Krzysztof Meyer (b. 1943)

[Lilas Pastia]

I've taken to Meyer like no other polish composer, esp. on account of his chamber music - a very rare occurence for someone who is naturally 'tuned' to orchestral works . I, too  am missing on 4 SQ from Meyer, thanks to Maciek - well, not for the missing ones, but those I do know  .

I don't know for others, but I find as much emotional substance and sheer craftsmanship in his chamber works as I do those of other great 20th century SQ 'half-dozen+ SQ' composers such as Milhaud, Villa-Lobos, Weinberg, Jones, Schafer or Shebalin (I haven't heard enough Rosenberg or . He has definitely more variety and a larger emotional scope than Gorecki - although we're talking of a special case indeed.

It may even be that in time, when I know all his SQs and have lived with them a few years, I might put them on the same level as the acknowledged masterworks in the genre, namely the Bartok and Shostakovich cycles.

PS. the Clarinet Quintet is indeed a really important work.

[Maciek]

Is SQ 12 his latest?

I think so. It's from 2005 (his op. 103).

Now, what does that exchange prove? That I don't re-read these threads often enough. Because one page earlier it is clearly stated:

...

That CD also has his jazzy-sounding 12-tone Piano Sonata, and the 16th string quartet entitled "Au-delà d’une absence"..

So, snyprrr, clearly, your list needs to be updated even further (and my shopping list has to somehow include the unrecorded 13th-15th + the 16th ).

[CaramelJones]

Hey, you're the sq aficionado!  I haven't even heard all of Meyer's quartets (4 to go).  But I have it on good authority that his is the most important cycle (not that Poland is the greatest chamber music empire in the world, I'll grant you that). And judging by the ones I know, that's probably true.

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far.

Firstly, you'd have to like late contemporary classical music to appreciate Meyer.  That is - if you don't like Shostakovich, there is no way you would like Meyer. 

Meyer bases several of his quartets as if he was Shostakovich' spiritual successor.  These ones are very interesting for contemporary listeners.   His musical language is interesting; it is more refined than say, Krauze, Baird or Kilar, however it's easy to find that they all blend into a kind of samey-ness, without any individual quartet standing out in distinction.   

Slowinski's emerging body of string quartets are worth while discovering if you like Meyer.  I think I like Slowinski as much as Meyer, although Poland still has a legacy, a bit like France, where composers have penned epic  string quartets in ones or twos (Szymanowski; Bacewicz's 4th/5th; Knapik's single string quartet; Gorecki's Quasi una Fantasia and Already it is Dusk (his 3rd one isn't quite there yet), as well as ones or twos from Zielenski; Noskowski, Dobrynzski etc.

As far I last counted, Meyer was heading towards 18 or 19 string quartets, and I only have about 9 of them, all scattered on different albums - the best ones done by the Wilanow Quartet, and some decent performances by the Wienawski Quartet on Naxos.  They aren't available on a single CD box set cycle yet.

[San Antone]

Bump.

For me, Meyer's quartets are among the first tier of the 20th century string quartets (composers who have written five or more): Bartok, Shostakovich, Weinberg, Carter and Meyer.  I need to update my list and reconsider Rihm, Dusapin, Ferneyhough (and no doubt others from the second half of the 20th C.), I know I am forgetting some major composers who have devoted a significant portion of their work to the string quartet.

I have not heard much else of Meyer's music, but if it is of the same quality as the string quartets, he will make it onto my list of favorite composers.

[snyprrr]

Bump.

For me, Meyer's quartets are among the first tier of the 20th century string quartets (composers who have written five or more): Bartok, Shostakovich, Weinberg, Carter and Meyer.  I need to update my list and reconsider Rihm, Dusapin, Ferneyhough (and no doubt others from the second half of the 20th C.), I know I am forgetting some major composers who have devoted a significant portion of their work to the string quartet.

I have not heard much else of Meyer's music, but if it is of the same quality as the string quartets, he will make it onto my list of favorite composers.

Naxos or the Cycle on some Russian label? I beleieve I have Nos. 3 and 8 on 'various' discs... sure, I'd love to hear them all. What can you tell me?

[Maestro267]

*dusts down the thread*

I discovered Meyer's music late last year and I'm returning to it now, currently listening to the 8th String Quartet. I also just noticed that Quartets 14 & 15 are released on the Dux label to complement Naxos' cycle of the first 13 quartets, thus making the cycle up-to-date.

[relm1]

*dusts down the thread*

I discovered Meyer's music late last year and I'm returning to it now, currently listening to the 8th String Quartet. I also just noticed that Quartets 14 & 15 are released on the Dux label to complement Naxos' cycle of the first 13 quartets, thus making the cycle up-to-date.

Agreed...he is an impressive composer.

[vers la flamme]

I have one CD of his, with the 5th, 6th and 8th SQs on Naxos. Seeing this thread has reminded me to give it a listen again, so I will hear one of them in the morning.

[San Antone]

I am pleased to learn that the Wieniawski String Quartet has just released Meyer's quartets nos. 14 (2014) and 15 (2017). [For some reason they also included no. 13 despite having previously released it on Naxos, and judging by the timings, it is not a newer performance.]



I've just only heard the first few minutes of 14 (so far, very good), so I don't have any comments to make - but this is very good news since I've been waiting for these to come out since I first learned of their existence.

[Maestro267]

I checked up yesterday, learning he was still with us and assuming he'd kept composing since Quartet 13 came out.