “Kapellmeister” in 17. and 18. century Zwicky performs as a composer, conductor and he teaches and he plays several instruments. His style is clear, but never trivial, and his compositions are written to be understood and beloved from the very first beginning. Striking ostinato-rhythms full of spirit are a charakteristc property of his musical language, they overlay as a contrast or they follow well leaded melodies, with harmonies in an extended tonal range.
Bartók and Schostakowich, Zwicky’s admired antetypes, are omnipresent, Prokofiew and Hindemith sometimes shine throuh. Every movement has his own caracter in the proved schemes of the classical forms (Allegro – Lento – Scherzo – Vivace) – an evident orientation for the listener. The expert knowledge of the composer as an interpreter and pedagogue appears also therein: every instrument is treated corresponding to it’s possibilities and to it’s caracter, the tecnical difficulties are vincible even for advanced amateurs. The result is well sounding music, and every string ensemble may it integrate in it’s programs – with assurance for good success.
The most succeeded pieces of this CD are perhaps the Orchestra Etudes because of their convincing stringency. The recording of the ensemble is sometimes a bit shadowed by a too sharp, too incisive sound of the strings (however a special acclamation for Petr Sklenka, violin solo) and the different voices of the orchestra let miss a certain homogeneity. Nevertheless: This CD is recommended as a good encounter with a style of composition that deserves closer attention..
Pierre-Alain Chaot (Trad. Wiediscon)
Organ concert in Menzingen (ZG) on 15. 5. 2022. As encore the “Miniaturern über Schweizer Volkslieder by Conrad Zwicky were played. The critic was obviously enthusiastic:
“Vo Luzern gäge Wäggis zue” was played – and this was really a musical treat – as an encore. “Vo Luzern gäge Wäggis zue, ol-la-di-ho, hol-la-di-ho, brucht me wäder Strümpf no Schueh”. On the church organ! With wind instrument! Played by Polish musicians!”