Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

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Mirror Image

Quote from: kyjo on November 16, 2013, 06:22:50 PM
I know you didn't ask me, John, but the Emersons are very good-certainly technically brilliant and razor-sharp in attack. But I prefer the Takacs by a slight margin because of the more emotional approach they take to the music. The same applies to the Emersons' recordings of the Shosty quartets (where I favor the Borodin Quartet).

Pretty much the same kind of criticism I've been reading about the Emersons over and over. Technically outstanding but lacking any kind of emotionality in their performances.

kyjo

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 06:30:22 PM
Pretty much the same kind of criticism I've been reading about the Emersons over and over. Technically outstanding but lacking any kind of emotionality in their performances.

Emotion isn't completely lacking in the Emersons' performances, but music such as Bartok's quartets that can easily become spiky and brittle needs to be infused with the kind of "heart" the Takacs Quartet give them.

Mirror Image

Quote from: kyjo on November 16, 2013, 06:39:58 PM
Emotion isn't completely lacking in the Emersons' performances, but music such as Bartok's quartets that can easily become spiky and brittle needs to be infused with the kind of "heart" the Takacs Quartet give them.

I see. Thanks for the feedback, Arthur...errr....Kyle. ;) :D

kyjo



kyjo

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 06:54:58 PM
Arthur Honegger.

Ah!

Bill Frisell? Who he? Did he write any symphonies? ;)

Mirror Image

Quote from: kyjo on November 16, 2013, 07:24:25 PM
Ah!

Bill Frisell? Who he? Did he write any symphonies? ;)

Now changed to the great legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans. A man who suffered through every note he played. One of the few pianists who I could listen to from sunrise to sunset.

springrite

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 07:35:22 PM
Now changed to the great legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans. A man who suffered through every note he played. One of the few pianists who I could listen to from sunrise to sunset.

That makes it more convenient for you to have "conversation with myself".
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

Mirror Image

Quote from: springrite on November 16, 2013, 07:42:31 PM
That makes it more convenient for you to have "conversation with myself".

;) :D I know!

kyjo

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 07:35:22 PM
Now changed to the great legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans. A man who suffered through every note he played. One of the few pianists who I could listen to from sunrise to sunset.

I like jazz piano a lot, but I hardly have any of it in my CD collection! Besides Evans, who else would you recommend for a relative newbie to the greats of jazz piano?

P.S. Sorry Bartok! :-[

Mirror Image

Quote from: kyjo on November 16, 2013, 07:58:00 PM
I like jazz piano a lot, but I hardly have any of it in my CD collection! Besides Evans, who else would you recommend for a relative newbie to the greats of jazz piano?

P.S. Sorry Bartok! :-[

Not to derail this thread any further. Check your inbox. :)

springrite

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 08:13:13 PM
Not to derail this thread any further. Check your inbox. :)
And check the ox on the roof...


Bought the Fine Art Quartet's set. Yet to receive it, though. I only have the Emerson so this is my first alternative set.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.


Brahmsian

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 16, 2013, 05:30:43 PM
Nothing wrong with that! One of my absolute favorite composers! The only SQ set I own is the Takács Quartet which is the only cycle I felt I needed. How are the Emersons, Ray?

The Emersons are a fantastic set.  I have heard the Takacs recordings (although I don't own them), and I would say I enjoyed that set equally, but not more than the Emersons.

If I got a 2nd set down the road, it would definitely be the Takacs.

Overall, I am a very huge fan of the Emerson String Quartet.  Nothing I have listened to performed by ESQ I haven't profoundly enjoyed, with one exception (albeit a notable exception):  Their Shostakovich SQ cycle.  Lukewarm, was not able to 'get it'.

For Shostakovich string quartets, I turn to the Eder Quartet, Borodin Quartet and the Fitzwilliams.

Mirror Image

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2013, 04:34:36 AM
The Emersons are a fantastic set.  I have heard the Takacs recordings (although I don't own them), and I would say I enjoyed that set equally, but not more than the Emersons.

If I got a 2nd set down the road, it would definitely be the Takacs.

Overall, I am a very huge fan of the Emerson String Quartet.  Nothing I have listened to performed by ESQ I haven't profoundly enjoyed, with one exception (albeit a notable exception):  Their Shostakovich SQ cycle.  Lukewarm, was not able to 'get it'.

For Shostakovich string quartets, I turn to the Eder Quartet, Borodin Quartet and the Fitzwilliams.

Thanks for the feedback, Ray. :D

The new erato

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2013, 04:34:36 AM

For Shostakovich string quartets, I turn to the Eder Quartet, Borodin Quartet and the Fitzwilliams.
You should turn to the Pacifica.

Brahmsian

Back to Bartok, after being interrupted by Mozart and Beethoven.  :D

Divertimento, Sz113
Music for strings, percussion and celesta, Sz106
Danses populaires Roumaines, Sz56


Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conducting
Les Violons du Roy

Love this CD, one of my favourites!

[asin]B001DELXDU[/asin]

amw

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 17, 2013, 04:34:36 AM
The Emersons are a fantastic set.  I have heard the Takacs recordings (although I don't own them), and I would say I enjoyed that set equally, but not more than the Emersons.

If I got a 2nd set down the road, it would definitely be the Takacs.

The Takacs is a superb set and one I will recommend to anyone. (Haven't heard the Emerson, but can imagine that it's equally good.) I grew up on it and it was, for a very long time, the standard by which I judged all the others. Most of the time no one else came even close.

That said, somewhere in my LP collection was a pristine copy of the Juilliard '63, which I finally opened and digitised a couple of years back.

I haven't listened to any other set since.

Brahmsian

Quote from: amw on November 19, 2013, 04:46:33 PM
The Takacs is a superb set and one I will recommend to anyone. (Haven't heard the Emerson, but can imagine that it's equally good.) I grew up on it and it was, for a very long time, the standard by which I judged all the others. Most of the time no one else came even close.

That said, somewhere in my LP collection was a pristine copy of the Juilliard '63, which I finally opened and digitised a couple of years back.

I haven't listened to any other set since.

Yes, I have heard very glowing reviews about the Julliard Bartok SQ cycle.  Some say it surpasses the Takacs and Emersons.

Karl Henning

Quote from: ChamberNut on November 19, 2013, 04:34:26 PM
Back to Bartok, after being interrupted by Mozart and Beethoven.  :D

Divertimento, Sz113
Music for strings, percussion and celesta, Sz106
Danses populaires Roumaines, Sz56


Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conducting
Les Violons du Roy

Love this CD, one of my favourites!

[asin]B001DELXDU[/asin]

Looks very nice, Ray!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot