Dmitri's Dacha

[Mirror Image]

Okay...so let's talk about the SQs for second (or more ), what is everyone's favorite cycle? There are so many of them out there now.

[Karl Henning]

Okay...so let's talk about the SQs for second (or more , what is everyone's favorite cycle? There are so many of them out there now.

Couldn't possibly pick one.

[Mirror Image]

Couldn't possibly pick one.

Okay, then how about two?

[Karl Henning]

Okay, then how about two?

Hah!

[VonStupp]

Okay...so let's talk about the SQs for second (or more ), what is everyone's favorite cycle? There are so many of them out there now.

I most often pull these two out, so I suppose they are my favorite. I reserve the right to backtrack though, as I ponder...

VS

[Mirror Image]

I most often pull these two out, so I suppose they are my favorite. I reserve the right to backtrack though, as I ponder...

VS

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't heard one note from the Shostakovich Quartet. I know they're highly regarded by many. As for the Borodin Quartet, I love all that I've heard, which has been the Chandos partial cycle and the Melodiya cycle.

[VonStupp]

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't heard one note from the Shostakovich Quartet. I know they're highly regarded by many.

I also enjoy their playing of Alexander Borodin's Quartets.

Of course, when you have the Borodin Quartet and the Shostakovich Quartet playing the string quartets of Shostakovich and Borodin, the search engine does not like to play nice. 

VS

[Mirror Image]

I also enjoy their playing of Alexander Borodin's Quartets.

Of course, when you have the Borodin Quartet and the Shostakovich Quartet playing the string quartets of Shostakovich and Borodin, the search engine does not like to play nice. 

VS

Hah!

[MusicTurner]

Yes - as a side remark, like in the case of those two ensembles, the Smetana Quartet and the Janacek Quartet, and their discographies, both playing both composers ... And together, they also played Mendelssohn's 'Octet'

[Jo498]

The only "old russian" recordings I have heard are the incomplete Borodin on Chandos and the early 1980s Borodin on Melodiya. I am in the process of slowly listening to all of my DSCH quartet recordings but I'd be probably fine with only the two of them. Then I have two "modern western" cycles, the Brodsky that was only the second "western" recording (after Fitzwilliam) and the Sorrel (I have probably never heard all of that box but it was strongly recommended in another forum 10 or 15 years ago). I am not really in the market for getting anymore being pretty much satisfied. I was rather positively surprised re-listening to some of the Brodsky as I had remembered them as a bit bland. But I also have to admit that I don't know about half of the quartets all that well, so I am probably not that particular about interpretations, unless they are obviously poorly played or stick out otherwise. The one disc I had heard of the Naxos (3+5, two of my favorite pieces, with the Eder?) was also quite good.
I was and still am a bit tempted by the Pacifica box that got rave reviews (and has about 4 interesting quartets by other composers as fillers) but right know I cannot justify the space...

[Irons]

I most often pull these two out, so I suppose they are my favorite. I reserve the right to backtrack though, as I ponder...

VS

Two fine sets, the best in my view. Borodin recorded the Shostakovich string quartets twice and the  first with Dubinsky first violin is the one to have.

PD. Neither cover or record of Igor Oistrakh's 1st Violin Concerto has a recording date. A stereo recording CM 03941-2.

[MusicTurner]

I own some of the quartets with the Borodin4/melodiya, and the complete sets with Fitzwilliam4, Shostakovich4 and the Rubio4, which is enough for me.

The Rubio Quartet has a less martial, more ~lyrical or ~beauty-seeking approach, that can be refreshing and inviting at times.

The Shostakovich Quartet set is probably the least important among them, IMHO, but it's been a while since I heard any.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I also enjoy their playing of Alexander Borodin's Quartets.

Of course, when you have the Borodin Quartet and the Shostakovich Quartet playing the string quartets of Shostakovich and Borodin, the search engine does not like to play nice. 

VS

  No it doesn't! 

Note:  As for complete [not totally], the only set that I have of Shostakovich's string quartets is the original Borodin Quartet one (recentlyish acquired) and need to work my way through it.  Actually, yesterday, I was trying to listen to his String Quartet No. 3 with I believe it was the Cailin String Quartet from my Shosti boxed set, but then realized that the soundstage was messed up; the sound was distinctly lower from my right speaker, so that ended that for the time being [Now 'fixed'.].

PD

[Karl Henning]

The complete sets I have are the Emersons, the Pacifica, and the Mandelrings. I love 'em all. There, I said it!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The complete sets I have are the Emersons, the Pacifica, and the Mandelrings. I love 'em all. There, I said it!

Huzzah! 

Off to fix something to eat and then back to music....

PD

[Irons]

I own some of the quartets with the Borodin4/melodiya, and the complete sets with Fitzwilliam4, Shostakovich4 and the Rubio4, which is enough for me.

The Rubio Quartet has a less martial, more ~lyrical or ~beauty-seeking approach, that can be refreshing and inviting at times.

The Shostakovich Quartet set is probably the least important among them, IMHO, but it's been a while since I heard any.

I forgot Fitzwilliam. They are very good too.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I forgot Fitzwilliam. They are very good too.

You know, I almost checked in a different area of my CD collection (where I keep boxed sets of composers' works), but didn't; I had forgotten that I also own the Fitzwilliam set!    Oh, boy!

So, debating what to dive into here (whilst soup is cooking)...

PD

[Madiel]

Okay...so let's talk about the SQs for second (or more ), what is everyone's favorite cycle? There are so many of them out there now.

To be honest I've never felt the need to stray from my Fitzwilliam box.

[Mirror Image]

The complete sets I have are the Emersons, the Pacifica, and the Mandelrings. I love 'em all. There, I said it!

Send him to the gas chambers Awesome, Karl!

[foxandpeng]

My journey this year into the Shostakovich SQs has centred on the Borodin and Mandelring Quartett, but for me, I don't think there is much to choose between them.