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Weekly quartet. Just a music lover perspective.

736K views 9K replies 102 participants last post by  Art Rock 
#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
Bartók - String Quartet No. 3
Bartók - String Quartet No. 4
Bartók - String Quartet No. 5
Bartók - 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
Bretón - 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 "Sinfonías"
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"
Martinů - String Quartet No. 5
Martinů - 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

Simpson - String Quartet No. 9
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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#5,768 ·
The first Haydn string quartets CD I ever bought was by the Kodály Quartet - "Emperor, "Fifths" & "Sunrise"on Naxos, over thirty years ago, I think.

Rosette award in the Penguin Guide, and I went on to collect all the Kodály Haydn discs.

If one fancies having some Kodály Quartet performances on CD, without getting too involved, I'd strongly recommend this disc......




Human body Organism Adaptation Art Musical instrument
 
#5,772 ·
Well, Im behind again. I blame a busy summer. Anyway I enjoy Harvey's music quite a lot and will be checking that choice out. Haydn quartets are always a hit for me, and the Op. 76 cycle includes several favorites, including No. 2. It's been a while since I heard it, for no good reason, so this is a treat.
 
#5,773 ·
Frank Bridge (1879-1941) - String Quartet No. 2 (1915)
Performance duration - circa 25 minutes


I find it hard to choose between his string quartets no. 2 and no. 3 as to which is my favourite, although it must be said that all four are very good indeed, in different ways.

For better or worse, I've gone for no. 2.

The Maggini Quartet on Naxos is the recording that I got to know this work, in fact it's the only recording I've ever felt the need to have......

Bridge was Ben Britten's teacher, but unlike Ben, his music has been somewhat neglected. I also think he is very underestimated as a composer.
Glasses Vision care Tie Hat Flash photography
 
#5,776 · (Edited)
Interesting choice, Henry. Funnily enough I was thinking about Bridge's quartets, the other day, whilst doing my Walton SQ blog. I'm sure the topic of Bridge came up when I was talking to Malx the other day, too - am I right about that, Malx, or am I loosing my marbles and its all a figment of my imagination? I have the Maggini disc (charity shop 50p special) but Bridge has never caught my imagination so I've rarely played it and when I have it didn't grab me. Hoping that some proper, intensive listening might rectify this. :)
Btw, I found 4 performances of this quartet. Apart from the Maggini there are recordings from the Brindisi, Bridge and Delme quartets. Three of these are available on my streaming service, the other is on Hyperion.
 
#5,777 ·
Nice choice Henry - I'm not up to speed on Bridge's second quartet, I have a couple of recordings of the third and the Goldner recording of the fourth, which as you will know is in a more modern idiom.

I'm sure the topic of Bridge came up when I was talking to Malx the other day, too - am I right about that, Malx, or am I loosing my marbles and its all a figment of my imagination?
You are not losing your marbles Merl - if I recall correctly it was the third quartet we mentioned as I think both of us had considered it as a choice.
 
#5,781 ·
I still needed one day for the "Fifth" quartet, but I listened only to four altogether (I used to love this quartet, it was among the handful I first heard and probably for years my favorite of all Haydn together with 76/5 but by now I am bit burned out on it, my op.76 favs are now 4+5). Eder, Jerusalem, Tatrai, Mosaiques. Of these the last was my clear favorite. The Eder is good but rather cool and not very memorable. The Tatrai had the slowest first movement, almost melancholy, overall solid but not that special either. Jerusalem is very (too?) fast in the first movement but that doesn't make it more dramatic rather a bit superficial. Mosaiques are more flexible, more attention to detail and of these the most rustic trio (still not quite enough stomping folkdance for me). I listened to the whole Mosaique disc (+#3 and #6) and liked it quite a bit.

I have never heard the Bridge SQ #2 but I think I liked the few other pieces of his I heard (probably cello sonata and piano quartet).
 
#5,790 · (Edited)
Thank you again, Henry, for choosing this quartet! Very attractive music, at least, I feel attracted ... in a somehow mysterious way. The music seems strange and familiar simultaneously.

Written 1914-15? Shortly after Sacre?

Intro (quite long - about one minute and half) - serious, but friendly and warm, a little melancholic, a little dithery, well, after all, G minor, isn't it? (Brahms op. 25, Debussy op. 10).
1st subject - initially actively proceeding, but suddenly flowing in a quite restrained way, almost falling back in the intro's mood. Over-optimistic, the opening scales in unisono?
2nd subject - veiled, woolly, but smoothly caressing, the first clearly positive section in the piece. Bridge unfolds lots of charme that make this piece attractive. Maybe he is at his best at such sections.
Development - touching nightmare spheres, incertainty everywhere (take the soli for cello), Bridge keeps the music gloomy but flowing, he doesn't reveal his secrets. However, the music is at the same time somehow charming.
In the recap the 2nd subject is much more serene. The nightmares are over. Great section. Streaming beauty and love.

There is some logic behind the fact that the middle movement is not a slow one: the first movement had enough aspects of a slow movement. A fine kind of tumbling Scherzo, late descendant of baroque gigues, with a trio reminding the 1st movement's moods. Well, it is not exactly what we would call a trio, is it?

Third movement, intro again ... even longer than in the first movement ... it starts serene, but becomes fully depressive ... falling chromatic scales, grief and misery ... however, the intro ends with a bright chord ... optimism again? Pizzicati coming along, like goblins, leading to some imaginary world, some never-never-land.

However, about two minutes before the end, the music seems to return (coming home?) to the quite restrainedly flowing moods of the first movement. But the riddles remain somehow unsolved, the music does not reveal all of its secrets, the ending is rather overplaying all ambiguities than solving them.

A great work. Curious to discover the other quartets of Frank Bridge.
 
#5,792 ·
Terrific summary!

Thank you again, Henry, for choosing this quartet! Very attractive music, at least, I feel attracted ... in a somehow mysterious way. The music seems strange and familiar simultaneously.

Written 1914-15? Shortly after Sacre?

Intro (quite long - about one minute and half) - serious, but friendly and warm, a little melancholic, a little dithery, well, after all, G minor, isn't it? (Brahms op. 25, Debussy op. 10).
1st subject - initially actively proceeding, but suddenly flowing in a quite restrained way, almost falling back in the intro's mood. Too optimistic, the opening scales in unisono?
2nd subject - veiled, woolly, but smoothly caressing, the first clearly positive section in the piece. Bridge unfolds lots of charme that make this piece attractive. Maybe he is at his best at such sections.
Development - touching nightmare spheres, incertainty everywhere (take the soli for cello), Bridge keeps the music gloomy but flowing, he doesn't reveal his secrets. However, the music is at the same time somehow charming.
In the recap the 2nd subject is much more serene. The nightmares are over. Great section. Streaming beauty and love.

There is some logic behind the fact that the middle movement is not a slow one: the first movement had enough aspects of a slow movement. A fine kind of tumbling Scherzo, late descendant of baroque gigues, with a trio reminding the 1st movement's moods. Well, it is not exactly what we would call a trio, is it?

Third movement, intro again ... even longer than in the first movement ... it starts serene, but becomes fully depressive ... falling chromatic scales, grief and misery ... however, the intro ends with a bright chord ... optimism again? Pizzicati coming along, like goblins, leading to some imaginary world, some never-never-land.

However, about two minutes before the end, the music seems to return (coming home?) to the quite restrainedly flowing moods of the first movement. But the riddles remain somehow unsolved, the music does not reveal all of its secrets, the ending is rather overplaying all ambiguities than solving them.

A great work. Curious to discover the other quartets of Frank Bridge.
 
#5,793 ·
Listening to the Bridge quartet now (Maggini) and perhaps the long slow introduction to the finale acts in place of a full-length slow movement. The first movement doesn't feel slow enough to be a slow movement and the second is most definitely scherzic in scope. Arthur Bliss does a similar thing in his Violin Concerto, but on a much larger scale than this quartet.
 
#5,796 · (Edited)
This is a quartet that bears more fruit the more you listen. I will blog this one but of the 3 quartets I've listened to the Maggini Quartet and the Bridge String Quartet are far more enjoyable than the Brandisi, who add an unnecessary layer of vibrato that this piece really does not need. What a shame I haven't had a chance to listen to the Delme Quartet account yet, as this material is right up their street, but I can't be bothered paying out for it yet. If anyone finds a link to that performance on YouTube, etc please post it. The soundbites on the Chandos site sound very good.



Edit - my current blog review is below but it's not a huge one. Lol.

 
#5,797 · (Edited)
Well thanks Henry for pointing me in the direction of Bridge's 2nd quartet - as is often the case I am going backwords with this composer having initially discovered his quartets via the 4th then the 3rd, both very fine works.
My initial reaction to the second was - well that was pleasant enough, but as with so many pieces familiarity breeds not contempt but respect, its a grower and I'm happy to say I have added it to my wish list.

I listened to three recordings that were readily available to me on Qobuz, the Maggini which Henry advocates in his initial post along with the Brindisi and Bridge Quartets.
I will qualify the next statement with the rider that I am new to the piece so others may find my conclusions wide of the mark - the Brindisi's by name may be encouraging me to drink but I found their recording to be a bit like Champagne with no fizz, the Bridge Quartet were a deal better and very enjoyable but the Maggini's just seemed to nail this one for me - they manage to keep the whole moving along nicely with a coherence that the others don't achieve add that to very good sound and I think this is a recording I'd be happy to live with.

Edit - I have just read Merl's blog and I promise I didn't copy in class, sir :oops:
 
#5,799 ·
This style and era is very attractive to me: the dust settling on the 19th century and twentieth century not sure if it wants to be hard-edged or continue to wallow in the luscious extended harmonies of late romantic music.

I haven’t had time to delve into this piece too much, but it pushes all of my buttons. I have heard some Bridge played here and there, but I can’t believe with such attractive, emotionally compelling music that he isn’t heard more often.

This is a big discovery for me. Love it.
 
#5,801 ·
I'm afraid that it's getting a bit cliché to say something along the lines of "that was a great listen" at the end of the week in this thread, but I truly do not feel as if my time has been wasted listening to anything here. I had known Frank Bridge mainly as a name, but I had heard his piano quintet a while back and remember enjoying it. Sometimes I struggle with late-Romantic stuff like this as it can just sound like amorphous soup to me. But I'm glad to say that's not what I heard here. The first movement reminded me strongly of the Franck quartet that I nominated last year: it's unabashedly swooning, indulgent music but still restrained within formal boundaries and carries one along in a single sweep. One thing that really sticks out to me in this quartet is the great variety of memorable sounds and textures. Pizzicato plays a very prominent role in all three (four?) movements, and sometimes I was reminded of guitars or bagpipes in the rustic sonic landscapes that he dreamed up. It continually amazes me how many things can be done with 16 strings and four bows. I loved the bouncy scherzo and dreamy trio, and the brief Adagio is a gem of muted, melancholy English lyricism; quite Elgarian. The finale is full of jovial energy and ear-tickling counterpoint; I feel like it's one of those things that really requires several listens in order to fully grasp all the lovely little details. Overall I utterly fell for the rustic charm and rich romanticism of this quartet; it may not be anything that innovative, but it is quality all-around. Thanks for this one, Henry.

Carmina Banana will be our next nominator.
 
#5,803 ·
I have been tossing around a lot ideas in my head. I want a piece that is not too short, but not too long; one that doesn’t have too many recordings, but that has a few to choose from. There are a couple composers who have not been represented but have written quite a few quartets. The dilemma is: do I pick an early work that might not be stellar, but contains the germs of the composer-to-come? Or go right to a mature work?

I decided to go with Glazunov. I’m not all that familiar with these pieces, but I remember diving into the symphonies and having so much fun discovering those works. Plus, I am fascinated by that time and place. Glazunov seems to be an influence of some kind on so many composers we know and love. Considered old-fashioned by some, his skill as a composer was always acknowledged.

At first, I toyed with the first quartet opus 1, which has some nice moments but lacks the substance of the mature composer. But I am going a different direction:

Glazunov String Quartet No. 5 in d minor, Op. 70.

This is a big, satisfying listen that I think demonstrates the composer well. It starts intense and brooding and ends with a knee-slapping finale. There are several recordings out there but I can't tell you how many.

I’m interested to hear what people think of this piece and hear about their relationship with this composer.
 
#5,805 ·
Glazunov was one interesting and paradoxical character, to say the least, and a perfect subject for a Burbagization on Friday. (Or so I will hope.) But I know it's about the music first and the maker second, so I'll just start by listening to my Utrecht recording of his fifth quartet.

Plant Vertebrate Ecoregion Nature Happy


Thanks for the pick, CB!

(Although now I'm thinking I might go in a different direction with my pick next week, because do we need two Russians in a row?)
 
#5,806 · (Edited)
I know and enjoy many of Glazunov's symphonies but although I've heard a few of his quartets I've never investigated any further so this will be a voyage of discovery for me in repertoire I should like (but who knows?). I found 5 recordings. There may be more (let me know if you do find any more) but if so they're quite rare.

Utrecht
Lyric
Delray
Shostakovich
St Petersburg

Edit: on first listen, although it starts solemnly, this is a playful and pleasant piece. Definitely in the style of Tchaikovsky. I'll reserve further comments till I've got to know it better. It was the Utrecht account that I've just played.

PS. For those without a streaming service all the available recordings are available on YouTube.
 
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