I. Allegro comodo
II. Moderato assai
III. Largo marciale
IV. Allegro moderato



Weinberg wrote his 4th String Quartet in 1945 and it's a 4-movement work, beginning in a pastoral mood with a charming lilting theme. There seems to be three or four main ideas in this movement which are interrelated. The cello starts busily and then all of a sudden the mood changes. There's a darkness and angst in the music. Agitated, chopping violin statements appear before we temporarily head back to the pastoral sound. And this is the pattern for the rest of the movement. It's constantly moody, going from serene and sweet to dramatic, tense and sorrowful.
The 2nd movement, a grinding scherzo, begins in Shosty territory but it's grotesque dance takes us into different territory. A period of pizzacato, col legno and sul ponticello bowing is brilliantly effective here and creates a big, cacophonous, rhythmic sound. The trio comes as a bit of an eye opener as a solo cello breaks the mood followed by a solo viola and more col legno accompaniment. The violins add a little texture with their own chords. Finally the scherzo returns, and the movement echoes these two styles, rising and falling with great skill. What a superb movement this is.
The 3rd movement is a very Mahlerian funeral march that never seems routine. A handful of related themes (see the first movement) emerge and there's a real tragic feel. Hard cello pizzicato introduces a melancholy violin theme that is beguiling. This feeling of lamentation is tangible. This is powerfully emotive music and it's brilliant, too. The cello rattles and hums. Turn the volume up and those speakers should shake with fear. The frenzied scream of anguish at the three-quarters mark is truly terrifying but eventually it all finishes in more serene fashion. Wow, this is such powerful stuff!
The finale begins with a blatant reference to the opening Allegro of Mendelssohn's Octet (a favourite of Weinberg's) but rather than pay homage Weinberg takes the falling third at the end of the theme and develops it. What comes next is equally surprising as he let's loose a set of variations based on that falling third. The music again strays from serene to powerful, dramatic and quasi-symphonic until Weinberg brings us back to that opening salvo and that initial theme begins to lose its grip. A rhythmic section with a pizzicato accompaniment breaks things up. As it does the harsher, more dramatic music tries to interject but it's to no avail. Eventually, the movement struggles to an end with that Mendelssohnesque theme trying to take hold until a gentle, dissonant minor note conclusion. Again, I love this quirky movement and it's childlike but Mahlerian character (I hear echoes of Mahler's 1st symphony and perhaps an odd nod to Beethoven).
Whatever, this is a tremendous piece of work and if you like the excellent 3rd quartet then this will repay in even further dividends. I honestly cannot speak highly enough of this remarkable quartet but will say that if you aren't familiar with it then you need to be. If you find yourself falling for this fascinating quartet then, like me, you may even regard it as Weinberg's masterpiece. I probably do.
Fortunately we are blessed with a trio of extremely high quality recordings and I am stating straight away that whichever of these you choose you will not be at all disappointed due to the exceptional standard of playing and recording. I'm not going to go into much detail here as these are all very strong performances. Interpretively, there's not much in it either but I'd say that the Danel Quartet adopt a middle line between the other two recordings which is no bad thing. It's a very well recorded effort and there's plenty to admire particularly in their cohesive outer movements. The Silesian Quartet adopt a slightly coarser, more rustic tone and again this works brilliantly, especially in the scherzo, which is very, very effectively argued. They really bring out the grotesque nature of that movenent. However, if forced to, I'd very marginally choose the newer Arcadia Quartet recording. Not only is the sound exceptional but their playing in counterpoint sections is seamless. They really grab the emotional bull by the horns in an utterly compelling slow movement (that cello sound and playing is truly magical). Their sound is more blended than the other two but their dynamics are vividly present.
Yet we are talking the minutest of margins here and if you prefer one of the others I would not argue as they tremendous and you need a copy of this remarkable work in your collection. Buy one of them. It's as simple as that!