A life remembered, the composer intended to write a complete cycle of 24 string quartets. There is an article entitled the genealogy of the string quartet which deals with the evolution of the string quartet over the centuries, and another, earlier works for string quartets, which examines shostakovich s compositions for these four string instruments that were transcriptions of other works or film music. Except for the ninth and 10th quartets, the superior cds of the beethoven quartet s recordings are on melodiya, starting with the first, third, and fourth shostakovich string quartets nos. Pacifica quartet prepares to succeed guarneri at metropolitan. Complete string quartets the emerson quartet recorded a complete set in live performances at harris hall at the aspen music festival and i was privileged to attend several of those recording sessions, among the greatest concert experiences of my life. Can an american string quartet grasp the power of shostakovich s 15 string quartets. Conclusion moderato dmitri shostakovich string quartet no. Some string quartets ensembles play together for many years and become established. As complete a set as i can find of shostakovich s 16 string quartets. Can someone please recommend recordings of the shostakovich string quartets. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The string quartets and the eponymous shostakovich quartet shostakovich.
Finally anyone studying the eighth quartet will conclude that david fannings book shostakovich. String quartets nos 1 15 complete by brodsky quartet and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited. By the sounds of this incredible cycle, the answer is a resounding yes. Are there any specific quartets i should the manhattan string quartet and the borodin quartets have both released the complete series. The festival celebrates thirty years of the lafayette string quartet and honours the quartet s mentor, russian violinist rostislav dubinsky, who first coached members of the lsq as graduate students at indiana university and continued to serve as an im portant mentor for the ensemble. The alexander quartet performed their cycle of the complete shostakovich string quartets at the baruch performing arts center in new york in 2006, coincidentally as the emerson quartet were doing the same thing just down the road in the alice tully hall. Shostakovich complete string quartets classicstoday. Each of the other four composers quartets presented here also occupies a. Complete string quartets by felix mendelssohn, coull quartet from amazons classical music store. There is an article entitled the genealogy of the string quartet which deals with the evolution of the string quartet over the centuries, and another, earlier works for string quartets, which examines shostakovich s compositions for these four string instruments that.
Ive always had them on record yes, im dating myself as. Jul 10, 2008 ive also got the complete beethoven quartets with the alexander, italiano, talich, vegh, emerson, medici and cleveland quartet. Ive always had them on record yes, im dating myself as one of my favorite recordings of the beethoven, and got the reengineered cds when they came out in the early 90s, but did not have the early quartets for some reason. The beethoven quartet, volume one is plagued by a grinding sound in the finale. The string quartets, the brodsky quartet shostakovich. Shostakovich, taneyev quartet complete string quartets. Its not so much a narrative, in the way the borodin or guarneri books are. These are the most consistently persuasive performances of this music i know, and they remind me of a description the literary critic richard sewall used to explain why emily dickinsons poetry was so profound. To the excellent versions of the 15 shostakovich quartets, the pacifica adds four quartets by shostakovich s contemporaries. Shostakovich the complete string quartets quatuor danel. Ravel, shostakovich, janacek, medici quartet string quartets music. They particularly like to settle into a nice rich tonal chord and let it resonate among the four instruments and hold the taste of it for a second. The latter three have their merits but are perhaps a notch below those mentioned.
Thats odd because, borodin being borodin, his quartets were sweettempered, muscular, and nostalgic and when theyre played by the borodin quartet, they do in fact sound that way. This slow, extremely sad theme can also be heard in his cello concerto no. String quartets complete by rubio quartet, shostakovich, na from amazons classical music store. If there were a season for all things, then shostakovich s fifteenth quartet would dwell in the darkness of midwinter. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. His string quartet no 8 in c minor 2nd movement would be another great piece. The emerson quartet is one of the top three string quartets in the world.
The guarneri quartet was an american string quartet founded in 1964 at the marlboro music. Pleyels publication in paris of a complete series that year, and the quartets evolution. Emerson string quartet buy recordings presto classical. Emerson string quartet string quartet and details of their recordings available to browse and buy.
I recommend this album to those seeking to hear shostakovich s string quartets played well. Lesser calls the quartets shostakovichs pure music, by way of. Shostakovich complete string quartets classical net. Shostakovich did travel a discernible journey in the 36 years between his first and last quartets 1938 and 1974. This generally excellent set of shostakovich quartets has been dogged by the fact that it has always had to compete with the marvelous borodin quartet versions that have circulated variously on emi and rca, and now has to contend with several other cycles complete or in progress, not least of which is the emerson quartet s magnificent dg recording. Shostakovich and his fifteen quartets by wendy lesser. Theres little thats extroverted and certainly nothing extravagant about the ensembles traversal of these 15 worksjust consistently rich string tone, tasteful phrasing, intelligence, and impeccable musicianship, all in service of the music. The motif is used in every movement of this quartet, and is the basis of the faster theme of the third movement.
This generally excellent set of shostakovich quartets has been dogged by the fact that it has always had to compete with the marvelous borodin quartet versions that have circulated variously on emi and rca, and now has to contend with several other cycles complete or in progress, not least of which is the emerson quartets magnificent dg recording. Beethoven, berg and janacek, come to mind, as does shostakovich, whose 15 quartets are an opaque, frequently encoded, almost autobiographical outpouring of the public and private agony endured by the creative artist under totalitarianism. I realize that many recordings include only one or two of themis there a complete series avaliable on cd. The string quartets among other complete sets are those by the fitzwilliam quartet shostakovich. Her description of the 11th quartet, for instance, is wonderful.
The guarneri quartet s solid and stable renditions should certainly satisfy those who prefer their beethoven straight, no chaser. It was admired for its rich, warm, complex tone and its bold, dramatic interpretations of the quartet literature, with a particular affinity for the works of beethoven and bartok. Shostakovich, for example, composed his 15 string quartets in chronological order starting with the youthful and excited first quartet and ending with his aged and just about dead quartet no. I remember this teldec set as being very fine, but also something of an alsoran in comparison to the redblooded character of. And while it may be interesting to hear a set of the complete quartets in which chronology is disregarded, the listener is necessarily left looking. If you are new to string quartets when you listen to them you are listening to one of the absolute best.
Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic. Successor to the great string quartet tradition of beethoven, the 15 string quartets of dmitry shostakovich span the composers long, tumultuous, and at times oppressed career. Its a much darker piece than the second quartet, though both are very well played and recorded as part of this fine survey of all the shostakovich quartets. When shostakovich began writing his second string quartet he had already completed eight of his fifteen symphonies. Pages in category string quartets by dmitri shostakovich the following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. If you know the genre, you already know about them. String quartets complete vermeer quartet classical 2005. Except for the ninth and 10th quartets, the superior cds of the beethoven quartets recordings are on melodiya, starting with the first, third, and fourth shostakovich string quartets nos. All three books are highly recommended for a better knowledge of the composers life. Mar 08, 2011 having written 15 string quartets, he has to be considered the centurys premier composer in that form as well. If youve been following this series, you already know that its one of the great shostakovich quartet cycles, outstanding even in a very crowded field.
He is outgoing and articulate, and has written two books. A good starting point for online resources is the website of the library at the university of illinois at urbanachampaign. Unless things have changed in recent years, dvoraks string quartets have had very selective treatment from concert planners. Dmitry shostakovich, manhattan string quartet complete. The vegh heavy on bass and talich are also pretty dry sounding.
Specifically in my experience, the last three quartets turn up regularly, and usually without a seriesnumber attached to them that might draw attention to the fact that there are actually 14. Capturing every nuance of shostakovich s emotionally gripping, sometimes humorous, often angstfilled compositions, the emersons deliver very likely the finest performances of these works. In addition, the group has participated in three complete beethoven quartet cycles, including the university at buffalos famous slee cycle which has presented annual beethoven quartet cycles since 1955 and has featured the likes of the budapest, guarneri, and cleveland quartets and will record the cycle over the next three seasons. The first movement opens with the dsch motif shostakovich s musical signature. Shop the worlds widest selection of dmitri shostakovich string quartet music, scores, parts and more.
I couldnt find much commentary on the sorrel quartet s shostakovich s releases on chandos but took a flyer and bought their first volume, which starts off with one of the composers best and bestknown quartets, the 7th 1960, and also has two longer pieces, the 6th 1956 and the 10th 1964. The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. Misha dichter, leon fleisher, the guarneri string quartet, thomas hampson, lynn harrell. The name of a string quartet can echo the place of its inception, as with. I just bought the complete beethoven string quartets in a boxed set with the guarneri string quartet. There links are provided to original english and russian. This string quartet has none of the bravura of the fifth symphony which preceded it. Youll find your dmitri shostakovich string quartet sheet music at sheet music plus.
Shostakovich complete string quartets piano quintet. The mono of the first and fourth is enhanced over the doremi versions, and the third is a completely different. On being told in 1960 that melodiya wished to record his last quartet, shostakovich replied last quartet. May 09, 2006 listen to your favorite songs from shostakovich. From the somewhat detached first quartet completed in 1938 to the stark, somber beauty of the fifteenth quartet of 1974, shostakovich, like beethoven, advanced his own techniques and the standards for the genre with. Jan 01, 2004 g iven their importance in the quartet literature of the 20th century, there are surprisingly few complete recordings of shostakovich s 15 string quartets. The borodin quartet has the ability, in interpreting shostakovichs music, to look very deep, and see very clear. Shastokovich is one of the top three composers of string quartets.
Dmitry shostakovich, manhattan string quartet complete string. Lighter, though well researched, is wendy lessers recent publication music for silenced voices. They enjoyed a personal relationship with shostakovich, who allowed them to give the western premieres of his last three string quartets. Pacifica quartets complete shostakovich and friends. Shostakovich the shostakovich quartet the complete shostakovich string quartets volume 1 string quartets nos.
The second quartet which seems to be the same performance as the one on vanguard shostakovich. The festival celebrates thirty years of the lafayette string quartet and honours the quartets mentor, russian violinist rostislav dubinsky, who first coached members of the lsq as graduate students at indiana university and continued to serve as an im portant mentor for the ensemble. It was premiered by the beethoven quartet and is dedicated to the composer vissarion shebalin. The rubio quartets playing is dramatic and sensual. The guarneri quartet was an american string quartet founded in 1964 at the marlboro music school and festival. Of these three the talich have the best sound quality.
Ravel, shostakovich, janacek, medici quartet string. Instead, the composer seemed to have discovered a new kind of distinctly russian neoclassicism. A string quartet is a musical ensemble consisting of four string players two violin players. The latter three have their merits but are perhaps a notch below those mentioned above. The guarneri musicians were active in teaching throughout the quartets life. The string quartet is a most flexible, most sensitive instrument. Between leaving the budapest string quartet in 1944 and rejoining them. When ive written all my quartets, then well talk about my last quartet. Shostakovich had come to the medium relatively late, when the soviet newspaper pravda had already denounced his music as unsoviet, unwholesome, cheap, eccentric, tuneless.
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