Your favorite string quartets

Posted by: Todd A on 02 March 2002

When I first began seriously listening to classical music it was the string quartet to which I turned the most often. Since then I have broadened my horizons substantially to encompass all manner of orchestral, instrumental (especially piano), and other forms of chamber music. I have not succumbed to (my perception of) the excesses of opera and have only relatively recently begun exploring choral works. Yet I still turn to the string quartet quite often. There is something about this particular format that I enjoy. Perhaps, to paraphrase the famous quote, it is the attraction of hearing four highly intelligent people talking to each other; perhaps it is the intricacy, delicacy, and intimacy that four strings afford; perhaps it is the profound intellectual rigor behind the notes. Whatever the attraction I still highly prize the string quartet. It is the genre by which I personally assess the relative abilities of composers, especially ones new to me.

At the risk of diminishing the value of this genre by asking such a simple inquiry: what are your favorite string quartets? Here, as perhaps in no other genre, the one-off work or unknown composer can really make an impact. I personally don't rank string quartets per se, but they do fall into general categories, with the best being obviously more favored than the rest. I sort of look at the broad categories as representing overlapping circles, with the best of the second rank equal to the meanest of the best, an so on. You may note some omissions from my list. For instance, there is no Mozart. How can that be? Well, try as I might, I have not heard performances that have compelled me to listen to Wolfie's works often. Perhaps someone can be of assistance and recommend some superb versions (I have not yet heard the Quartetto Italiano yet, for instance). Also, note the relative lack of French quartets. I just have not heard one yet that captures my fancy. To give you an example, I just listened to my Debussy and Ravel quartets after about 18 months. Not exactly big works for me. The list includes all the works I enjoy and listen to at least a few times a year. (Yes, I like that much Haydn; I often go on binges of his works.) This is not even close to being an attempt at a definitive or comprehensive list. Anyway, here goes.


My list:

The Supreme Works

Bartok - All

Beethoven - Op 18/5-6, Op 59/3, Op 95, Op 127, Op 130 (with revised ending), Op 131, Op 132, Op 135

Haydn - Op 77, Op 76 (all six), Op 33/2 & 4-5, Op 64/3-5, Op 50/3, Op 74/3, Op 20/3-5

Schulhoff - Nos 0, 1, 2

Shostakovich - Nos 2, 4, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15

Ligeti - No 2

Schubert - Nos 14, 15

Dvorak - Nos 10, 12

Schoenberg - No 3

Ives - No 2

Janacek - Both


The second rank:

Schoenberg - Nos 1, 4

Smetana - No 1

Dvorak - Nos 5, 13, 14

Beethoven - all others

Ligeti - No 1

Prokofiev - Nos 1 & 2

Shostakovich - all others

Dusapin - No 3

Haydn - Op 20 (remaining), Op 50 (remaining), Op 33 (remaining), Op 54 (all)

Hartmann - No 1

Korngold - No 1

Carter - Nos 3-5


Third tier:

Hummel - No 3

Schumann - Nos 2, 3

Britten - No 3

Martinu - No 2

Hartmann - No 2

Barber

Ives - No 1

Smetana - No 2

Ginastera - No 1

Vaughn Williams - No 1

Villa-Lobos - Nos 1, 12, 17

Syzmanowski - Both

[This message was edited by Todd Arola on SATURDAY 02 March 2002 at 19:40.]

Posted on: 08 March 2002 by Rainer S
Herm, much of Shostakovich (e.g., the 7th and 8th string quartet) is not that demanding technically. Often his scores tempt one to say: "Ha, I can play this from sight!" Only when you really try to play through the stuff you notice how difficult it actually is... What I love about Shostakovich is how the music gets more intense the sparser it gets. The middle movement of the 7th quartet is just two parts most of the time (violins and cello/viola playing in octaves). Or the piano accompaniment of the viola sonata...
Posted on: 08 March 2002 by Edot
What, no fans of the Budapest quartet? Ever since picking up both of the remastered Beethoven sets (Sony MH2K 62870 & 62873) my copies by Emerson & Tokyo have seen little use. Considering how old the Budapest recordings are, the sound is remarkable. There is a communication between the Budapest members that I don’t often find in contemporary quartets. I’ll have to give a listen to the Vegh & Italiano readings.
Posted on: 08 March 2002 by stephenjohn
Has any one heard the SQs? [I haven't]

"...as rewarding as those by Bartok or Shostakovich." Rough Guide to Classical Music

Does any one have an opinion as to whether they are that good or can tell me what they sound like?

Thanks

Steve

Posted on: 05 April 2002 by Stephen
I'd like some advice, have narrowed down my choice to Vegh Quartet or Italian Quartet, which one should i go for and why. Thanks for the help.
Posted on: 06 April 2002 by herm
Hi Stephen,

Welcome aboard. I'd take the Italiano, and start from the middle (save the Op. 18 for a little later).

Let us know whether and how you like it. (It did take you a while to post this, didn't it?)

Herman

Posted on: 10 April 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon
stephenjohn

About 10 years ago, these quartets won an award in the now defunct Classic CD. I borrowed them from the local library, and remember thinking them very good - spiced with a bit of dissonance, but not as rigourously structured or as advanced in the range of techniques as Bartok. A few years ago, I threw a lot of old tapes away, so don't have any source to go back and check. Worth seeking out though. If you do, please report back.

David

Posted on: 10 April 2002 by stephenjohn
I tried to buy the disc recommended in the Rough Guide but it did not come up on any CD internet site searches. I'll try at the library.
Thanks
Steve
Posted on: 24 May 2002 by DJH
Some great recommendations above.

IMHO, the Lindsay Quartet's versions of the Beethoven late quartets, and of the Bartok cycle, are difficult to beat. There is also a superb collection of recordings by the Busch quartet (late Beethoven, some Schubert), which is actually better, although the recording quality is much poorer). I am also beginning to enjoy the Vegh's Beethoven cycle more, probably because the approach is totally different, but they do not convince me in Bartok, frankly.

I only know the Shostakovich through the Borodin/Melodiya cycle, which is very good, even if the acoustic is on the dry side. For Janacek, there are many good versions of both quartets, and in Schubert, the Italians are the version to go for.

But the purpose of this post is to highlight other less well-known quartets that haven't been mentioned above, and which are worth investigating;

(a) Enescu (a contemporary of Bartok) ; Naxos have a disc of his quartets in their catalogue, which is excellent
(b) McCabe, Quartets 3-5 ; Vanbrugh Quartet/Hyperion - really excellent, involving music (esp. no.3)
(c) Haas (a contemporary of Janacek), "From the Monkey Mountains" ; Petersen Quartet/Editions Abseit - really interesting if uneven piece
(d) Simpson - all of his quartets are issued by Hyperion by various quartets. I only know the 9th, 14th and 15th quartets, but these are superb pieces that deserve a much wider audience. I will be trying to listen to his other quartets over the next few months.

I probably listen to string quartets for 70-80% of the time I listen to music, but there is little to equal a live chamber concert. Two of the best concerts for me have been (i) the Lindsays playing Opus 130 with the Grosse Fugue at the Wigmore Hall (sublime) and (ii) the Hagens playing Mozart in Hong Kong.
Posted on: 24 May 2002 by herm
Hi Duncan,

great you brought this thread back to life.

They're quite a bunch aren't they, the Hagens? So does this mean, hopefully, you do like Mozart string quartets? So very few do, out here.

Have you ever tried one of Max Reger's string quartets (say, 3, 4 or 5)? The Mannheim recording on MDG is really good. Very German, I guess. Nonetheless, if you spend that much time with the genre, you should have some familiarity with Reger, perhaps.

Herman
Posted on: 24 May 2002 by DJH
Hi Herm,

Yes, I do like the Hagens, and I think that they will produce some interesting recordings in the next few years, when they have matured more. Another interesting quartet to watch is the Cork based Vanbrugh quartet.

To my shame, I am not really familiar with either the Mozart or Reger quartets, but it is good to know that there is more to discover out there.

Have a nice weekend

David
Posted on: 24 May 2002 by herm
Hi David,

I got your name wrong, truly sorry about that.

I don't know when this HongKong recital took place, but a lot of people would say the Hagens are a grown-up quartet by now. But perhaps you thought they played with a youthful testosterone that's bound to wear off? I wonder... It looks like this wild stuff is their chosen style, bringing back excitement (and good looks) to the music.

You really ought to try some of those wonderful Mozart quartets. A piece like K 387 is the nec plus ultra in the genre - it doesn't get any better. If you like the Lindsays, take their recording. I seem to recall 387 was coupled with an equally stellar Mozart quintet.

You have a good weekend too

Herman
Posted on: 18 June 2002 by DJH
Well I have now had a chance to listen to several of Mozart's quartets, having found the Quartetto Italiano box set available at a very low price. The influence on Beethoven of these great works is unmistakeable. Thanks, herm, for your advice - I will be listening to this set a lot throughout the summer.
Posted on: 18 June 2002 by herm
Endless Summer

Hi David,

I'm really glad you like the Mozart quartets. It doesn't get any better than this.

If at any time you're gagging for more, there's Mozart's string quintets. Four (out of six) are as good as the best quartets, if not better. The best recording is by the augmented Grumiaux Trio. I think they're available, somewhat inconveniently, on two Duo Philipses.

And, there's the two piano quartets (in the late K 400s), best performed by the augmented Beaux Arts trio. They, too, belong to the very best Mozart composed.

This is music that'll be with you for the rest of your life.

Herman
Posted on: 20 June 2002 by herm
Hi Jack,

this is truly weird. Walk into any store (in Europe) and there's boxes of the Melodiya Borodin recordings for giveaway prices. But not on any web store. There's some nineties Virgin recordings, but those are wrong. Don't give up though... The Borodin on Melodiya is the best of any performance on record.

Could you BTW tell us what you think of the recordings you have, comparatively? I was so disappointed with the Emerson - but of course in comparison with the Borodin you don't (yet) have.

Sproggle: vinyl? how about the Juilliard on CBS? And there's bound to be an old Budapest or something.

Herman

[This message was edited by herm on FRIDAY 21 June 2002 at 04:09.]
Posted on: 21 June 2002 by herm
Hi Jack,

it is weird. Maybe they finally depleted this enormous stock at Melodiya - after all BMG has been doing sales for like ten years now. It's not available through British Amazon either.

It's not the same world anymore if one can't get the Borodin any longer...

Have you ever tried Parnassus, a sort of rare and s / h music store in Saugerties? Tey do have a thing for S. Richter, the pianist who's on the Melodiya set, with the piano quintet...

Herman
Posted on: 23 June 2002 by herm
Jack, I'll send you an e-mail. OK?

Herman
Posted on: 23 June 2002 by Sproggle
Jack Rubinson: I have learned over the years that there are many valid ways a piece can be played. It is the different interpretations of a piece of music that has facinated me with classical music. I do not think there is just one way a piece can be performed. These different interpretations allow us to gain insights into the music and deepen our appreciation. I think that is one of the reasons many of us own more than one rendition of a particular piece of work.

I've found that as I've got older I have lost my natural ability to instantly appreciate the inner logic of a piece of music, so I benefit even more now from having different performances on LP.

Of course it helps when different performers really are trying to do different things. Part of the late 20th century seems to have been dominated by a fashion for pathologically slow interpretations of orchestral music - some of which were so bad, in my view, that my time listening to them would have been better spent listening to the fridge humming.

Actually, I quite enjoy listening to the fridge humming...

--Sproggle
Posted on: 23 June 2002 by herm
So what's your favorite fridge quartet?
Posted on: 23 June 2002 by Sproggle
My favourite fridge quartet. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Posted on: 25 June 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon
After Stockhausen's Helikopter Quartet, fridges don't sound like such a bad idea..
Posted on: 26 June 2002 by ejl
Herm mentioned Schnittke's Fourth Quartet near the start of this thread, and I would add that Schnittke's Second and Third are also quite worth hearing (the First is rather hard going). Of course the influence of Shostokovich on Schnittke is well known, but the latter was experimental to a greater degree; Schnittke's Second and Third are actually interestingly akin to Bartok's early quartets. Anyway, people who like Bartok and Shostokovich quartets would probably enjoy Schnittke's also. His first three are available on BIS in a respectable if not inspired recording by the Tale Quartet.

Just out of curiosity, and since I noticed some people talking about the fine Fitzwilliam recording of the complete Shostokovich quartets earlier in this thread, did anyone besides me have the following experience? For years the Fitzwilliam was the only Shostokovich Quartet recordings I had (they may have even been the only complete recording available in the late 70s and early 80s). But their rendition of the 14th was badly mistaken -- they played it at half tempo -- and embarassingly enough even performed it that way in front of S. himself. The Fitzwilliam later released another recording of the 14th at the right speed. I however learned to listen to the 14th in their early, incorrect version, and now find it very hard to listen to it at the correct tempo. In fact, I think I prefer it slow. Does anyone else
Posted on: 29 June 2002 by herm
Nielsen string quartets

By now of course we're talking about interesting pieces, rather than all-time greats. (For these you'd have to be at the top of the thread.)

This week I picked up the two disc recording of Carl Nielsen's four string quartets (plus a Little Suite arranged for quartet). It's a good Chandos recroding by the Russian - Danish Zapolski Quartet.

These quartets are mostly apprentice works: the first dates from 1888, the second from 1892, the third from 1898 and the fourth, in F major, from 1906.

This fourth quartet, called Piacevola, is indeed a very agreeable piece of music, written at the same time as the opera Maskerade, in the long span between Nielsen's second and third symphony.

The earlier quartets are kind of weird, as if the apprentice composer is first putting his legs into his jacket sleeves, then tries to put his left shoe on his right foot etc. Clearly Nielsen doesn't want to write regular late 19 th C musical phrases, but he doesn't have his own musical language yet, so what he does is write half-length phrases (but he doesn't want to go Brahms's motivic variation route either).

In the Piacevola, especially the first movements, the real Nielsen appears: the music attains that particular Nielsen drive and spaciousness. There are special effects reminding one of sounds coming from a symphonic orchestra. In this piece Nielsen isn't trying to write a String Quartet any longer (fitting his foot in the wrong shoe). He's writing Nielsen music.

The discs are available seperately, so you could get just the one with the fourth quartet on it, if you like Nielsen.

Herman