January will still be Shostakovich String Quartet Month

[Brahmsian]

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, Op. 83

# 4 is my favourite outright, of the 15! 

[Karl Henning]

Thus far this month, the First, the Ninth, the Second, the Tenth & the Third.

Keeping true to my whimsical pattern, then, to-day is at the least the Eleventh.

[San Antone]

I've listened to six of the quartets so far: 8, 15, 12, 10, 5 & 4.   Next up No. 11 but the Shostakovich SQ.

[San Antone]

I am finding that those quartets surrounding the more famous ones, e.g. 7 and 9, are becoming very interesting listening experience for me.

Now, No. 14 by the Shosty SQ.

[Henk]

Now:

Shostakovich - SQ no. 11
Borodin String Quartet

[San Antone]

No. 3 by St. Lawrence SQ

[asin]B000FP2O2M[/asin]

Very good performances by an ensemble not often mentioned vis a vis Shostkovich SQ.

[San Antone]

Quatour Danel ~ No. 9



I am nearing the end of my December traversal of all 15.  Still left are nos. 2, 7 and 13.

[kishnevi]

I planned on digging into the Shostakovich Quartet set  later today, but as an unexpected bonus,  I'll be able to pick up the Borodin II set tomorrow at the post office (I wasn't home this morning when the postman knocked twice)--only a week in transit from Amazon France.  I wasn't expecting to get that one until after New Years, based on usual transatlantic transit times (plus the Christmas rush).   So I'll be reporting on that one in due course.

[Karl Henning]

Nice, Jeffrey!

Friday, I took in the Fourth as well as the Eleventh.

So, time for the Twelfth and it will be the first which I shall hear from the Fitzwilliams.

[Brahmsian]

Nice, Jeffrey!

Friday, I took in the Fourth as well as the Eleventh.

So, time for the Twelfth and it will be the first which I shall hear from the Fitzwilliams.

Karl, please let me know at once what you think of the Fitzzies, as they are my favourite to date (not by much overall, over Eder Qt.....but Borodin set hasn't yet arrived for comparisons.

Hope you enjoy the Fitzwilliam's as much as I do! 

[Karl Henning]

Will do, Ray!

Meanwhile, I've been meaning to do my homework, but it's not been happening . . . so let me put my head on the chopping block, as it were, and promise to do the homework after . . . .

With the quartets, though in the event he lived only to write 15, Shostakovich had the idea of writing one quartet in each of the major and minor keys

In my geeky composerly way, I've found it interesting that for quartets n^os 1-6, and quartets n^os 10-15, Shostakovich writes each successive quartet a third lower, viz.:

1 = C Major
2 = A Major (minor third below C)
3 = F Major (major third below A)
4 = D Major (minor third below F)
5 = B^b Major (major third below D)
6 = G Major (minor third below B^b)
. . . .
10 = A^b Major
11 = f minor (minor third below A^b)
12 = D^b Major (major third below F)
13 = b^b minor (minor third below D^b)
14 = F# Major (diminished fourth = major third below B^b)
15 = e^b minor (augmented second = minor third below F#)

The 'deviation' from the 'plan' coincides with the three 'personal', dedicatory quartets: № 7 is dedicated to his late first wife, Nina Vassilyevna Varzar; № 9 to his third wife Irina Antonovna.  № 8 bears the dedication "To the victims of fascism and war"; its musical matter, though, is shot through and through with the composer's musical initials D - Es (E^b) - C - H (B).

FWIW, although not arranged as successive thirds, the key centers of the quartets n^os 7, 8 & 9 (F#, C, E^b) form the 'unstable' diminished triad.

[Brahmsian]

Will do, Ray!

Meanwhile, I've been meaning to do my homework, but it's not been happening . . . so let me put my head on the chopping block, as it were, and promise to do the homework after . . . .

With the quartets, though in the event he lived only to write 15, Shostakovich had the idea of writing one quartet in each of the major and minor keys

In my geeky composerly way, I've found it interesting that for quartets n^os 1-6, and quartets n^os 10-15, Shostakovich writes each successive quartet a third lower, viz.:

1 = C Major
2 = A Major (minor third below C)
3 = F Major (major third below A)
4 = D Major (minor third below F)
5 = B^b Major (major third below D)
6 = G Major (minor third below B^b)
. . . .
10 = A^b Major
11 = f minor (minor third below A^b)
12 = D^b Major (major third below F)
13 = b^b minor (minor third below D^b)
14 = F# Major (diminished fourth = major third below B^b)
15 = e^b minor (augmented second = minor third below F#)

The 'deviation' from the 'plan' coincides with the three 'personal', dedicatory quartets: № 7 is dedicated to his late first wife, Nina Vassilyevna Varzar; № 9 to his third wife Irina Antonovna.  № 8 bears the dedication "To the victims of fascism and war"; its musical matter, though, is shot through and through with the composer's musical initials D - Es (E^b) - C - H (B).

FWIW, although not arranged as successive thirds, the key centers of the quartets n^os 7, 8 & 9 (F#, C, E^b) form the 'unstable' diminished triad.

That is an interesting pattern, Karl.  I'm sure Dmitri didn't just chance this.

I'm starting late at joining the party (not too late if you go by the Russian calendar).

Here's my listening order (probably will roll over into January 2013), since I don't yet have the Borodin set.  In the meantime, I'll start with the Eder's and Fitzies:

1) # 4 in D major, Op. 83

2) # 8 in C minor, Op. 110

3) # 11 in F minor, Op. 122

4) # 13 in B flat minor, Op. 138

5) # 2 in A major, Op. 68

6) # 3 in F major, Op. 73

7) # 15 in E flat minor, Op. 144

' # 12 in D flat major, Op. 133

9) # 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108

10) # 6 in G major, Op. 101

11) # 10 in A flat major, Op. 118

12) # 9 in E flat major, Op. 117

13) # 14 in F sharp major, Op. 142

14) # 5 in B flat major, Op. 92

15) # 1 in C major, Op. 49

All randomly chosen except my two favourites (SQ# 4 and SQ# to kickstart the party. 

[Karl Henning]

Bonjour, Ray! Enjoying the Fitzwilliams very well!

To-day, the Fifth, and possibly the Thirteenth.

My own pattern is designed to end with the Eighth, which has been after all the one I know the best : )

[San Antone]

Pacifica Quartet ~ No. 7

[The new erato]

Pacifica Quartet ~ No. 7

I want the rest of thet series issued - NOW!

[San Antone]

No. 7 is one of the shorter quartets, but the last movement is fantastic, especially as done by the Pacifica SQ.  Now on to No. 2 by the Borodins.

[San Antone]

I want the rest of thet series issued - NOW!

I know, me too.  They include a work by another contemporary Soviet composer and it is a nice touch.

[Brahmsian]

Bonjour, Ray! Enjoying the Fitzwilliams very well!

Excellent news, Karl!  Happy to hear that! 

[Karl Henning]

Will do, Ray!

Meanwhile, I've been meaning to do my homework, but it's not been happening . . . so let me put my head on the chopping block, as it were, and promise to do the homework after . . . .

With the quartets, though in the event he lived only to write 15, Shostakovich had the idea of writing one quartet in each of the major and minor keys

In my geeky composerly way, I've found it interesting that for quartets n^os 1-6, and quartets n^os 10-15, Shostakovich writes each successive quartet a third lower, viz.:

1 = C Major
2 = A Major (minor third below C)
3 = F Major (major third below A)
4 = D Major (minor third below F)
5 = B^b Major (major third below D)
6 = G Major (minor third below B^b)
. . . .
10 = A^b Major
11 = f minor (minor third below A^b)
12 = D^b Major (major third below F)
13 = b^b minor (minor third below D^b)
14 = F# Major (diminished fourth = major third below B^b)
15 = e^b minor (augmented second = minor third below F#)

The 'deviation' from the 'plan' coincides with the three 'personal', dedicatory quartets: № 7 is dedicated to his late first wife, Nina Vassilyevna Varzar; № 9 to his third wife Irina Antonovna.  № 8 bears the dedication "To the victims of fascism and war"; its musical matter, though, is shot through and through with the composer's musical initials D - Es (E^b) - C - H (B).

FWIW, although not arranged as successive thirds, the key centers of the quartets n^os 7, 8 & 9 (F#, C, E^b) form the 'unstable' diminished triad.

Ah, I remember the other odd observation I meant to make: that all of the first six quartets are in major keys.  And (you're entirely correct, I trow, Ray: the composer acted quite deliberately through these details) the first of the minor-key quartets is that dedicated to his late wife, Nina Vassilyevna Varzar.

[mszczuj]

Several listening to the SQ No.2. It was not familiar to me as I had heard it only once before. And yes, it is impressive, very impressive though I'm not absolutely convinced if it is perfect as the cycle, but this is my problem with Shostakovitch - I am really rarely convinced to his compositions as the sets. But all the movements are really tremendous and I like them.

Jews elements are obvious in the Recitative - it is as singing of the Jewish cantor in the synagogue. The Variations are predominantly Russian. The Overture is I would say Carpathian in character with strong Bartok influences. The waltz as the waltz adds western elements.

So it is as if all the parts recalls different ethnic elements of Eastern Europe destroyed in this time.

I'm really pity that I had no possibility to listen to it when I was young and when emotional side of music was more important to me than today.