Thread: Is the string quartet an acquired taste?

Originally Posted by Odnoposoff

If you want to have an idea of the place and importance relative of string quartet -and chamber music in general- a good beginning is to examine the classical videos on YouTube. Of each 100 videos, nearly 45 are piano solo or with orchestra, 25 symphonic music in general, 15 string with piano or orchestra, 10 opera, lirics and songs, 2 harp, guitar or other solo instruments, and 3 chamber ensambles. Chamber was, is and will be the Cinderella of classical music.

I'm in love with Cinderella. The rest of you can have the ugly sisters lol

This is my favourite form of music, my favourites being Beethoven late, Per Norgard, Bartok, John Pickard, Ligeti, Schubert...
I don't think it is an acquired taste, but a distilled pointiliste dream with sound picked out.

I love Grosse fuge

Originally Posted by Odnoposoff

Well, string quartet is like caviar; not for anyone taste. IMO one should'n begin with it, but left for a later time, when one had listened to a lot of other forms.

Does anyone here like listening to SQ and consuming caviar at the same time? I do.

Originally Posted by jurianbai

I like string quartet because it is more social activity. they can have a friends visiting, a beers and a string quartet.

I agree I do wish I had kept with Violin

Originally Posted by HarpsichordConcerto

Does anyone here like listening to SQ and consuming caviar at the same time? I do.

yes... also with instant noodless..;p

Originally Posted by jurianbai

yes... also with instant noodless..;p

Coffee is the only refreshment you need! While listening to Classical music!

Is the string quartet an acquired taste?

Well, you can always start with some simple sunshine pieces like those famous Haydn quartets. Beethoven is of course need more serious attention, but some romantic quartets are quite popular, such as Tchaikovsky, Smetana, etc.

Hoho. Sunshine pieces lol.

Haydn and Beethoven would seriously have put me off the string quartet genre. In the romantic era, the intensity of a full burn out solar plexus like Janacek's Intimate Letters (hmm...maybe it's not that kind of romantic lol) or Smetana's Ma Vlast made more of an impression on me than the middle of the road twiddle-dee string quartets revered as the ultimate models of the classical string quartet genre. Wow. Coming to think of it, I actually saw the Wihan Quartet play Smetana's Ma Vlast twice! Janacek's Intimate letters (Hagen Quartet) was mindblowing, as was their Schubert D887 intepretation. It's so hard putting up with the bourgeois orchestral after hearing them move the boundaries of the chamber room with sheer emotional scale of the four instruments, written by composers on the verge of a nervous breakthrough (and getting through to you).

Originally Posted by Head_case

Hoho. Sunshine pieces lol.

Haydn and Beethoven would seriously have put me off the string quartet genre. In the romantic era, the intensity of a full burn out solar plexus like Janacek's Intimate Letters (hmm...maybe it's not that kind of romantic lol) or Smetana's Ma Vlast made more of an impression on me than the middle of the road twiddle-dee string quartets revered as the ultimate models of the classical string quartet genre. Wow. Coming to think of it, I actually saw the Wihan Quartet play Smetana's Ma Vlast twice! Janacek's Intimate letters (Hagen Quartet) was mindblowing, as was their Schubert D887 intepretation. It's so hard putting up with the bourgeois orchestral after hearing them move the boundaries of the chamber room with sheer emotional scale of the four instruments, written by composers on the verge of a nervous breakthrough (and getting through to you).

You meant Smetana String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life",in Czech: "Z mého života", right?

Ma Vlast ("My Country" or "homeland") is a set of six symphonic poems.

Sounds like you are just into the romantic melody and emotion, not necessarily the string quartet per se.

That's the one! From 'Ma Vlast' (or 'My Homeland')? My Czech isn't great. It's No.1. The No.2 never got much airplay here.

Sorry - I'm not into romantic melody and emotion. Most of my music interest starts when the romantic era is killed off.

90% of what I listen to is exclusively string quartet too. Last year it was more, but this year, I've added in Susan Boyle.





(j/k)

Of course Smetana no.1 "From My Life" and no.2. And Janacek No.1 "Kreutzer Sonata" and no.2 "Intimate Letters". Don't confuse with the other very fine Sibelius "Voice Intimae".

All these my early string quartet that I found it myself without many help from outside my brain. I still proud of this, it was the time when internet and forum still not yet there and I need to examine which string quartet that really stand out works.

Originally Posted by jani

Coffee is the only refreshment you need! While listening to Classical music!

I am so sorry but coffee?????? never not no how no self respecting music lover would attempt to enjoy any chamber music with coffee or chewing gum, it has to be a glass of Red, really.... do try to keep the standard up

Originally Posted by Head_case

That's the one! From 'Ma Vlast' (or 'My Homeland')? My Czech isn't great. It's No.1. The No.2 never got much airplay here.

Sorry - I'm not into romantic melody and emotion. Most of my music interest starts when the romantic era is killed off.

90% of what I listen to is exclusively string quartet too. Last year it was more, but this year, I've added in Susan Boyle.





(j/k)

How about another question:

Which is your favorite String Quartet group?

I ask this because I just read that Tokyo String Quartet will end their run after 2013. They are one of the "resident" quartet groups in Yale for the past decades, and I am sad to see they dissolve.