The Greatest String Quartets

[Dana]

Shostakovich No.6, No.7, No.8, No.10, No.15

Why these particular quartets?

[Gurn Blanston]

Hey, Snipper, I sort of forgot these earlier because you were picking on the Classical Era at the time, but have you ever heard the 2 quartets by Saint-Saëns? The first one, Op 112 in  E major  is right up your alley, at least the way you've described your alley, which I've never actually seen, but have a mental picture of.   In any case, IMO, Saint-Saëns is among the top composers of the late 19th century, and these are his best works, even though written well into the 20th...

Report back, please.



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Listening to:
Margand Quartet - Op 153 Quartet #2 in G for Strings 3rd mvmt - Interlude et Final - Andantino [Allegro con moto]

[snyprrr]

Why these particular quartets?

Communicatively...for the newbie. The 6th has classical structure and "beautiful" melodies, the 7th is direct and quirky and short. 8 & 10 are by no means personal favs, but may be good for the newbie; and 15 has that great 1st mvmt melody.

Hey, Snipper, I sort of forgot these earlier because you were picking on the Classical Era at the time, but have you ever heard the 2 quartets by Saint-Saëns? The first one, Op 112 in  E major  is right up your alley, at least the way you've described your alley, which I've never actually seen, but have a mental picture of.   In any case, IMO, Saint-Saëns is among the top composers of the late 19th century, and these are his best works, even though written well into the 20th...

Report back, please.



----------------
Listening to:
Margand Quartet - Op 153 Quartet #2 in G for Strings 3rd mvmt - Interlude et Final - Andantino [Allegro con moto]

Yes, of course. Probably the most inoffensive SQs ever (in a good, Faure-like way, I mean!). I was going to get the EquinoxQuartet on Amazon, but the price has been yo-yo-ing too much. The MiamiQuartet (w/Faure) also seems good. There is also an Erato disc (Quatour Via Nova?), and the Medici on Koch... but who are the Margand

ah, and btw... e minor, not Major!

They have been at the top of my list for quite some time, but because I already like them, I decided to shore up the ClassicalEra first. My current French SQ wish list includes Saint-Saens (the lisper!), Magnard, D'Indy Complete, Koechlin 1-2, and Ropartz 4-6. I think "erato" recommended me against the Koechlin, however, claiming they were dulledy-dull-dull (which I thought strange, but Koechlin is uneven). The Magnard is a must, and the Ropartz really intrigue me.

As far as my "alley"... well, if Gorecki would have written Saint-Saens' minor key SQ... THAT may be hitting it on the head (and I do mean the Gorecki of the Sym No.3, not the SQs)! Gorecki's pathos with Saint-Saens'...you know, I don't know if that's fair to Saint-Saens...perhaps if Bach wrote a minor key SQ, maybe that's what's...oh, I don't know,...it's late (almost 6 in the morning...insomnia, ...amazing isn't it?!!)...oy!...technically, on this particular tip, the first 3mins of Pettersson's 8th is me in a nutshell!

[The new erato]

My current French SQ wish list includes Saint-Saens (the lisper!), Magnard, D'Indy Complete, Koechlin 1-2, and Ropartz 4-6.

I haven't heard the Ropartz, but among these, the clear priority should be d'Indy, whose 3 quartets are very strong, with no 3 approaching materpiece level.

[Gurn Blanston]

Yes, of course. Probably the most inoffensive SQs ever (in a good, Faure-like way, I mean!). I was going to get the EquinoxQuartet on Amazon, but the price has been yo-yo-ing too much. The MiamiQuartet (w/Faure) also seems good. There is also an Erato disc (Quatour Via Nova?), and the Medici on Koch... but who are the Margand

ah, and btw... e minor, not Major!

As far as my "alley"... well, if Gorecki would have written Saint-Saens' minor key SQ... THAT may be hitting it on the head (and I do mean the Gorecki of the Sym No.3, not the SQs)! Gorecki's pathos with Saint-Saens'...you know, I don't know if that's fair to Saint-Saens...perhaps if Bach wrote a minor key SQ, maybe that's what's...oh, I don't know,...it's late (almost 6 in the morning...insomnia, ...amazing isn't it?!!)...oy!...technically, on this particular tip, the first 3mins of Pettersson's 8th is me in a nutshell!

Well, obviously I don't agree with you else I wouldn't have posted it. I think the 1st quartet is very interesting, and about the last of that genre before modernism set in and changed things up. Moderate amount of dissonance, lots of chromatics, nice counterpoint. It is as it should be.

This disk is French, published by the Saint-Saëns Society for some memorial celebration of the composer. Perhaps a French quartet playing French music has an advantage, who can say? Thousands believe that, not sure if I do. I have never heard any other version to compare by. In any case, the liner notes, all in French of course, simply say "Quartet in E", which by convention, means E major to me. No matter, while the second quartet fits your description rather well, I simply don't see where it applies to the first.

[DavidW]

Okay so Saint Saens is supposed to be Faure meets Gorecki meets Pettersson meets what Bach would have been like... wait what!?!!

I wonder if there is a single person not directly related to the snips that reads such a post and actually understands it!?

[snyprrr]

Well, obviously I don't agree with you else I wouldn't have posted it. I think the 1st quartet is very interesting, and about the last of that genre before modernism set in and changed things up. Moderate amount of dissonance, lots of chromatics, nice counterpoint. It is as it should be

ouch, what did I say???... that the SQ was "inoffensive"? Well, I guess I can see where one might take offence, haha. All I meant to say was that S-S No.1 was the last "classical" SQ (S-S was more classical than romantic, no?). Perhaps I should have just agreed with you without adding...YES, I AGREE WITH YOU...it IS as it should be. I meant to say "perfect"! ahhhhhh....

Okay so Saint Saens is supposed to be Faure meets Gorecki meets Pettersson meets what Bach would have been like... wait what!?!!

argh...no...

a) S-S's SQs are great classical SQs with a smooth, rounded finish, having the mellowness of Faure and Mozart.

b) S-S + Gorecki might be a 21st century version.

c) first 3mins of Pettersson No.8 is technically me in a nutshell!

d) a Bach minor key SQ might, or might not, also be me in a nutshell... HAS anyone written a "Bach" SQ???



Ahhh...such is the life of the poor ole snyprrr...woe is me that I am so misunderstood...ohh, ohhh, ohhhhh (is anyone feeling sorry for me yet? )

[DavidW]

I think the problem is that you employ a personal terminology that no one else uses (such as "a smooth, rounded finish" which is a meaningless phrase if I ever heard one).  And backing your description by superpositions of completely different musical styles identified by composers make your descriptions even more confusing!

So you end up with a post with several of those meaningless buzz phrases, and half a dozen different composers and frankly it's a mess.  Cut the buzz phrases and cut the fuzzy composer math.

[Herman]

Ahhh...such is the life of the poor ole snyprrr...woe is me that I am so misunderstood...ohh, ohhh, ohhhhh (is anyone feeling sorry for me yet? )

If you are misunderstood it's your own doing. Your writing (and I suspect your thinking) style is deeply fuzzy and inarticulate. One of the wonders of JSBach is he's always clear. So no, I don't think you are Bach in a nutshell. I could be wrong but you don't really seem to think things through clearly before you're communicating. I think I have said this a couple of times before.

Anyway, saying that "Faure and Mozart" share "mellowness" makes one wonder which Mozart you're talking about.

J.S. Bach's The Art of the Fugue has been set for string quartet. I think the old Juilliard Qt made a recording of it.

[DFO]

Yes Herman, it's so. I've the Juilliard's Art of the Fugue. A rather arid
version, but Bach sounds well even on castanet. 

[vandermolen]

Ernest Bloch SQ No 1 - an epic work.

[Dana]

I wanna bend the rules and include the Quartet for the End of Time. Just because I've been high on it lately.

[Tomo]

I wanna bend the rules and include the Quartet for the End of Time. Just because I've been high on it lately.

If a listener understood the context under which this piece was composed, it might just be the catalyst toward their understanding of the depths to which classical music can aspire and move them to explore further, so I'm glad you mentioned it. 

I was just listening to Brahm's first piano trio today and thinking how some captivating someone new to classical might find it.  Your post prompted me to play Messiaen.

[ChamberNut]

I wanna bend the rules and include the Quartet for the End of Time. Just because I've been high on it lately.

No objection here.  What a piece!  I had the pleasure of hearing live last year.

[Saul]

Mendelssohn's 1.2.3.4.5. and six.

Ravel's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKyMkjF51qw

[ChamberNut]

Mendelssohn's 1.2.3.4.5. and six.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKyMkjF51qw

That is not a surprise, coming from you Saul.    The Mendelssohn quartets have grown on me very favorably of late.  Especially # 2 and # 6

[DavidW]

That is not a surprise, coming from you Saul.    The Mendelssohn quartets have grown on me very favorably of late.  Especially # 2 and # 6

They stand as some of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century...


but I still prefer the string quintets.

[ChamberNut]

They stand as some of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century...


but I still prefer the string quintets.

Haven't heard those yet. 

[DavidW]

Haven't heard those yet. 

Mr Chamber Nut!!!  Get on that right now, they are some of the greatest works that you will ever hear!!!!!!!!!!!

[ChamberNut]

Mr Chamber Nut!!!  Get on that right now, they are some of the greatest works that you will ever hear!!!!!!!!!!!

Well then....you have my attention!