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Favorite Quartet (Piece)

9K views 61 replies 51 participants last post by  Avey 
#1 ·
Rather generic, simple thread -- though my favorite type...

What is your favorite piece for string quartet? Not trio, quintet, even four cellos... Just your single preferred work for that ol' Streichquartett.

Interested to see what everyone falls back on. Or leaps on to? Or flies in on? Or lays down on?
 
#8 ·
All of Beethoven's late string quartets are to me the pinnacle of chamber music, and maybe of music. It's hard to choose between them - all of them have something so special about their form, or musical content. As a whole work, I might go with the Op. 131 C# minor quartet, but I also happen to love certain movements in Op. 127, Op. 130, and Op. 132 more. And of course, then there's the Große Fuge, Op. 133.

For some reason, Bartók's quartets really stick out for me. It may be the unorthodox that delights me in chamber music. I really hate to toss aside Haydn, Schubert, and Debussy - their chamber music is fantastic as well.

As for chamber works that are not included in the standard repertoire that I also really love, there are works by Joachim Raff that really deserve more attention. They include 8 excellent string quartets, a string sextet, a string octet, 4 piano trios, 2 piano quartets, and a piano quintet.
 
#20 ·
Schubert D887 is incredible and for me just edges the Death and the Maiden and Rosamunde. Listen to the incredible main theme of the first movement! My favourite part is when the cello plays it whilst the violin plays a high shimmering accompaniment.

Also Dvorak's American and 14th, Beethoven's op.131 and 132, Haydn's Emperor, Ravel's, Shostakovich's 8th and 15th and both of Janacek's.
 
#21 ·
Glad we finally got a mention of Dvorak's 14th, or any of his other late quartets besides the American.

Dvorak had it when it came to writing for the quartet/quintet. Vastly superior to Brahms, just edges Mendelssohn, and on par with Beethoven's Middle.

It just sounds like it came easy to him.
 
#27 ·
Razumovsky number 3 :)
Never tire of that finale.
I requested it at an Emerson String Quartet concert several years ago
and it was spectacular. :)
 
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