Thread: Polish String Quartets

I wonder what he would have thought of his Paganini variations winning the Grieg Competition lol. Strange irony, that his free rhythm should appease the exponent of the huge symphony...

Originally Posted by Head_case

I haven't heard his works yet. Is it romantic Polish...?

Every year, a new group record the Szymanowski string quartets - the rate is phenomenal. The Akademos Quartet have recorded it, and paired it with Szymanski's Two Pieces for String Quartet. I haven't heard it yet, but given the Silesian Quartet's recording of the Szymanski chamber works, it isn't that competitive.

Of the Polish ones, it's the Szymanowski two violin concertos and the Karlowicz which I enjoy most.

Weinberg is Soviet/Russian. The sirenesque 'Quasi Una Fantasia' is my favourite Gorecki string quartet. The 'Songs are Sung' no. III quartet is rather strangely different from the style I came to associate with Gorecki. It's enjoyable, but rather lighter in mood.

It's clear in my wandering that the Szymanowski SQs stand out. Silesian, Varsovia, Carmina, Maggini all did it for me. However, I chose Maggini for a little more edge in tone, and the impressive recording quality--playful back-and-forth interchange was at times breathtakingly captured.

I thank this thread for getting me off my Polish-chamber-music-butt, so as to actually order. Also ordered, Zimerman et al for Bacewicz.

This stuff had been on the back burner for too long. More to come. Hopefully, the complete Penderecki SQs are on one CD soon. The Lutoslawski? Who knows.

The two Szymanowski string quartets are amazing. Just the first few bars of the string quartet no. I ...it commands complete stillness in anticipation of a moonlit landscape unfolding the drama of suffused emotions and heady intoxication. There is no doubt however, that these two exemplary Polish string quartets demand ...absolutely necessarily ....the listener's full attention.

Well that's what I think. However when a friend came over and listened, remarked on how irritating she found it - like the sound track of little mice scuttling across a yard as a big black cat tried to maul them.

If that's what she thought, wait until she hears the new Bargielski string quartets ...and it's a double CD too lol.

...not to forget the rather interesting and popular contemporary Polish composer ...Zbiegniew Preisner, famous for his collaborations with the film director, Kleislowski (Three Colours, Red, White, Blue...La Double Vie de Veronique).

This is one of my favourite non-quartet pieces:



He writes it in the film, about a girl called Veronique, who has a double life. She goes on search for the music of a mysterious medieval composer called van den Budenmeyer. The film is more about choice: the existential choice which we face, and in a parallel life, one in France, the other in Poland, her double life only briefly cross ... in a glimpse ..of near self-awareness, but not quite. The sickness unto death befalls her Polish doppelganger who fails to make authentic choices: Veronique drops dead whilst performing van den Budenmeyer's concerto.

Don't you love a happy ending!


Anyway - Preisner wrote some very interesting music, some using minor aspects of the string quartet, but mostly he's known as a Polish film composer. His Reqiuem for my friend is very beautiful too. As it is, of the contemporary Polish composers whose music is translated into string quartet, it's probably this one which made me perk up:

http://www.myspace.com/kwartet.opium...orawa-87723292



'Orawa', one of Wojiech Kilar's most popular pieces, finally gets transcribed into string quartet!

Indeed, just listen to Moniuszko two string quartets. They are really fine, love those. The first quartet in the CD,by Dobrzynski in Em also lovely one. They are by Camerata Quartet.

Then move to Noskowski, only two String Quartet no.1 and 2. in a CD by The Four String Quartet. According to the booklet is it four of quartets, no.3 in Em and Humorous Quartet. All from 1874 to 1885 time range. Noskowski's sounds more late Classical than the Moniuszko and Dobrynski. Like these as well. Just check , there is a Violin Sonata recorded as well, that's should be great to have.

Then Franciszek Lessel is the earliest, b 1780. The CD by Wilanow SQ only recorded no.8 in Bb and a Flute quartet in G. Classical Era style, sweet and safe.

So, that much to dig from the region I realized, and enjoy your discussion on the pieces in this thread now.

No one seems to have mentioned the Shostakovich deciple Krzysztof Meyer?

He wrote a number of quite fine quartets, thirteen I think, Naxos has released three volumes with the Wieniawski Quartet. I also have two of the quartets (11 & 12) on Acte Prealable with the Wilanow String Quartet, who premièred most of the quartets!

I like Meyer's Quartets quite a lot, but then I like stuff that are steeped in the Shostakovich tradition...

/ptr

Originally Posted by jurianbai

Indeed, just listen to Moniuszko two string quartets. They are really fine, love those. The first quartet in the CD,by Dobrzynski in Em also lovely one. They are by Camerata Quartet.

Then move to Noskowski, only two String Quartet no.1 and 2. in a CD by The Four String Quartet. According to the booklet is it four of quartets, no.3 in Em and Humorous Quartet. All from 1874 to 1885 time range. Noskowski's sounds more late Classical than the Moniuszko and Dobrynski. Like these as well. Just check , there is a Violin Sonata recorded as well, that's should be great to have.

The Noskowski string quartets and his piano quartet, which has been successfully coipled with Zelenski's is an absolute late romantic pre-Szymanowski gem which was brought to us about 15 years ago by Olympia. Its great to see Acte Prealable take off where Olympia left off. The Noskowski string quartets haven't been recorded before so these are essential readings. He is, as you know, Szymanowski's famous teacher and thankfully his work was not eclipsed like Szymanowski's. Moniuszko's fame as an opera and song writer precedes his string quartet literature. I still hold on nostalgically to much of his vocal choral music although he was way too prolific.

Originally Posted by ptr

No one seems to have mentioned the Shostakovich deciple Krzysztof Meyer?

He wrote a number of quite fine quartets, thirteen I think, Naxos has released three volumes with the Wieniawski Quartet. I also have two of the quartets (11 & 12) on Acte Prealable with the Wilanow String Quartet, who premièred most of the quartets!

I like Meyer's Quartets quite a lot, but then I like stuff that are steeped in the Shostakovich tradition...

/ptr

I mentioned him ages ago but obviously he hasn't hit the cool radar yet if only a handful of us care to comment.

The Wilanow Quartet readings are my favourites although I started collecting the Wienawski Quartet cycle (3 vols) and was pleasantly surprised by their fluency with his compositions. The Wilanow Quartet readings of no XII and no XIII are splendid. Shostakovich was indeed his model for his only cycle which has outspawned Shostakovich himself (at least 17 now?)

Originally Posted by ptr

No one seems to have mentioned the Shostakovich deciple Krzysztof Meyer?

He wrote a number of quite fine quartets, thirteen I think, Naxos has released three volumes with the Wieniawski Quartet. I also have two of the quartets (11 & 12) on Acte Prealable with the Wilanow String Quartet, who premièred most of the quartets!

I like Meyer's Quartets quite a lot, but then I like stuff that are steeped in the Shostakovich tradition...

/ptr

I mentioned him ages ago but obviously he hasn't hit the cool radar yet if only a handful of us care to comment.

The Wilanow Quartet readings are my favourites although I started collecting the Wienawski Quartet cycle (3 vols) and was pleasantly surprised by their fluency with his compositions. The Wilanow Quartet readings of no XII and no XIII are splendid. Shostakovich was indeed his model for his only cycle which has outspawned Shostakovich himself (at least 17 now?)