Thread: Polish String Quartets

Dare I ask - what are you listening to in this field lol.

This is the genre which probably led me towards the string quartet as my preferred chamber music medium, starting with Szymanowski's two string quartets.

I'm really loving the late 20th century repertoire (not easy listening for those with a romantic persuasion!). Much of this new music comes to me just from following string quartet groups who I've seen live or being following since college - especially the Silesian Quartet, and the Wilanow Quartet. The Silesian Quartet have just released Bargielski's string quartets:



There's something unusually allegorical about his music for me: string quartet no.IV [of VI] introduces by a punctuated throbbing pulsation of the cello and is entitled 'Burning Time'. The existential dread which arises from listening to this music is really compelling. Then its transformation, almost seamlessly into string quartet no.V "The Time that's passed" releases the tension back into strong colorations of moods: 'Feuilles volantes''; 'Burlesque'; 'Nocturne' (evoking Dutilleux's Ainsi La Nuit); ' Tango melancolique' (like...have you ever heard...?!)...'Romance sans paroles'.

I confess I am more of a purist, and anything else tacked onto a string quartet tends to perturb me so when I saw a clarinet quintet, and an accordion quintet in addition to the six string quartets, I was curious. Clarinet quintets don't come by my way often and this one is sublime (York Bowen's beautiful clarinet quintet being the last). The accordion quintet ...wow. What an aural soundscape..!

Some might be able to hear samples on Googleplay (I can't). But the double CD is impeccable. It has a fascinating booklet expanding on Bargielski's distinctive background and identity, which has no direct comparison with his contemporaries, Szymanski, Lason or Knapik, nor any of the narrowness associated with the sonorities of Lutoslawski and Penderecki.

If you're willing to try late 20th century repertoire, this CD release is a reason to feel excited about music once more

Nice job, this post, Head_case.. A bit more regarding the quintets would be good, too.

From the top of my head, my CD collecion has string quartets by
Bacewicz
Baird
Gorecki
Lutoslawski
Noskowski
Szymanowski

The Bargielski you posted is unknown to me - goes on the list.

Originally Posted by Hilltroll72

Nice job, this post, Head_case.. A bit more regarding the quintets would be good, too.

I'm really narrow and focussed lol. It has to be string quartet proper, or my anxiety goes up

I wonder what you'd make of Rafael Augustyn's string quartet No. 2 1/2 (lol!) and his string quartet scored with dynamics: 'con flauto ad libitum'. The string quartet is played, with a sliver of the flute in the background, creating a sound mesh like organism which seems to throb alive.



Augustyn also scores for string quartet and soprano voice (does this count as a quintet) - fans of Ginastera; Schoeberg; Boykan; Schafer who like soprano and string quartet are in for a treat.

Originally Posted by Art Rock

From the top of my head, my CD collecion has string quartets by
Bacewicz
Baird
Gorecki
Lutoslawski
Noskowski
Szymanowski

The Bargielski you posted is unknown to me - goes on the list.

Wow - your string quartet collection is almost identical to mine (well, it is a subset of mine lol)

The Baird String Quartets are elusive: I have only ever succeeded in finding "Play" when it was released mainstream by the Quatuor Dafo. Otherwise, I knew him from the Psychodrama and choral works as a student and kept hoping for more. Any ideas where the rest of his string quartets are published?


You'll love the Bargielski - I haven't heard anything quite like it. It's a completely different sound world than the Alexsander Lason and his student, Alexsander Nowak, who is coming out with a new release too. Lason's work is hard to get unless by digital file. I really dread this contemporary shift to digital media: nothing beats flicking through the extensive CD booklet notes in detail at the same time as listening to the music.

Well, maybe listening to music and flicking through the vinyl LP sleeve notes

Well, maybe I do not have any Baird string quartet after all - my memory tricked me. I was convinced I had it as a filler on a Gorecki disk. I do have three CD's of orchestral music by him though.

On the other hand, apparently I do have Penderecki and Zelenski quartets in addition to the above.

Is that the Olympia release collection (Scene for Cello & Harp/Orchestra); Concerto Lugubre for Viola/Orchestra & 'Tommorow'/Psychodrama?

This is the set I had. I was fortunate to listen to his work growing up. Everyone else was listening to George Michael lol. He's definitely not Polish.

Love the Wlaydslaw Zelenski string quartets. His writing style is so elegant that I strayed His piano quartet in the romantic Polish style is a defining moment in Polish piano quartet literature.

Yes, I have these three:
000d1887_medium.jpeg
L16985920.jpeg
41H0PPE6XGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I have Szymanowsky's two on an ASV disc coupled with Bacewicz's 4th and I also have Gorecki's 1st on Nonesuch. The ones I want to hear next are those by Penderecki and Panufnik.

That must be the Maggini Quartet set on the ASV then.

I started my initiation into the string quartet after ditching Beethoven for Szymanowski and listening to the Varsovia String Quartet interpretation - it was released in about 1981:



This is the one which started it all off: the Varsovia String Quartet won the prestigious Harmonie Musique Panorama Diamond Compact Disc Recording of the Year award (bearing in mind the year - ground breaking for CD releases) and the Belgian Caecilia Prix de L'Union de la Presse Musicale Belge - kind of like the Critics Choice Awards. For a relatively unknown Polish composer then, it catapulted Szymanowski into the Polish consciousness: the Wilanow Quartet; Silesian Quartet had recorded it nationally for Poland, so there were plenty of interpretations. These CDs/LPs only made their way out to the west by drip feed. After the Varsovia Quartet release, the Carmina Quartet scooped the Gramaphone reviews in the UK, and wider critics press (Diapason D'or etc).



Both are superbly recorded; The Varsovia Quartet recording barely showing its age on an analogue recording. I find their interpretation edges slightly more opulently intoxicatingly Szymanowski than the Carmina Quartet which is also an excellent first rate recording. My only beef with the commercialisation of two Szymanowski's string quartets with over 10 other string quartet recordings, is that none of the ones I've heard, have the same kind of effortlessly engaging virtuosity as these two exemplary recordings. The Royal String Quartet who had some great reviews take the Szymanowski No.I at a palpably slower pace; the Silesian Quartet recording is rather thin and fierce at the higher register, and the Wilanow Recording pleasingly delivered, but not on a recording par as the Pavane Recording or the Denon recordings.

Penderecki's string quartets are often coupled with Szymanowski; I must have duplicated these ones about 4 times without trying..! I found his choral work more interesting than his string quartet work, although his influence has been very intense on the Polish string quartet.

Panufnik's only string quartets known to me are by the Chilingirian Quartet who brought out three string quartets and two string sextets (including the achingly beautiful 'Song to the Virgin Mary'). It's well played and typical of the Chilingirian's tonal sealing which is very smoothly delivered.

The Bacewicz Recordings I'm familiar with are the middle quartets on Olympia - some epic classic never re-issued performances on these. I was tempted to switch and duplicate with the Amar Corde Quartet who have recorded the whole cycle but decided against it, as this is completely OCD completist/obsessional to get the whole string quartet cycle!

Another super-ultra rarity I have and wasn't mentioned is E flat major quartet by Apolinary Szeluto, avaiable at DUX label along with other chamber music of his. String quartets of Moniuszko are rather little, tuneful works that can be pleasing when one enjoys middle-romantic style. To be found with Dobrzyński E minor quartet (also romantic) on one release by... DUX.

Also:





On the side note, Head Case, this rather recent CD may be of some interest to you: http://www.polskienagrania.com.pl/up...in_Sonatas.JPG

Very informative, H_c - thank you.

Originally Posted by Aramis

[...]
On the side note, Head Case, this rather recent CD may be of some interest to you: http://www.polskienagrania.com.pl/up...in_Sonatas.JPG

Because the cellist is wearing a lampshade?

Originally Posted by Hilltroll72

Because the cellist is wearing a lampshade?

John, this is CD with violin sonatas. There is no cellist. Get over it, I'll be right there for you if you'll need me... be strong.

Wow - thanks for the interesting recommendations! (And where have you been? )

The Dobrzyński coupling with the Moniuszko is an early favourite - Dux certainly brings out some of the interesting Polish releases - like Patosz' Cellovator - which makes up for the lampshade in the sonata.

Now to work my way through the youtube clips...