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Weekly quartet. Just a music lover perspective.

733K views 9K replies 102 participants last post by  hammeredklavier 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I love string music and just following another forum friend example am going to dedicate every day of the week time enough to listen quietly a string quartet. I will google for info about the particular opus and post any important info that I found, specially performers interview and so on..

Anyone wanting to join is welcome, just maintaining the perspective stated in the post title. You will probably will find here emotions, personal points of view and so on. If you are a professional, you'll probably will not find the info useful, the only purpose of this entertainment is to increase music enjoyment by knowing a little better the music to listen.

In this thread you will find the activity coordination info. Anyone wanting to participate just post an answer. Quartet selection will be made in order of "appearance".

For the first week, beginning on February, 24 I'll select the first quartet: Beethoven, String Quartet 14, opus 131. Will open the thread tomorrow Sunday.

Enjoy.
Vicente Vida

Talk Classical String Quartet Thread
(quartet of the week in large font)

Abrahamsen - String Quartet No. 4
Ades - The Four Quarters
Alwyn - String Quartet No. 3
Arensky - String Quartet No. 1
Arensky - String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 35/35a
Arnold - String Quartet No. 2
Arriaga - String Quartet No. 2
Arriaga - String Quartet No. 3
Bacewicz - String Quartet No 4
Bach - Art of Fugue
Barber - String Quartet
BartĂłk - String Quartet No. 3
BartĂłk - String Quartet No. 4
BartĂłk - String Quartet No. 5
BartĂłk - String Quartet No. 6
Bax - String Quartet No. 1
Beach - Quartet for Strings in One Movement, Op. 89
Beamish - String Quartet No. 2 “Opus California”
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 1
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 2
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 7 "Razumovsky 1"
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 8 "Razumovsky 2"
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 11
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 12
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 13
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 15
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 16
Berg - Lyric Suite
Birtwistle - The Tree of Strings
Bloch, E. - String Quartet No. 3
Boccherini - String Quartet g minor, op. 32 No. 5, G 205
Borodin - String Quartet No. 2
Brahms - String Quartet No. 1
Brahms - String Quartet No. 2
Brahms - String Quartet No. 3
BretĂłn - String Quartet No. 3
Bridge - String Quartet No. 2
Bridge - String Quartet No. 4
Britten - String Quartet No. 1
Britten - String Quartet No. 2
Britten - String Quartet No. 3
Bruch - String Quartet No.2
Busoni - String Quartet No.2
Cage - String Quartet in Four Parts
Carter - String Quartet no 1
Carter - String Quartet No. 3
Cerha - String Quartet No. 2
Chausson - String Quartet in C minor, op. 35
Cherubini - String Quartet No. 1
Chin, U. - ParaMetaString
Coates, G. - String Quartet No. 9
Crawford Seeger - String Quartet
Crumb - Black Angels
Czerny - String Quartet in D Minor
Davies, Peter Maxwell - Naxos String Quartet No. 3
Debussy - String Quartet in G Minor
Dohnányi - String Quartet No. 2
Donizetti - String Quartet No. 7 in F minor
Dusapin - String Quartet No. 5
Dusapin - String Quartet No. 7 "OpenTime"
Dutilleux - Ainsi La Nuit
Dvořák - String Quartet No. 10 "Slavonic"
Dvořák - String Quartet No. 12 "American"
Dvořák - String Quartet No. 13
Dvořák - String Quartet No. 14
van Eechaute - String Quartet No. 1 "à la mémoire de Maurice Ravel"
Elgar - String Quartet in E Minor
Fauré - String Quartet in E Minor
Ferneyhough - String Quartet No. 6
Franck - String Quartet in D Major
Frank - Quijotidas
Gade - String Quartet in E Minor
Gerhard - String Quartet No. 2
Gernsheim - String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 51
Ginastera - String Quartet No. 2
Glass, Ph. - String Quartet no. 5
Glazunov - String Quartet No. 5 in d minor, Op. 70
Gliere - String Quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 20
Grieg - String Quartet No. 1
Gubaidulina - String Quartet No. 1
Haas - String Quartet No. 2 op.7
Hanson - String Quartet (in One Movement), op. 23
Harvey - String Quartet No.4 with Live Electronics
Haydn - String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 20/3
Haydn - String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20/5
Haydn - String Quartet in C major, Op. 33/3 "Bird"/"Vogel"
Haydn - String Quartet In G, Op. 33/5 " How Do You Do?"
Haydn - String Quartet in F sharp minor, Op. 50/4
Haydn - String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 64/3

Haydn - String Quartet Op.71, #2
Haydn - String Quartet Op.76, #2 "Fifths"
Haydn - String Quartet Op. 76, #4 "Sunrise"
Hillborg - Kongsgaard Variations
Hindemith - String Quartet No. 4
Holmboe - String Quartet No. 4
Holmboe - String Quartet No. 15
Honegger - String Quartet No. 2
Honegger - String Quartet No. 3
Howells - String Quartet No. 3 'In Gloucestershire'
Hummel - String Quartet No. 1 in C major, op. 30: No. 1
Husa - String Quartet No. 4 "Poems"
Ives - String Quartet No. 2
Janacek - String Quartet No. 1 'Kreutzer Sonata'
Janacek - String Quartet No. 2 'Intimate Letters'
Johnston - String Quartet No. 4 "Amazing Grace"
Kabalevsky - String Quartet No 2
Kagel - String Quartet No.2
Kodály - String Quartet 2, op. 10
Koechlin - String Quartet No. 1
Kokkonen - String Quartet No. 3
Korngold - String Quartet No. 2
Krenek - String Quartet No. 5
Kurtág - Six Moments Musicaux for String Quartet
Lachenmann - Gran Torso
Lachenmann - Reigen seliger Geister (Round Dance of the Blessed Spirits)
Langgaard - String Quartet No. 4
Larcher - Ixxu
Lavista - String Quartet No. 4 "SinfonĂ­as"
Ligeti - String Quartet No. 1 “Métamorphoses nocturnes”
Ligeti - String Quartet No. 2
Lutosławski - String Quartet
Magnard - String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 16
Malipiero - String Quartet No. 1 "Rispetti e strambotti"
MartinĹŻ - String Quartet No. 5
MartinĹŻ - String Quartet No. 7 "Concerto da camera"
Mathias - String Quartet No. 1
Fanny Mendelssohn - String Quartet in E Flat Major
Felix Mendelssohn - String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13
Felix Mendelssohn - String Quartet No. 3 in D major, op. 44-1
Felix Mendelssohn - String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44-2
Felix Mendelssohn - String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
Milhaud - String Quartet No. 1
Moeran - String Quartet No. 1
Mosolov - String Quartet No. 1
Mozart - String Quartet No. 14 "Spring"
Mozart - String Quartet No. 19 "Dissonance"
Mozart - String Quartet No. 20 in D major K. 499 "Hoffmeister"
Mozart - String Quartet No. 22 in Bb K. 589
Myaskovsky - String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, Op. 86
Nielsen - String Quartet No. 3
Nielsen - String Quartet No. 4
Nono - Fragmente-Stille, an Diotima (1979-80)
Nordgren, Pehr Henrik - String Quartet No. 10
Nordheim - String Quartet (1956)
Penderecki - String Quartet No. 3 "Leaves of an Unwritten Diary"
Pfitzner - String Quartet No. 2 in C sharp minor , Op. 36
Pleyel - String Quartet in G Major, B. 332
Popov - Quartet-Symphony
Prokofiev - String Quartet No. 1
Prokofiev - String Quartet No. 2 "Kabardinian"
Ran - String Quartet No. 3 "Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory"
Ravel - String Quartet in F Major
Reger - String Quartet No. 1
Reger - String Quartet No. 4
Revueltas - String Quartet No. 3
Rihm - String Quartet No. 3 „Im Innersten“
Rihm - Et Lux for String Quartet and Vocals
Rubbra - String Quartet No. 3
Saariaho - Nymphéa (Jardin Secret III) for String Quartet and Live Electronics
Saygun - String Quartet No. 1, op. 27
Schnittke - String Quartet No. 2
Schnittke - String Quartet No. 3
Schönberg - String Quartet No. 2 in F-sharp minor, Op. 10
Schoenberg - String Quartet No. 4
Schubert - String Quartet No 4 D46
Schubert - String Quartet No. 13 "Rosamunde"
Schubert - String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor "Death and the Maiden"
Schubert - String Quartet No. 15
Schulhoff - String Quartet No. 1
Schuman - String Quartet No. 5
Schumann - String Quartet No. 1
Schumann - String Quartet No. 3 in A Major, Op. 41/3
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 2
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 3
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 4
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 5
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 10
Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 12
Sibelius - String Quartet in D Minor "Voces Intimae"
Silvestrov - String Quartet No. 1
Simpson - String Quartet No. 1
Smetana - String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life"
Spohr - String Quartet No. 7 n E-Flat major, Op. 29.1
Szymanowski - String Quartet No. 1
Takemitsu - A Way A Lone
Taneyev - String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 5
Tchaikovsky - String Quartet No. 1
Tchaikovsky - String Quartet No. 3
Thoresen - Aion
Thorvaldsdottir - Enigma
Tippett - String Quartet No. 2
Toch -String Quartet No. 10, Op. 28
Tower - In Memory
Valen - String Quartet No. 2
Vasks - String Quartet No. 4
Vaughan Williams - String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Verdi - String Quartet in E Minor
Villa-Lobos - String Quartet No. 1
Villa Lobos - String Quartet No. 14
Volkmann - String Quartet No. 5
Walton - String Quartet No.2 in A-minor
Webern - Fünf Sätze für Streichquartett, Op. 5 ("Five Movements")
Webern - Six Bagatelles for String Quartet
Weinberg - String Quartet No. 6
Wolf - String Quartet in D minor
Wollschleger - String Quartet #2 "White Wall"
Wolpe - String Quartet
Xenakis - Tetras
Zemlinsky - String Quartet No. 2
Zemlinsky - String Quartet No. 4
Zorn - Cat O’ Nine Tails


The schedule for this round (those who had their turn in italics), choices are typically made on Sunday:

The list for this round:
Mandryka
Josquin13
sbmonty
Merl
Knorf
Malx

(SearsPoncho)

Carmina Banana
StevehamNY
Kjetil Heggelund
Kreisler jr

(allaroundmusicenthusiast)
HerbertNorman
Philidor

maestro267
(Pianomaniac)
Art Rock
Joek Baron
Xenophiliu
Shoskofiev
SanAntone
AndresVel
Mister Meow
Neo Romanza

Also of interest:

Merl's Blogged String Quartet reviews
 
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#1,264 · (Edited)
^ I personally don’t listen to this particular quartet as a political work, I never have. However, I do see some of Shostakovich’s other works as somewhat political. This was one of the main underlying themes of his works. I think it comes down to how much this political message, or any extra-musical idea of a piece, touches you personally or how relatable it is. I can say that there are some political themes in Shostakovich’s works that I connect with my own country’s situation during the period when Shostakovich was actively composing, and that makes me see some of them from a partly political perspective.

I don’t believe the work itself is in literal sense meant to convey symbolism of war - just the terror of it.
 
#1,266 · (Edited)
Tonight I've listened to the stunning, brisk and dynamic Taneyev recording. What a great performance (if a little dryly recorded) and one of the best up to now, for me. I followed it up with a terrific account from the Medici quartet which was probably the finest recording I've heard from them but which was ruined by a rather harsh and uncompromising acoustic (was this recorded in a coal cellar?). What a shame as this is a great performance. The Eder quartet on Naxos have a lovely tone and provide a thoroughly musical and satisfying reading but this music either needs more bite or desolation and I hear neither in these precise but safe recordings. The Jerusalem quartet sound hurried and breathless in the 2nd and 3rd movements and elsewhere just too in-your-face and close to qualify a 2nd listen. I was genuinely very disappointed with the Jerusalem account after expecting much more from this recording as I did from the Manhattan performance which I found mannered, histrionic and often OTT, no matter how technically excellent they are. It never seemed like a genuine cohesive performance. The Yggdrasil recording came out of the blue for me as I'd not heard it but by god its a really good one. They seem to capture the deep emotion of this piece so well and kept me enthralled throughout. There's a great sense of line in this performance and BIS gave them excellent sound. This is very impressive. My final one for tonight was the Brodskys and their fine reading doesn't disappoint. It's well-conceived, energetic and very nicely played. They're ever so slightly broader than others but they make a good argument for this performance and I found it a very fine one (nice deep, rich sound too).
 
#1,268 · (Edited)
Good choice. I almost chose Shostakovich's 8th String Quartet when I picked his 4th Quartet weeks ago.

For my listening, I'll be choosing between recordings by the Borodin Quartet (on EMI & Chandos), Fitzwilliam Quartet (on Decca: ), Danel Quartet (on Fuga Libera: ), Talich Quartet (on Dolce Volta: ), and the St. Petersburg Quartet (on Hyperion)... if anyone's interested.
 
#1,273 · (Edited)
I hear a succession of moods in this quartet. For me the first movement gives me a feeling of uncertainty and hesitancy. The second has an atmosphere of violent struggle and anger and is followed by the a hiatus of sorts in the 3rd with almost an air of hope. In the 4th I hear anger and frustration before the final movement which feels deeply melancholic, almost nostalgic and finishes with almost a futile despair. That's just what I hear. It doesn't really tie in with Shosty's description but it feels that way to me. It's more of a personal trip through Shosty's mind than a piece about fascism to me but you have to respect what he said about it. Whatever, it's a terrific SQ.
 
#1,275 · (Edited)
Shostakovich dedicated this quartet "to the victims of fascism and the war." I don’t see why that should mean that the quartet is "about" fascism, and there’s certainly no reason to go looking for fascism in the music.

The work is full of self-quotes, suggesting that it’s actually autobiographical in nature, but that can only be speculation at this point.
 
#1,276 · (Edited)
The key to getting this quartet right, when I listen, is not to hammer through that 2nd movement. Of the accounts I've listened to up to now, the most successful have been hard-edged enough to convey the angst and struggle without sounding like they're trying to play as hard and fast as possible or underplaying it. It's a delicate balancing act.
 
#1,277 · (Edited)
Another glut of recordings for Shosty 8 and its the big hitters. I'll start with the first Borodin recording. My god, this is still is a stellar recording. Clear textures and an incredible clarity of line. This one's been at the apex of Shosty 8ths for some time and its hard to argue with its place at the head of the pack. Everything feels right with it. Superb on every level and faultless.
Similarly the Fitzwilliam quartet play with assurance and are beautifully caught in this recording. For me the Fitwiliams have the advantage in the 2nd and 3rd movements and fire in their bellies but elsewhere the Borodins might have a slight edge. Another stunning recording.
The Carducci quartet are technically superb and give a lovely, warm account of the quartet but perhaps without the requisite strength that the two previous quartets offer. Its a lovely account but in comparison to what I just heard its just not got the white hot intensity of the Borodins or Fitzwilliam.
Whilst the Carduccis may not have the requisite power I'm looking for the Mandelring Quartet have it in abundance. This is a thrilling performance enlivened by state of the art sonics and and a finely judged and pacey account. This one lives with the very best and is a joy from beginning to end. True, its final moments aren't as dark as others but there's many ways to play these quartets and the Mandelring do capture real deep emotion. A stunning recording.
The Emerson Quartet bring out the tension and darkness in the work with huge aplomb. Strings fizz and collide in the middle movements and theres a sense of palpable fury in the faster movements that is hard to ignore. Another great recording that revels in its gritty bleakness and angst.
The St Lawrence forces give a rough-sawn view of the quartet that is very engaging and the slightly brilliant recording adds earthiness. It's an impressive performance but others here have a slight edge and I'm not always convinced that the St Lawrence's are really plumbing the depths of despair towards the end but this is exceptionally fine playing.
Finally today, the Hagen Quartet have a slightly more blended approach but equally as valid. Their ensemble playing is simply magnificent and their phrasing and use of dynamics are an absolute delight throughout. I doubt I've heard the final movement played as solemnly or achingly as this. Gorgeous.
 
#1,281 · (Edited)
I would agree (were it true). Anyway I've not made up my mind just yet, but it's clear that some string quartets, at least, seem to play the 8th SQ with that programmatic notion in mind.

@BWV1080, I definitely agree that Stalin's Great Terror had an impact on his work, but I'm not sure that impact took the form of programmatic music. Maybe so, I'd have to think about it more, but I'm not entirely convinced. If we were alive in the 19th century, Enthusiast and I would have sided with the Brahms camp :D Maybe my allergy to programmatic music is not such a good thing.
 
#1,282 ·
Have been listening to the Shostakovich 8 with the Fitwilliam Quartet, which is my preferred version I think. Though I also know the Pacifica and Shostakovich recordings and probably prefer the Pacifica's grotesquely cartoonish 3rd movement, which works really well in a movement that feels like it performs a kind of scherzo role. It feels intensely coherent as a work, the almost obsessive appearances of the DSCH theme going some way in achieving that, as well as in a way I think, ironically making it feel as if it might fall apart at any time.

On the programmatic-or-not question, I'm quite happy hearing it either way, though I feel from what I know, the evidence seems to point to an autobiographical angle, the victims of fascism dedication being a pragmatic one to appease the authorities. But either way, it retains an highly personal feel.

I find it remarkable he wrote it in three days whilst also working on a film score! Ideas seemed to force themselves up almost unceasingly from some inner magma chamber in him throughout his life. A will to compose that survived such traumatic pressures must have been an extraordinarily robust thing, as well as perhaps being a lifebelt for his sanity.
 
#1,284 ·
Perhaps the question is not one of whether or not a piece has a programme but whether the music stands up without whatever scaffold the composer did or didn't use to produce it. In any case my understanding of the creative process suggests to me that for many artists much that goes into a work is not conscious to them. I am not even sure that a masterpiece can ever be produced by following a conscious plan or programme.
 
#1,285 · (Edited)
I think you'd rob Shosty from his deeply felt pain if you were to claim the music has no connection or no abstract programme at all. Abstract programme - it doesn't have to be a programme which could be put into words. The expressiveness of music largely lies in its power to "materialise" emotions in the form of sound waves. I see Shosty's 8th as similar non-programme programme music as Nielsen's "Det Uudslukkelige" which was meant to describe underlying emotions of real human experiences, not meant to describe the experiences themselves. Nielsen said that "music, even with all its resources, cannot even express the very simplest concepts of yes or no". We don't have to talk about a specific programme but its atmosphere which is certainly influenced by the society. Shostakovich's contemporaries in different life situations didn't write similarly agitated music but Shostakovich did and I think there's a very clear reason why he did.
 
#1,286 · (Edited)
I'm sick at home and decided to work through some Shosty 8 recordings today. Some of them overlap with those which Merl has already reviewed (Borodin 1, Hagen, Fitzwilliam) but I'm going to post my thoughts about the ones which don't overlap:

Borodin 2nd - This is my imprint. The textures of the first movement are well realised again but aren't as flowing or pure as in Borodin's 1st recording. It's also a bit more... pessimistic interpretation-wise because of some notes being more forcefully accented in the slower movements. The tempos of particularly last two movements are a bit slower. In overall, it's strikes me more pessimistic and dark compared to Borodin's 1 recording. The sound is very full, though, and I really like the recording.

Kronos - The quartet sounds very beautiful and the tone is rich and full. I also quite enjoyed many of their dynamic choices and occasional "expansions" of sound (in the 1st mvt for example). The second movement is very fast and aggressive - I'm not entirely sure what I think of it. The same case with the third movement where I think the phrasing needs a bit more time to come really through and breath. I generally love brisk playing a lot but this is almost rushed. I liked the last movement, though, which was played with beautiful vibrato.

Beethoven - These fellows premiered the quartet. The first movement is played with deep feeling, although the sound is weird (kind of like projected into my head lol) and boxy. The second movement is quick but it's also so huge, powerful and fiery that it doesn't sound mechanic. The third movement retains its dancing rhythms and motifs - I feel it's just a better realisation of the same thing Kronos was trying to achieve because both are quick but this one doesn't sound rushed. The penultimate Largo is very serene and beautiful. A wonderful interpretation!

A quick philosophical digression from the recordings. After listening to the Borodins' and the Beethoven's recordings, which are undoubtedly the nearest thing to a realisation Shostakovich's intentions for this quartet, I think the quartet is not meant to convey deep hatred or aggressiveness. I think it's sad and melancholic with occasional serene and peaceful moments. It's thought-through and almost introverted. So, rather than depicting the Soviet Union or fascists, I think it depicts Shostakovich's reaction to them. I start feeling that he hid his views behind the abstractness of music as the other less abstract ways of communicating them were forbidden to him.

Borodin (live) - Another Borodin! Again, very thought-through interpretation. The playing provides some interesting insights and uses tempo and dynamics rather effectively, in my opinion. The interpretation resembles the forcefulness of Borodin 2 more than it resembles the refined Borodin 1, although it seems to be somewhere in the middle. I feel it's quicker than the studio recording but IIRC the slower interpretation of Borodin 2 was a result of new players in the quartet. There's not much to say - another marvellous Shosty from Borodin.

Talich - This is quite a shocking interpretation. The first movement is beautiful and somewhat introverted. Then there's the second movement which is played with an absolutely crushing tempo. But it's quite unbelievable how well the second movement is executed and sounds therefore very virtuosic. The third movement isn't as breathless though and remains playful. The last movement wasn't particularly dark but it was intense nevertheless. The skilfulness of playing makes this a particularly enjoyable in my opinion.

Some of my opinions of these recordings are based on what I thought of the 2nd and 3rd movements because those seem to be the riskiest ones which get interpreted very differently. Of course some quartets were outstanding in the slower movements (I liked Hagen for example) but there was less risk-taking with those.
 
#1,289 ·
^ Oh yes: the piece definitely has a mood and is definitely very distinctively by Shostakovich. I would even risk saying that that it is a product of a combination of its composer's life experience and musical character. And I am quite comfortable with the idea that Shostakovich set out to write the work that he did actually write - for such an experienced composer, how could it be otherwise?

We are, of course, agreeing for the most part and having a conversation about a work we love. We have noted that different performances find different things in it (but do not go completely against the nature of the work!!!). And along the way we have both ditched any simplistic idea of a literal historically-based programme.
 
#1,290 ·
^ Oh yes: the piece definitely has a mood and is definitely very distinctively by Shostakovich. I would even risk saying that that it is a product of a combination of its composer's life experience and musical character. And I am quite comfortable with the idea that Shostakovich set out to write the work that he did actually write - for such an experienced composer, how could it be otherwise?

We are, of course, agreeing for the most part and having a conversation about a work we love. We have noted that different performances find different things in it (but do not go completely against the nature of the work!!!). And along the way we have both ditched any simplistic idea of a literal historically-based programme.
I think we're largely in an agreement as well. I don't know why I had to go so far to realise that :lol:.
 
#1,291 · (Edited)
Wow, Annaw, you basically chose all the ones I've listened to over the last 2 days (but I crammed in a few more too) and I largely agree with your comments.

I'll be honest, I didn't like the Kronos recording much. It sounded scratchy, rushed and lacked weight. Agree that the slower movements come off better but its just not my bag. The Orava quartet are much more successful and whilst there's some license with phrasing and dynamics it sounds wholly convincing and the group are caught really well in a veey nice acoustic. An excellent account. The Borodin 2 is, as Annaw said, are slower but there's a lovely, dark tragic feel to it. I may prefer their original but this is still a great recording and the rich, thick sound is very alluring. The Beethoven Quartet recording is not one I've ever enjoyed. I last heard this years ago and thought the recording was awful. My opinion hasn't changed much. Even worse than the limited sound is some intonation problems and occasional lapses of ensemble. I won't dwell on this one. Not competitive for me. The Talich SQ play brilliantly throughout and don't put a foot wrong. It may not be my fave up to now but it's highly accomplished. More to follow. My phone battery is nearly dead and I don't want to lose what I've already written.
 
#1,292 · (Edited)
Whilst the phone is charging here's part 2 of my last lot of reviews. First a mention for a few recordings that didnt do much for me and those were from the Lafayette (iffy sound), Skampa (not involved enough) and Voces Intimae (dull recording) quartets. The Dragon, Sorrel and Byron recordings were far more successful. The Byrons sound very like the Carducci recording I reviewed. Its an impressive performance and superbly recorded. The Dragon quartet are fine here too in a nicely balanced effort. The Sorrel recording has caused me the most issues and i need to listen to it again. Its a terrificly clear and full recording but I got distracted part way through. Special mention here goes to three exemplary accounts from the Danel, Alexander and Pacifica Quartets. The Pacifica recording (from their superb cycle) is lively, gloriously recorded and stunningly played. From a blisteringly quick 2nd movement to an achingly melancholy last one, this is special. The Alexanders are more square and meticulous in their approach and some may not rate this as highly as me but it pays huge dividends and I love it. Possibly one of the best-played accounts ive heard. The Danel's approach is at the polar opposite from the darker end of the versions ive reviewed but their gallic charm is no less valid and as an alternative I found this highly enjoyable, even if tge heavy breathing from close miking is a bit distracting, at first. It may wear a little on repeated listening but i thoroughly enjoyed it initially.
I thought my time would be constricted this week but ive had way more time than i imagined. If i get a bit more time tomorrow theres just a few more id like to hear but for now that's it.
 
#1,293 · (Edited)
^^ The Beethoven quartet’s recording was extremely weird. It’s a whole new level of boxiness and limited dynamic range. The sound is honestly very peculiarly projected. I need to give it another listen tomorrow to see if my view of it was somehow biased and my ears clogged because of my cold, or maybe I’m just a lunatic who likes the interpretation (certainly not the sound, though).
 
#1,294 ·
^^ The Beethoven quartet's recording was extremely weird. It's a whole new level of boxiness and limited dynamic range. The sound is honestly very peculiarly projected. I need to give it another listen tomorrow to see if my view of it was somehow biased and my ears clogged because of my cold, or maybe I'm just a lunatic who likes the interpretation (certainly not the sound, though).
No, you're right. The recording feels like everyone is playing in a small cardboard box, not entirely in tune or at the same time. I thought it sounded awful. I listened to the Pacifica immediately after it and it was like chalk and cheese. I much prefer to eat cheese. .
 
#1,297 · (Edited)
I listened to Pacifica and I'm in total agreement with Merl - it's a very special recording. The sound is amazing and there is a similar clarity of line as in Borodin 1 - Shostakovich and nothing else. What I think is wonderful about the second movement is that, like a few other quartets, they manage to retain some sort of phrasing even during the very first "hammering" notes. It all sounds interpreted, not just ran through. Amazing handling of dynamics in the third movement as well and it's throughout a really terrific recording and a great account of the work. I also listened to the Mandelring which I think interpretation-wise is a bit similar to the Pacifica, although I think I slightly prefer the ensemble sound of Pacifica, which is a bit warmer, but both are utterly stunning. The fourth movement of Mandelring is played faster than usually but it's very effective. These two recordings achieve a nice balance between Shosty's somewhat sardonic compositional language and the underlying melancholy of this work.

Merl, I listened to the Beethoven quartet's recording again. Maybe it's due to opera listening (50s La Scala and 40s Metropolitan should have asked some advice about recording technology from the Germans...) but I've become a bit indifferent of the sound quality even in chamber music, especially if I know it's only one of many recordings. I still think their interpretation is effective, though. It retains some sort of intimacy and the arguably idiosyncratic second movement is still full of fire. I'm bad at evaluating whether the instruments are out of tune or not but I take your word for it. Certainly not my first choice but just a historically significant recording.
 
#1,299 ·
^ Chalk and cheese are two things that couldn't be more different even if they look somewhat similar. So the saying is "they are as different as chalk and cheese". It is commonly used to ask how it is possible to choose the best between two things like Bruckner and Mozart. We British do not eat the two together ... indeed, we don't eat chalk at all. Not even with Marmite.
 
#1,306 · (Edited)
I was a friend of the late American composer, Alan Stout, who passed away in early 2019. Alan knew and corresponded with Shostakovich. I believe they may have met at Northwestern University (where Alan taught composition) when the school awarded Shostakovich an honorary doctorate in 1973. But it may have been before that, since Alan was also friends with the conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky, who he used to jokingly call, "My spy in the Soviet Union." I don't know when Alan met Rozhdestvensky, either, or whether the conductor was responsible for Alan meeting Shostakovich or Shostakovich was later responsible for introducing Alan to Rozhdestvensky, but Rozhdestvensky was a long time friend and champion of Shostakovich and his music. Which put Alan within the composer's circle, or at least means that at one point he had both direct and indirect access to Shostakovich's thoughts.

Which brings me to a brief discussion that I had with Alan about Shostakovich's 8th String Quartet. It occurred in 1979. We were eating lunch together in Evanston, Illinois, and I remember telling him that I had fallen asleep the night before with my bedside radio on (an old habit of mine), and was awoken in the middle of the night by music that sounded eerily similar to Bernard Hermann's film score at the end of Alfred Hitchcock's movie Psycho--when Norman Bates, dressed as his mother, enters wielding a large knife. I couldn't get the music out of my head, & I wondered if it might have been a work by Sibelius? Alan thought for a moment, and suggested that it could have been Sibelius's tone poem, "Pohjola's Daughter." However, he then added that Hermann might have also been influenced by Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, as well. At the time I didn't know the 8th quartet, and when I told Alan that I'd try to hear it, he offered some background information to keep in mind:

He told me that Shostakovich had composed the quartet after WW2 in direct reaction to seeing the aftermath of the destruction of the city of Dresden by allied bombers at the end of the war. He told me that Shostakovich had been in Dresden after the war (it was actually in 1960, but the city was still in ruins), and was horrified by what he saw. Of that I am certain. However, this is where my memory gets a bit less certain: I also believe that Alan told me Shostakovich had visited and known Dresden before the war--as a younger man--which of course would make the composer's reaction to its ruins all the more personal and deeply felt.

Now, I've never bothered to do any research on the topic of whether Shostakovich knew Dresden before the war, or whether that is a known fact to his biographers. So, I can't say with absolute certainty that what I am recalling in regards to this small but important detail is correct or not. However I do believe that what I am remembering is accurate, and it does seem plausible that Shostakovich might have visited Dresden prior to WW2, considering that Dresden was one of the great musical capitals of the world at that time. Indeed, if the Soviet authorities had allowed Shostakovich to travel outside of Russia prior to the war--as they did to Prague and Warsaw, for instance--the city of Dresden would have likely been a prime place that Shostakovich was most eager to visit. Moreover, if Shostakovich had indeed traveled to Dresden during his younger years, such a trip would have allowed him to experience the city's rich musical life and cultural heritage, which was arguably unparalleled in Europe & Russia. So, I don't see it as a stretch to assume that such a visit to Dresden before the war could have been a deeply meaningful experience for Shostakovich (& especially so if he had traveled there with his 1st wife, Nina, i.e., in a more innocent time, since it has been said that Shostakovich never got over her death in November 1954. In fact, he quotes the love lament from his opera Lady Macbeth in his 8th String Quartet, an opera that was dedicated to Nina. In addition, his 7th String Quartet was likewise dedicated to her--so it seems very likely that Nina was still on Shostakovich's mind when he composed his 8th String Quartet in 1960.). Which of course would have made the experience of seeing this once great musical capital, with its former architectural riches, such as the Semperoper--the magnificent opera house & concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden--now in ruins, all the more devastating to the composer.

Alan said nothing about fascism, or victims of fascism to me in regards to the quartet; although, according to the score, Shostakovich dedicated the quartet "to the victims of fascism and the war". Shostakovich's son, Maxim, interpreted this sombre dedication as referring to all victims of "totalitarianism". But for Alan, the music was directly inspired by Shostakovich's reaction to what he saw in Dresden. Which doesn't make the other ideas about the quartet implausible or wrong, indeed the catalyst may have been the bombed out Dresden, but that doesn't mean the quartet didn't or can't have other expanded meanings and universal connections, along with close ties to Shostakovich and his life. For example, in addition to the quote from his opera, Lady Macbeth, there are other direct quotations in the quartet, such as in the fourth movement, where Shostakovich quotes from the 19th century Russian song, "Zamuchen tyazholoy nevolyey", or "Tormented by Grievous Bondage" (which I've seen alternatively translated as "Exhausted by the hardships of prison"). But whatever those expanded meanings are, I see this quartet as a deeply felt and personal utterance. The emotions expressed in the music are closely autobiographical. They are something that Shostakovich felt and experienced first hand. According to the composer's friend Isaak Davidovich Glikman, Shostakovich saw the quartet as kind of self-portrait which he ironically dedicated to his own memory. On July 19th, 1960, Shostakovich wrote the following to Glikman in a letter:

"I reflected that if I die someday then it's hardly likely anyone will write a work dedicated to my memory. So I decided to write one myself. You could even write on the cover: 'Dedicated to the memory of the composer of this quartet'."

The Borodin Quartet's account of playing the work for Shostakovich only further attests to the deep personal emotions expressed in the music: Here is a passage written by critic Erik Smith, which is drawn from the liner notes to the Borodin's 1962 recording,

"The Borodin Quartet played this work to the composer at his Moscow home, hoping for his criticisms. But Shostakovich, overwhelmed by this beautiful realisation of his most personal feelings, buried his head in his hands and wept. When they had finished playing, the four musicians quietly packed up their instruments and stole out of the room."

Peter J. Rabinowitz has additionally pointed out that there are "covert references" to Richard Strauss's Metamorphosen in this Quartet (in his book, "The Rhetoric of Reference; or, Shostakovich's Ghost Quartet"). Of course, Strauss worked regularly in Dresden as both a conductor and composer over the course of his long career, and many of his works, such as his greatest operas, were premiered at the old Semperoper. Indeed, early in his career Strauss formed a close working relationship with the Staatskapelle Dresden that lasted six decades. As with the quartet, Strauss's Metamorphosen has a similar direct tie to the end of the WW2, as it was composed during the final months of the war, between August 1944 and March 1945. In other words, it was created during the very same period that the Allied forces destroyed the city of Dresden in February 13-15, 1945. Interestingly, in Metamorphosen, Strauss echoes his early work, Death and Transfiguration (which, by the way, he also quotes from in his Four Last Songs, composed in 1948). However, for Strauss, the destruction that he witnessed was more likely of the city of Munich (although it could have been in relation to Dresden, as well, whose destruction he had surely heard news of). The following passage about Metamorphosen is taken from Wikipedia:

"It has been widely believed that Strauss wrote the work as a statement of mourning for Germany's destruction during the war, in particular as an elegy for the devastating bombing of Munich, especially places such as the Munich Opera House."

Also from Wikipedia, shortly after finishing Metamorphosen, "Strauss wrote in his diary":

"The most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany's 2,000 years of cultural evolution met its doom."

In my view, Strauss's experience of Munich sheds light on how Shostakovich similarly viewed the destruction of the city of Dresden in 1960 and likewise turned it into music with more universal themes and implications in mind. Therefore, it's hardly surprising that Shostakovich set about to consciously link his 8th String Quartet to Strauss's Metamorphosen, considering that there are thematic parallels between the two works regarding their wartime subject matter. I see both works as important masterpieces of the mid-20th century, and inextricably linked.

Metamorphosen for 23 Solo Strings:



Shostakovich 8th String Quartet:
Fitzwilliam Quartet, 1976:

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/12/...torate-at-northwestern-visits-the-modern.html

--The following excellent article is where I got much of my information & translations quoted above: http://www.quartets.de/compositions/ssq08.html. Of further, relevant interest, the writer points out that "at the beginning of the fourth movement, three notes are repeated against a low drone: the sound of anti aircraft flak and the menacing whine of a bomber high in the sky above." If I'm not mistaken, the sounds of bombers in the sky can also be heard in Strauss's Metamorphosen.
 
#1,308 ·
According to the composer's friend Isaak Davidovich Glikman, Shostakovich saw the quartet as kind of self-portrait which he ironically dedicated to his own memory. On July 19th, 1960, Shostakovich wrote the following to Glikman in a letter:

"I reflected that if I die someday then it's hardly likely anyone will write a work dedicated to my memory. So I decided to write one myself. You could even write on the cover: 'Dedicated to the memory of the composer of this quartet'."
I've read it said that this letter was a strong indication that Shostakovich wrote the 8th Quartet as some kind of suicide note, as by the time he arrived in Dresden things had become almost intolerable for him, for some of the reasons you mention and others. People (including Maxim I think) were concerned that he might be feeling suicidal and responded accordingly. I can find the link where I read that if anybody interested.
 
#1,309 · (Edited)
I think I'm Shostied out now with the final 3 recordings but all were very good solid performances from the Edinburgh, Melos and particularly the Aviv quartets. I probably liked the Aviv recording best of the 3. The Edinburgh quartet were a little light in the 2nd and 3rd movements and it didn't bounce enough in the 3rd for me but they were achingly haunting in the final two. The Melos was just a good, solid reading but the Aviv quartet were warmer in the first half and very dark and sorrowful in the second half. The last movement was a particular highlight for me. So I'm leaving it there. I'll round up my listening probably tomorrow.
It's been a joy revisiting this one and listening to so many unfamiliar (and familiar) recordings.Big thanks to Jos for his informative post earlier.
 
#1,310 ·
During the week I have listened a few times to the two recordings I have in my collection of the Shostakovich 8th quartet - Borodin (second set) and the Pacifica. I also sampled the following using Qobuz - Pavel Haas, Rubio, Danel.
My personal conclusion is that I am happy to stick with what I have got, both the Borodins and the Pacifica seem to get to the sole of the piece better than the others I checked out, the others I tried were fine but for me lack that little something that makes the difference.
 
#1,311 · (Edited)
I have listened to a huge number of Shosty 8s this week and have been impressed at the strength and high quality of most recordings. This really has been a quartet very well served on disc. To sum up my listening here's what I think. Tbh, my conclusions, for once aren't that far off Trout's list.

I would heartiy recommend all of the recordings below and there's not that much that kept these outta the top tier. They just needed that little bit more.

Rubio
Chilingirian
Altius
Carducci
Brodsky
Manhattan
Jerusalem
Orava
Danel
Medici
Byron
Dragon
Aris
St Lawrence
Talich
Aviv
Borodin 2

However, there were quite a few that were just top of the shop. I could hardly put a flea's chest hair between this lot. All of these are special for different reasons and it really depends what you like / what mood you're in which of these you really rate. So here's my top ten in no particular order.

Borodin 1 - still amazing 50 years after it was released.
Hagen - stunning ensemble playing
Mandelring - I knew of this one but hadn't heard it. I'm going to be getting the full cycle on the strength of this.
Emerson - wonderful bravura account
Alexander - great recording. Meticulously played.
Fitzwilliam - still a killer performance and I love the sound of it.
Sorrel - this has had mixed reviews when it came out but I don't know why. It's wonderful and many people rate this as highly as me. Further plays make it even better.
Pacifica - wonderfully recorded, top account from my go-to cycle.
Taneyev - this one surprised me. Very effective performance.
Yggdrasil - another that came outta nowhere but what a fantastic surprise.

I suppose some people will say "come on Merl, pin your colours to one mast" but I really couldn't. I love all 10 of these equally for different reasons. If you forced me at gunpoint to give a favourite I might say a different one each day. Some here are classics and deserve such status (Fitzwilliam, Borodin, Emerson) but the others are just as impressive to me (others will, no doubt, disagree). The one I return to most is the Pacifica but that was before I found some of these. I look forward to living with all of these (thanks Spotify) over the coming years.
 
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