I love chamber music and the string quartet is my single favorite form. But despite 35 year, on and off, of classical listening, I have a lot to learn.
Anyway, here is my contribution of favorite quartes, (listed in chronological order). I think you'll agree that most of my choices are quite conventional apart, maybe from the Carter and Alwyn ...
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
- Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)
- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
- Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)
- Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
Quote from: Feanor on October 28, 2007, 10:39:44 AM
The string quartet is my single favorite form to which I've devoted the greatest attention.
Mine too...
Quote from: Feanor on October 28, 2007, 10:39:44 AM
Yet I suspect there is a lot more great stuff lurking out there that you folks know about but I don't yet.
Same here, good thread and shall look forward to trying out some recs.
Quote from: Feanor on October 28, 2007, 10:39:44 AM
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
- Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)
- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
- Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)
- Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
Nice list ;) Don't know the Carter or Alwyn, shall have a look around. Cheers.
If I may, I'll make my list of deliberately not the most famous ones. I like all the big names that I've heard, but so does everyone else already... :D
Britten #3 (Britten's more downbeat style works well here, doesn't sound like his playful early works)
Schnittke #2 (more coherent than some of his work)
Simpson #9 (really ambitious)
Hartmann #2
Chausson, Op.35
Dvořák #7 (in the standard numbering system, I believe the American one is #12...)
Vasks #4 (slightly manic alternation between fast and calm, a little like Kancheli's symphonies)
Szymanowski #2 (both of Szymanowski's are late romantic gems)
Holmboe #18 (hard to pick one, there are a bewildering amount)
Rihm #3 (kind of thorny - the only piece by him that grabbed me until Edward advised me on his work - I'm doing more investigation atm)
Vaughan Williams #2 (his usual "folksy" style, but it's good music)
Cherubini #6 (a major cycle of that period IMO, good to look into if you like Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn)
Edit: Added some descriptions - I forgot that just a list of names may not be helpful ;)
Quote from: Lethe on October 28, 2007, 11:11:16 AM
If I may, I'll make my list of deliberately not the most famous ones. I like all the big names that I've heard, but so does everyone else already... :D
Britten #3 (Britten's more downbeat style works well here, doesn't sound like his playful early works)
Schnittke #2 (more coherent than some of his work)
Simpson #9 (really ambitious)
Hartmann #2
Chausson, Op.35
Dvo?ák #7 (in the standard numbering system, I believe the American one is #12...)
Vasks #4 (slightly manic alternation between fast and calm, a little like Kancheli's symphonies)
Szymanowski #2 (both of Szymanowski's are late romantic gems)
Holmboe #18 (hard to pick one, there are a bewildering amount)
Rihm #3 (kind of thorny - the only piece by him that grabbed me until Edward advised me on his work - I'm doing more investigation atm)
Vaughan Williams #2 (his usual "folksy" style, but it's good music)
Cherubini #6 (a major cycle of that period IMO, good to look into if you like Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn)
Edit: Added some descriptions - I forgot that just a list of names may not be helpful ;)
I recognise barely any of those!
These 'lists' can be quite thought provoking...shall now spend the evening 'researching' online!
merci beaucoup
My Absolute three favorite String Quartets are:
Dvorak #12 - American (already mentioned)
Shostakovich #8 - written after his visit to war ravaged Dresden
Beethoven #4 - a fantastic early period minor key gem
Quote from: hornteacher on October 28, 2007, 11:42:12 AM
Beethoven #4 - a fantastic early period minor key gem
Is this from the Op. 18 quartets? I get confused when people refer to the SQ number instead of the opus number.
Quote from: Lethe on October 28, 2007, 11:11:16 AM
Chausson, Op.35
I thought I was the only person that thought so highly of this quartet. Chausson seems to be generally overlooked.
Quote from: Corey on October 28, 2007, 11:52:37 AM
I thought I was the only person that thought so highly of this quartet. Chausson seems to be generally overlooked.
To be honest, I think I bought my disc with that on for a piece by Franck - the Chausson was a nice surprise, though.
Quote from: Corey on October 28, 2007, 11:48:19 AM
Is this from the Op. 18 quartets? I get confused when people refer to the SQ number instead of the opus number.
Sorry, yes its #4 in the Op 18 set.
Quote from: Lethe on October 28, 2007, 11:11:16 AM
If I may, I'll make my list of deliberately not the most famous ones. I like all the big names that I've heard, but so does everyone else already... :D
Britten #3 (Britten's more downbeat style works well here, doesn't sound like his playful early works)
Schnittke #2 (more coherent than some of his work)
Simpson #9 (really ambitious)
Hartmann #2
Chausson, Op.35
Dvořák #7 (in the standard numbering system, I believe the American one is #12...)
Vasks #4 (slightly manic alternation between fast and calm, a little like Kancheli's symphonies)
Szymanowski #2 (both of Szymanowski's are late romantic gems)
Holmboe #18 (hard to pick one, there are a bewildering amount)
Rihm #3 (kind of thorny - the only piece by him that grabbed me until Edward advised me on his work - I'm doing more investigation atm)
Vaughan Williams #2 (his usual "folksy" style, but it's good music)
Cherubini #6 (a major cycle of that period IMO, good to look into if you like Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn)
Edit: Added some descriptions - I forgot that just a list of names may not be helpful ;)
Extremely interesting list and I'll check these out at the earliest opportunity. For the most part I haven't heard them.
Quote from: James on October 28, 2007, 12:28:01 PM
He didn't [...] go down the opera cop out route.
?
Quote from: Feanor on October 28, 2007, 10:39:44 AM
...
Anyway, here is my contribution of favorite quartes, (listed in chronological order). I think you'll agree that most of my choices are quite conventional apart, maybe from the Carter and Alwyn ...
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
- Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)
- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
- Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)
- Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
By the way the late Beethoven quartets where a real challenge for me, and only their very high reputation caused me to perserver. But it was worth it in the end.
I wonder how many other quartets are out there that fit the
difficult but ultimately rewarding description. I dare say there are a few in the contemporary category that do,
e.g. in my opinion, the Carter quartets.
Quote from: James on October 28, 2007, 12:28:01 PM
The Bartok 6 are the prime contenders for the most important set since Beethoven, and it's generally thought they are the greatest of the 20th century. They are quite amazing ...
His younger compatriot Gyorgy Ligeti's are also wonderful, though different.
...
I think Pierre Boulez thinks the form dead.... Brian Ferneyhough .. an astonishing composer of the 'complex' school would disagree I'm sure ... check out Brian Ferneyhough and James Dillon.
Until recently I generally preferred Shostakovich's quartets, but am coming around to the recognizing Bartok's as the more interesting.
I have Ligeti's Nos. 1 & 2 quartets and I know they deserve more of my attention.
Thanks for the tips re. Ferneyhough and Dillon.
Can't do this. Haven't experienced enough to make a definite list of six, let alone 12. ;D
Can't answer this. Have about 300 string quartets recorded,and I love all of them. If I select some, the others would be offended
Bloch nr 1 and Hindemith 4 & 5 should be mentioned. As well as Enescus 2.
Many good mentioned here, but
Mozart K. 421 is king!
I shall not mention twelve, but eight, so I add:
Haydn's op. 20 set, and
Dutilleux' "Ansi de la nuit".
That's 8.
I. Listen. To. Beethoven, Shostakovich, and one Schubert. String Quartet.
Hence, I'll stay silent here for now, and go play [with] my symphonies. :P
Quote from: James on October 28, 2007, 12:28:01 PM
He didn't compromise in composition or go down the opera cop out route.
Opera is a 'cop out'?
I suppose then I shouldn't mention that Bartok himself wrote an opera:
Bluebeard's Castle. Mighty fine work of art.
Ha ha, it's true. And if James has made even one person think, again, of Bluebeard's Castle, then he's done, however inadvertently, a good thing!
By his standard, Janáček must be one of the bigger cop outs of the twentieth century. Janáček wrote a brace of quartets, though, to justify this post! They're fine. Prokofiev's two, too.
But whenever anyone says "string quartet," I think first of all of Lachenmann's Gran Torso.
And then very quickly of the Arditti quartet, who play so much interesting stuff, that one could easily just make a list of any twelve recordings of theirs and you'd have a list of 12 (or more) great string quartets.
I'll still make you a list of my twelve favorites, though. The ones I listen to most frequently.
Lachenmann, Gran Torso
Lachenmann, Reigen seliger Geister
(there's also that Tanzsuite thing for string quartet and orchestra, which is very tasty, and it's on the same CD as Reigen...)
Ruszicka, String quartets 1-4, and Klangschatten for Alfred Schlee
Cage, String quartet in four parts
Cage, Four
Kagel, String quartets 1 and 2 and 3
Gerhard, String quartets 1 and 2 (these are exquisite!)
Hmmm. That's already 14, and I haven't even gotten to the Rihm quartets. Or the Feldman.
Wow. The Feldman.... I've only heard the first one. I have the DVD of the second, but some so-called friends are supposed to come over some evening and listen to it all the way through. (Six hours.) Hmmm. Maybe I just won't wait for 'em. Pikers!
Carter's other 4 quartets
Wolpe - String Quartet (think more lyrical Carter #2 - great new Naxos recording)
Reger - SQ E flat op 109 (great late romantic, post-Wagnerian SQ)
Webern - Bagatelles for SQ
Quote from: James on October 28, 2007, 12:28:01 PM
He didn't compromise in composition or go down the opera cop out route.
You mean unlike Mozart, Gluck, Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Debussy, Janacek, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, or Berg?
Haydn op.54 No.3 (especially for its unusual Largo)
Schumann 2 & 3 are Marvellous
Smetana 1 & 2
Schnittke 3
Schubert 1 (absolutely)
Shostakovich 3
Glass 5
d'Indy 2
Ravel
Mendelssohn op.13
Quote from: bwv 1080 on October 29, 2007, 11:45:07 AM
Carter's other 4 quartets
Wolpe - String Quartet (think more lyrical Carter #2 - great new Naxos recording)
Reger - SQ E flat op 109 (great late romantic, post-Wagnerian SQ)
Webern - Bagatelles for SQ
Thanks for reminding me! :) I have Wolpe's String Quartet I and II recorded by the Concord Quartet on VoxBox, along with Cage, Feldman, and others. I shall listen to them this evening!
Ravel's in F Major??? I am stunned it hasn't been mentioned.
Mozart's "The Hunt"
Not quite a quartet but it came on a "string quartets" cd.
Mendelssohn's Octet in E flat Major
Only 12?
You get all of Beethoven's (including op. 133) and all of Bartók's and you're already at 23. I am, ordinarily, not one to define entire genres by a handful of composers, but I would almost say that the literature for the string quartet begins with Beethoven and ends with Bartók. In some of my more aggressively modernist moods, I might say that if you have Bartók's six, then you don't need anything more. If you can't tell, I place a lot of weight on those composers' oeuvres in the genre.
PSmith, depends on what you're interested in, I guess. Music or or... something else, I can't tell what.
If you're interested in music, well there's a ton, several tons, of very fine string quartets, before Beethoven, between Beethoven and Bartók, and after Bartók.
Truly.
Quote from: PSmith08 on October 29, 2007, 08:09:30 PM
Only 12?
You get all of Beethoven's (including op. 133) and all of Bartók's and you're already at 23. I am, ordinarily, not one to define entire genres by a handful of composers, but I would almost say that the literature for the string quartet begins with Beethoven and ends with Bartók. In some of my more aggressively modernist moods, I might say that if you have Bartók's six, then you don't need anything more. If you can't tell, I place a lot of weight on those composers' oeuvres in the genre.
It's a good thing you "would almost say" rather than actually "say." Haydn, Mozart, and Carter at the very least might almost say there is more to the quartet literature than you are almost saying.
Quote from: c#minor on October 29, 2007, 07:47:31 PM
Ravel's in F Major??? I am stunned it hasn't been mentioned.
Mozart's "The Hunt"
...
Ravel was a very near miss on my list, as was Debussy. I might have substituted either of these for the Borodin No.2, however the Borodin's melodies won out.
Twelve (12) was obviously an arbitrary number, but I felt, better than 10 or 20. I chose to include Carter and Alwyn for the sack of variety and modernity over other, very worthy pieces from more-acknowledged composers.
Quote from: PSmith08 on October 29, 2007, 08:09:30 PM
Only 12?
You get all of Beethoven's (including op. 133) and all of Bartók's and you're already at 23. I am, ordinarily, not one to define entire genres by a handful of composers, but I would almost say that the literature for the string quartet begins with Beethoven and ends with Bartók. In some of my more aggressively modernist moods, I might say that if you have Bartók's six, then you don't need anything more. If you can't tell, I place a lot of weight on those composers' oeuvres in the genre.
Weren't you expecting any reaction from people like me whose top10 include guys like Haydn, Shostakovich & Schnittke?
I advise you beginners to start quickly with the hundreds of great quartets which were composed before Beethoven and after Bartok in order you know how wonderful a genre it would be even if none had been created between 1798 & 1939.
I like:
Debussy
Ravel
Martinu No. 4 - Concerto da Camera
Janacek No. 2
Bartok Nos 2, 4 & 6
Beethoven Op. 127, Op. 130
Malipiero No. 2
Grieg No. 1
Schonberg No. 1
There's more, we adjourn.
Bartok's 3,4,5
Gyorgy Kurtag - Officium Breve
Schoenberg's 2nd
Shostakovich - 4,7,13
Schnittke - #2
Mozart K590 (the last Prussian quartet)
Beethoven - op 130 and 132
Carter - 3rd
There you go, 12 plus one bonus!
:)
J. Haydn- Opps.20, 50, 76
LvB- opps. 59, 132
Mozart- k387
Debussy- you know
Schoenberg- nos. 2 and 3
Shostakovich- no.7, no.13
Schnittke- no.4
My current personal favorite 12 includes many of the usual suspects:
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131
Schubert - String Quartet No. 13, D. 804 "Rosamunde"
Schubert - String Quartet No. 14, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden"
Brahms - String Quartet No. 1, Op. 51
Schumann - String Quartet No. 3, Op. 41/3
Mozart - String Quartet K.465 "Dissonant"
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 10, Op. 74 "Harp"
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 4, Op. 18
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 12, Op. 127
Bartok - String Quartet No. 4
An honorable mention to Mendelssohn's Octet Op. 20, because I just love it so much, I enjoy it alot more than his string quartets.
And some string quartets that I have recently discovered, and really enjoyed are:
Borodin's String Quartet 1 and 2 (# 1 is really good, but you never hear about it, it's vastly underrated compared to # 2, IMHO.)
Faure's and Chausson's were stunning on first listen! Marvelous!
Golijov - Tenebrae
Haydn - Seven Last Words of Christ (SQ arrangement).
Quote from: Valentino on October 28, 2007, 02:26:15 PM
Many good mentioned here, but
Mozart K. 421 is king!
I shall not mention twelve, but eight, so I add:
Haydn's op. 20 set, and
Dutilleux' "Ansi de la nuit".
That's 8.
9 now.
I've made the aquaintance og Schubert's G-major D. 887.
Quote from: Valentino on December 07, 2007, 10:00:13 AM
9 now.
I've made the aquaintance og Schubert's G-major D. 887.
Keep 'em coming, Valentino :)
I'd also like to mention Schubert's String Quintet (or Cello Quintet, if you like), in C major D. 956
Now, I realize it's not a string quartet, but it is considered by some to be the greatest piece of chamber music ever created.
Well, at least that's what Milton Berger says in the Guide to Chamber Music.
It is wonderful! I have the Emerson String Quartet w/ Rostropovich on the 2nd cello. One of my favorite CD's!
I don't listen to String Quartets much (I like piano in chamber music => Piano Trios, Piano Quartets and Piano Quintets). Anyway, I really enjoy String Quartets by Beethoven, Dittersdorf, Elgar, Fauré, Mozart, Taneyev and Villa-Lobos.
Quote from: ChamberNut on December 07, 2007, 11:21:33 AM
I'd also like to mention Schubert's String Quintet (or Cello Quintet, if you like), in C major D. 956
Now, I realize it's not a string quartet, but it is considered by some to be the greatest piece of chamber music ever created.
Well, at least that's what Milton Berger says in the Guide to Chamber Music.
It is wonderful! I have the Emerson String Quartet w/ Rostropovich on the 2nd cello. One of my favorite CD's!
Interesting book title; perchance do you mean
Melvin Berger ??? ...
http://www.amazon.ca/Guide-Chamber-Music-Melvin-Berger/dp/0486418790/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197061068&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.ca/Guide-Chamber-Music-Melvin-Berger/dp/0486418790/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197061068&sr=1-3)
Quote from: Feanor on December 07, 2007, 11:59:51 AM
Interesting book title; perchance do you mean Melvin Berger ??? ...
http://www.amazon.ca/Guide-Chamber-Music-Melvin-Berger/dp/0486418790/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197061068&sr=1-3 (http://www.amazon.ca/Guide-Chamber-Music-Melvin-Berger/dp/0486418790/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197061068&sr=1-3)
:-[ Oops! Yes, I meant Melvin. Thanks for the correction, Feanor. :)
Quote from: 71 dB on December 07, 2007, 11:42:50 AM
I don't listen to String Quartets much (I like piano in chamber music => Piano Trios, Piano Quartets and Piano Quintets).
Oh yes, so do I! I enjoy piano and strings just as much as string quartets. There are so many wonderful compositions in the above 3 categories you mentioned! :)
Quote from: c#minor on October 29, 2007, 07:47:31 PM
Ravel's in F Major??? I am stunned it hasn't been mentioned.
Mozart's "The Hunt"
Not quite a quartet but it came on a "string quartets" cd.
Mendelssohn's Octet in E flat Major
Just call it a Double Quartet. 8)
Quote from: Feanor on December 07, 2007, 11:01:11 AM
Keep 'em coming, Valentino :)
I didn't really know about the G-major until recently. I hasn't got a name, like the Rosamunde, Death and the Maiden and Quartettsatz, so that's it was below my radar I guess. I picked up the Hagen Quartett recording at Arkiv Music since it's OOP at DG, and what can I say? 50 minutes of sheer emotional rollercoaster, even more so than the C-major quintet. D. 887 must be my big musical discovery this autumn.
Quote from: Valentino on December 07, 2007, 01:58:45 PM
I didn't really know about the G-major until recently. I hasn't got a name, like the Rosamunde, Death and the Maiden and Quartettsatz, so that's it was below my radar I guess. I picked up the Hagen Quartett recording at Arkiv Music since it's OOP at DG, and what can I say? 50 minutes of sheer emotional rollercoaster, even more so than the C-major quintet. D. 887 must be my big musical discovery this autumn.
Well, on that basis I'll have to get a copy of D. 887 -- don't have one a the moment. Apparently is was the last string quartet that Schubert wrote.
Here's 12 I like
Maxwell Davis No. 5
Sculthorne No. 10
Glass No. 5
Nancarrow No. 1
Firsova No. 4
Bridge No. 4
Schubert No. 14
Sibelius No. 2
Corigliano No. 1
Janacek No. 2
Beamish No. 2
Leifs No. 2
i won't give a list since i still need to hear more in this genre....
but my favorites are Bartok's (esp. 3, 4, 5), Shostakovich (13 maybe my fav), Crumb's Black Angels and Berg's Lyric Suite :)
maybe that was a list :P
Quote from: hippydippy on December 07, 2007, 02:28:50 PM
Here's 12 I like
Maxwell Davis No. 5
Sculthorne No. 10
Glass No. 5
Nancarrow No. 1
Firsova No. 4
Bridge No. 4
Schubert No. 14
Sibelius No. 2
Corigliano No. 1
Janacek No. 2
Beamish No. 2
Leifs No. 2
Thanks indeed. Now that's a "different" list. Only a couple here that I've heard, actually. My work is cut out.
I'm bumping this.
Quote from: Brahmsian on December 03, 2009, 10:06:01 AM
I'm bumping this.
In a hurry, people could wrongly read an H in the place of the B.
Obligatory:
You know, just sayin'...;)
Quote from: Opus106 on December 03, 2009, 10:09:00 AM
In a hurry, people could wrongly read an H in the place of the B.
Obligatory: You know, just sayin'...
;)
I do love string quartets!!!
........but
not that much. ???
:D
Snyprrr, on the other hand........
Beethoven op. 95. Can't get enough of it. Hagen Quartett is the obvious choice.
Shares disk with D. 887. A cracker.
Quote from: Brahmsian on December 03, 2009, 10:06:01 AM
I'm bumping this.
Thanks for the bump, Ray.
It's hard to get too much string quartet. Tonight's listening:
= Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No. 2 ~ Kronos Quartet
= Brian Ferneyhough: Fourth String Quartet ~ Arditti String Quartet; Brenda Mitchell (vocal)
= Wolfgang Rihm: String Quartet No. 5 ~ DoelenKwartet
Of these I think maybe I most enjoyed the Rihm this evening.
Quote from: Feanor on December 03, 2009, 04:44:19 PM
Thanks for the bump, Ray.
It's hard to get too much string quartet. Tonight's listening:
= Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No. 2 ~ Kronos Quartet
= Brian Ferneyhough: Fourth String Quartet ~ Arditti String Quartet; Brenda Mitchell (vocal)
= Wolfgang Rihm: String Quartet No. 5 ~ DoelenKwartet
Of these I think maybe I most enjoyed the Rihm this evening.
I thought it would be fun, since a lot has changed and expanded in two years since I had posted two years ago.
I haven't heard Schnittke's quartets. Only his incredibly eerie Piano Quintet.
No one has mentioned Brahms no. 3, one of my favorites. The thing about Brahms is that he wrote no more than three cahmber pieces in any one combination, so there's no one type of chamber music that dominated his output, the way the striong quartet dominated that of Haydn or Beethoven.
Carter has been mentioned (glad to see he appears on so many lists), so i'll just add the Ives No. 2. A terrrific work.
my favourites:
Goldschmidt 2nd (and the 3rd and 4th are v good too).
Ives 2
Crawford Seeger
Ades
Dutilleux
Jancek's two contributions
Faure
Szymanowski
And obviously all the famous greats too - Dvorak's last 2, Beethoven's late works, the last few by Schubert, Haydn's etc. etc.
Quote from: Guido on December 29, 2009, 09:40:25 AM
my favourites:
Goldschmidt 2nd (and the 3rd and 4th are v good too).
Ives 2
Crawford Seeger
Ades
Dutilleux
Jancek's two contributions
Faure
Szymanowski
Thanks. Interesting list. I haven't heard anything by Goldschmidt or Seeger. Nor have I heard
string quartets by Ades or Faure, though I've heard some other chamber works by the two.
I must give Ives another go: he's a composer I just haven't warmed up to.
I love QTts!!
here it is;
1. Beethoven op. 127 (great, just great...)
2. Schubert last in G (late Schubert.... love it)
3. Schumann 1st in A (cute)
4. Tchaikovsky 3 in e flat minor (love it)
5. Franck (aaahhhh....)
6. Grieg (coolest quartet ever)
7. Melartin 2nd in g (neat and moving)
8. Faure (nostalgic)
9. Sibelius "Voces intimae" (POOOOOWWWWERRR!!!!!!!)
10. Väinö Raitio (precious, interesting, elusive)
11. Schönberg 1st op.7 (one of greatest quartets)
12. Berg op.3 (coool)
As usual, this thread develops into a competition about who like the most eclectic stuff.
I'm a dead bore, my list would be mainly Beethoven, Bartok, Shostakovich and Schubert's final quartet.
That's doesn't mean there isn't lots of wortwhile, fine and deserving stuff out there.
Quote from: abidoful on February 26, 2010, 01:46:49 PM
7. Melartin 2nd
Now THAT I would like to hear. Is this available on disc?
I've Melartin's 4 SQ. First 3 by the Meta 4 Quartet.
MELARTIN 2nd SQ (in g-minor)
"Now THAT I would like to hear. Is this available on disc?"
Yeah, a nice disc. A complete recording of the four SQts by Erkki Melartin (1875-1937) played by two finnish young string quartet groups, MELARTIN; STRING QUARTETS; META4 QUARTET; MELARTIN QUARTET (2 discs FI PK3 000 01-10, FI-PK3 03000 11-18, VIRTUOSI/KUHMO OY)you can by it at lest from the finnish music-store called FUGA (wwww.fuga.fi).
Thanks!
Haydn F minor Op.20/5
Haydn D minor Op.76/2
Haydn G major Op.77/1
Beethoven #13 B flat Op.130
Beethoven #16 F major Op.135
Schubert #13 A minor
Ravel F major
Schönberg #2 Op.10
Syzmanowski #2
Shostakovich #7 F sharp minor
Bloch #1
Britten #3
Sarge
Quote from: erato on February 26, 2010, 11:49:58 PM
As usual, this thread develops into a competition about who like the most eclectic stuff.
I'm a dead bore, my list would be mainly Beethoven, Bartok, Shostakovich and Schubert's final quartet.
...
Yes, those guys still rule. But a big part of the reason for a post like this is to raise new stuff. I, for one, hadn't heard of Melartin or Väinö before now.
For exotic choices I nowadays include
George Crumb's Black Angels and, perhpaps,
Wolfgang Rihm's String Quartet No. 4. And I still insist on at least one from among Elliott Carter's five SQs.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on February 27, 2010, 06:52:57 AM
Haydn F minor Op.20/5
Haydn D minor Op.76/2
Haydn G major Op.77/1
Beethoven #13 B flat Op.130
Beethoven #16 F major Op.135
Schubert #13 A minor
Ravel F major
Schönberg #2 Op.10
Syzmanowski #2
Shostakovich #7 F sharp minor
Bloch #1
Britten #3
Sarge
A great, if somewhat conventional list, Sarge.
In particular, I love Shostakovich' No. 7. I don't have a copy of the Bloch, but I'll keep an eye out for it.
Quote from: abidoful on February 26, 2010, 01:46:49 PM
11. Väinö Raitio
Now that I would like to hear.
(http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/010/Music/95/f2/b1/mzi.fvbqoilp.170x170-75.jpg)
I do strongly recommend this CD of Skalkottas's 3rd and 4th quartets. It would no doubt be seen as unwise to make what many would view as an exaggerated claim for the 4th quartet (indeed, I wonder how many members of this board have actually heard it?), but I'm going ahead nonetheless. I'd previously heard a broadcast about 40 years ago and rediscovered it a couple of years back. The following is what I posted on a now defunct message board at that time.
The 4th Quartet is thought to have been composed over a period of about a month or so (April) in 1940: not bad going considering that 3 movements (+ a couple of variations from movement 2) are fast - or rather very fast, that's about 38 minutes music and 89 pages of published score. The 32 piano pieces (c.90 minutes) took Skalkottas a similar amount of composition time later the same year.
There seems to be very little written about this work beyond commentary on its length and hints regarding a "legendary" repution. Indeed, the sleeve-note isn't that useful beyond general formal aspects and the notion that the 1st movement is formally a "trial run" for The return of Ulysses. No doubt the world hasn't got to grips with the work as yet - I believe the first performance only happened in 1969 (by the Parrinen quartet) and there have probably been very few (if any?) outings since, apart presumably from the New Hellenic Quartet, who made this recording.
A simple description would suggest something pretty traditional: -
Movement 1 - Sonata form - Allegro molto vivace
Movement 2 - Theme and 6 variations with Coda
Movement 3 - Scherzo + Trio - Presto
Movement 4 - Rondo - Allegro giusto (e ben ritmato)
whereas the reality is something quite untraditional, uncompromising and out of the ordinary. There's a huge range of colour and playing techniques, and a level of difficulty both for the ensemble and the individual players that is quite breathtaking. Having followed it through with the score, I'm bemused at how the players actually managed to play some of it - the 3rd movement in particular - and that's absolutely electrifying.
Take the first movement: even at dotted crotchet = 90-100 (say - which is somewhat less than indicated) there's a goodly amount of semiquavers which have to be played 9 or 10 to the second. On top of which there's a fair amount of double-stopping in each movement, let alone an occasional fondness for 12-note chords throughout. Let's not even think about the intonation difficulties. I imagine the writing is as idiomatic as you would expect from a composer who was once a virtuoso violinist and experienced quartet player. But the 1st violin part in particular still looks horrifying in every movement and is seldom short of many leger lines for long. (The New Hellenic's 1st violinist is Georgios Demertzis who has recorded other Skalkottas pieces for BIS, most notably the violin concerto).
Even the Theme and Variations has its whirlwind moments and it never feels genuinely slow. At 15 minutes it's the longest movement and the scale of the variations (there are only 6 plus a Coda) are reminiscent of a similar strategy in the orchestral Largo Simfonico from the 2nd Symphonic Suite. The 4th Variation turned out to be a bit of a surprise, containing as it does clear references (motivic, rhythmic and textural) to the 3rd movement of Hindemith's 5th Kammermusik - the one featuring solo viola. A playful bit of memory at work here: the rest of the quartet as a whole contains virtually nothing reminiscent of even the fierce moments of, say, Bartok or Schoenberg's quartets. No doubt the sleeve-note is accurate in its confident assertion that the Scherzo is modelled on the symphonic scherzos of Bruckner and Dvorak, but that statement seems laughably irrelevant for the moment from where I'm sitting.
I'm no expert on 20th century string quartets, but this is surely one of the major achievements in the medium and one you're least likely to hear. Get a taste from from the clips below. I was impressed by the 3rd Quartet. This one's almost unbelievable.
EDIT - can't find the clips apart from these brief ones.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Nikos-Skalkottas-SKALKOTTAS-String-Quartets-Nos-3-and-4-MP3-Download/10888365.html
Quote from: Feanor on February 27, 2010, 07:10:08 AM
A great, if somewhat conventional list, Sarge.
I own and enjoy quite a few quartets that are off the beaten path (for example, the Pfitzner quartets that I discovered recently), but yeah, there aren't many that would knock out my "conventional" favorites. Magnard and Schmidt come close, though.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on February 27, 2010, 08:20:18 AM
I own and enjoy quite a few quartets that are off the beaten path (for example, the Pfitzner quartets that I discovered recently), but yeah, there aren't many that would knock out my "conventional" favorites. Magnard and Schmidt come close, though.
Sarge
Bloch no 1 and Britten no 3 would figure on my list as well, despite mye previous post. In fact they were among my premium choices when posting on "10 quartets you need to hear" on a Norwegian site.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on February 27, 2010, 06:52:57 AM
Beethoven #16 F major Op.135
Schönberg #2 Op.10
Nice choices... though for the moment, I'd put the Beethoven op.131 on there, too (i don't think i made a list).
Kind of surprised no-one has mentioned the Tchaikovsky no. 1.
Hard to choose just 12. My favorite Haydn quartet is the last one I listened to.
Quote from: GKC on May 21, 2010, 07:21:17 AM
Kind of surprised no-one has mentioned the Tchaikovsky no. 1.
ouch----how could I forget Pjotr Iljits?!? :o Not the first, but the third one (in e flat minor)- that has to be on my list >:( So long, the early Sibelius quartett :-* off you go-----------
1. Xenakis
Tetras2. Holliger (1973)
3. Dutilleux
Ainsi la Nuit4. Janacek 1&2
5. Haydn Op.20 No.5 in f minor
6. Eybler Op.1 No.2(?) in c minor
7. Villa-Lobos No.5
8. Hiller No.6
9. Ch. Jones No.6
10. Glass No.5
11. Sessions No.2/Carter No.1
12.
Halffter No.3
Marcos No.3
Anatomia fractal de los angelesBoucourechliev No.3
Busoni No.2
Pfitzner Nos. 2&3, Hindemith No.5 (6)- the first one in Eb
Lekeu
Molto adagioBritten No.3/Arnold No.2
Shostakovich 6,7,11,&15
Bartok No.3
Schullhoff 1&2/Haas-Krasa (Decca)
Martin (1965)
...and on and on it goes...
Quote from: snyprrr on May 23, 2010, 08:10:46 AM
1. Xenakis Tetras
2. Holliger (1973)
3. Dutilleux Ainsi la Nuit
4. Janacek 1&2
5. Haydn Op.20 No.5 in f minor
6. Eybler Op.1 No.2(?) in c minor
7. Villa-Lobos No.5
8. Hiller No.6
9. Ch. Jones No.6
10. Glass No.5
11. Sessions No.2/Carter No.1
12.
Halffter No.3
Marcos No.3 Anatomia fractal de los angeles
Boucourechliev No.3
Busoni No.2
Pfitzner Nos. 2&3, Hindemith No.5 (6)- the first one in Eb
Lekeu Molto adagio
Britten No.3/Arnold No.2
Shostakovich 6,7,11,&15
Bartok No.3
Schullhoff 1&2/Haas-Krasa (Decca)
Martin (1965)
...and on and on it goes...
Fascinating list! Thanks.
I've got plenty of listening to do to catch up, but that's good thing.
And,... I decided on Razumovsky No.3!
No love for the Prokofiev quartets? Maybe they're not "great", whatever that means.
Also, only one mention of the Smetana quartets, very great works indeed IMO.
I'm just getting to know the Vainberg cycle. It seems these can't come in far behind the Shostakovich quartets, if behind at all. The composers had a sort of friendly quartet competition going.
Quote from: Daverz on May 23, 2010, 08:18:25 PM
No love for the Prokofiev quartets? Maybe they're not "great", whatever that means.
Entertaining and earfriendly quartets, though hardly personal and devastating enough to qualify as great.
Quote from: Daverz on May 23, 2010, 08:18:25 PM
Also, only one mention of the Smetana quartets, very great works indeed IMO.
They are great indeed, though personally I'm not much into the national romantic period. They are devastatating and personal, to reflect my previous comment.
Quote from: Daverz on May 23, 2010, 08:18:25 PM
I'm just getting to know the Vainberg cycle. It seems these can't come in far behind the Shostakovich quartets, if behind at all. The composers had a sort of friendly quartet competition going.
Very fine and interesting works, but personally I don't find them quite on the level of Shostakovich, not as original and personally involving I think.
Quote from: erato on May 24, 2010, 12:30:24 AM
though hardly personal and devastating enough to qualify as great.
What does that have to do with greatness? Nothing.
Quote from: DavidW on May 24, 2010, 04:25:19 AM
What does that have to do with greatness? Nothing.
I can see that and I probably should have put more time into finding the right words to express what I meant. Though a discussion about what constitutes greatness is a recurring theme on this board...
Let me rephrase. They don't convey enough of a personal message, expressive need on behalf of their composer, and original writing to convince me of their greatness.
I agree that the Prokofiev are unfairly criticized. And, I would argue that just by using those Kardashian (?) mountain melodies in the one quartet, Prokofiev has succeeded in profundity. Not that he himself, perhaps, felt the burning turmoil within himself to produce such ravishing melodic figures (that also appear in Myaskovsky's No.7,... this was the year that the composers famously vacationed there), but, he simply transcribed the pain of those peoples. So, my point is, is that the HUMAN profundity comes through, as I think it does in every stereotypically 'beautiful' passage of any music anywhere, because, I believe, the deepest feelings need the simplest melodies. Is this fair?
When does surface beauty actually equal depth of meaning? We know that just because a woman is beautiful does not mean that she is good. But, sometimes, cannot the two actually happen together,...or, is that the eternal 'striving for'?
Gosh, I absolutely adore the two Prokofiev string quartets, and think they are absolutely marvelous! I just wish he had written more of them!! :)
Quote from: snyprrr on May 24, 2010, 08:00:30 AM
I agree that the Prokofiev are unfairly criticized.
Saying they're not great is not harsh criticism. How much music is
great ?
Quote from: erato on May 24, 2010, 09:29:32 AM
Saying they're not great is not harsh criticism. How much music is great ?
This is coming from the person that mentioned Bloch, Hindemith, and Enescu. >:D
Quote from: DavidW on May 24, 2010, 09:53:20 AM
This is coming from the person that mentioned Bloch, Hindemith, and Enescu. >:D
Not Enescu I think. But the other two has written at least one great quartet each.
Quote from: Brahmsian on May 24, 2010, 09:19:59 AM
Gosh, I absolutely adore the two Prokofiev string quartets, and think they are absolutely marvelous! I just wish he had written more of them!! :)
Ditto.
Quote from: erato on May 24, 2010, 09:54:35 AM
Not Enescu I think.
But you did--
Quote from: erato on October 28, 2007, 01:55:43 PM
Bloch nr 1 and Hindemith 4 & 5 should be mentioned. As well as Enescus 2.
Yeah I know that was two years old, but still it's still amusing to point it out. ;D
Look if you were mentioning Bartok, Beethoven, Haydn, Shostakovich that caliber of obviously extraordinary SQs I think there would be no problem. When you denigrate Prokofiev to elevate some works that are well frankly esoteric in comparison, it makes me wonder where is this coming from?
If you have such low standards, I think that you could acknowledge the quality of Prokofiev's SQs even if you don't personally like them. :)
Quote from: DavidW on May 24, 2010, 10:01:12 AM
If you have such low standards, I think that you could acknowledge the quality of Prokofiev's SQs even if you don't personally like them. :)
Quote from: erato on May 24, 2010, 12:30:24 AM
Entertaining and earfriendly quartets,
To quote you:
Quote from: DavidW on May 24, 2010, 10:01:12 AM
it makes me wonder where is this coming from?
In my book Entertaining and earfriendly are praise. In whose book aint' it so?
Quote from: erato on May 24, 2010, 10:14:49 AM
In my book Entertaining and earfriendly are praise. In whose book aint' it so?
I believe there is an expression for such faint praise. ;D
Perhaps. While beeing a great admirer of Prokofiev, I don't think the quartets achievs the same level of originality as his best ballets (which are stunning), his best couple symphonies, the piano sonata no 8 or his best operas (I'm particularly fond of the Fiery Angel). His best chamber work is IMO the brilliant flute sonata.
They're "great," but not geniuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssss.... ;)
Quote from: Greg on May 24, 2010, 04:31:00 PM
They're "great," but not geniuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssss.... ;)
That's JdP's cue. ;D
Quote from: Greg on May 24, 2010, 04:31:00 PM
They're "great," but not geniuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssss.... ;)
Yes!
Comparatively (Russian SQs), Mossolov No.1 would be the 'genius' quartet of the bunch, though...
I might be the kind of person who place Shostakovich No.7 in the 'genius' category, only because I think it's a stroke of genius anytime someone comes up with a catchy melody that gets stuck in my head! Hence, those luscious melodies in Prokofiev No.2 could actually be,...
...genius...
Tawk amongst yourselves.
Twelve of my favorite string quartets, as of today:
Haydn .......... Op. 20, No. 4
Haydn .......... Op. 76, No. 2 "Fifths"
Haydn .......... Op. 76, No. 5 "Largo"
Mozart ......... K. 421
Mozart ......... K. 465 "Dissonant"
Beethoven ... Op. 59, No. 3
Beethoven ... Op. 130 (with "Grosse Fuge")
Beethoven ... Op. 132
Schubert ...... D.810 "Death and the Maiden"
Dvorak ......... Op. 96 "American"
Ravel ............ F major
Debussy ....... G minor
I've been an active "classical" listener for only ~ 2.5 years, so almost everything is exotic material, to me. Love these lists!
Quote from: Dan on May 26, 2010, 02:26:31 AM
Twelve of my favorite string quartets, as of today:
Haydn .......... Op. 20, No. 4
Haydn .......... Op. 76, No. 2 "Fifths"
Haydn .......... Op. 76, No. 5 "Largo"
Mozart ......... K. 421
Mozart ......... K. 465 "Dissonant"
Beethoven ... Op. 59, No. 3
Beethoven ... Op. 130 (with "Grosse Fuge")
Beethoven ... Op. 132
Schubert ...... D.810 "Death and the Maiden"
Dvorak ......... Op. 96 "American"
Ravel ............ F major
Debussy ....... G minor
I've been an active "classical" listener for only ~ 2.5 years, so almost everything is exotic material, to me. Love these lists!
Dan, obviously you're a great Classical Era lover -- not that there's anything
wrong with that. Personally I never have been able to get a real handle on the
Grosse Fugue dispite many attempts.
Maybe it's time for me to update my original list a bit ...
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
OK, so our preferences evolve, right? In place of the deletions (which I still love), I'll substitute in my top dozen ...
- Debussy: Op.10 (1893)
- Revel: F major (1903)
- Shostakovich: No. 7 (1960)
Quote from: Feanor on May 26, 2010, 04:50:59 AM
Dan, obviously you're a great Classical Era lover -- not that there's anything wrong with that. Personally I never have been able to get a real handle on the Grosse Fugue dispite many attempts.
Maybe it's time for me to update my original list a bit ...
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
OK, so our preferences evolve, right? In place of the deletions (which I still love), I'll substitute in my top dozen ...
- Debussy: Op.10 (1893)
- Revel: F major (1903)
- Shostakovich: No. 7 (1960)
Weren't you the one I was talking to about Alwyn No.2, last year? I remember not getting it. Maybe it's time for an Arnold, Alwyn, Rawsthorne re-listen. I still like Arnold No.2. Rawsthorne is pretty thorny, though, not over so.
Quote from: snyprrr on May 26, 2010, 05:39:44 AM
Weren't you the one I was talking to about Alwyn No.2, last year? I remember not getting it. Maybe it's time for an Arnold, Alwyn, Rawsthorne re-listen. I still like Arnold No.2. Rawsthorne is pretty thorny, though, not over so.
Yes, I was takling about Alywn a while back and, indeed, his 2nd is still a favourite with me though no longer necessarily in the top dozen. I very much like Arnold's 2nd too. I have yet to hear any Rawsthorne, unfortunately.
Quote from: Feanor on May 26, 2010, 04:50:59 AM
Dan, obviously you're a great Classical Era lover -- not that there's anything wrong with that. Personally I never have been able to get a real handle on the Grosse Fugue dispite many attempts.
It didn't "click" immediately for me, either, but now I dig it.
Have you seen the movie,
Copying Beethoven? They used that music to great effect, I thought. Whenever I hear the
Grosse Fugue, these days, I think of the very lovely, but worried, Miss Anna Holtz, travelling through the Austrian countryside on a stagecoach, on her way to see her dear friend, Beethoven, for the last time. There's a bit more to it, but I don't want to ruin it for you, in case you haven't seen the movie.
QuoteOK, so our preferences evolve, right? In place of the deletions (which I still love), I'll substitute in my top dozen ...
- Debussy: Op.10 (1893)
- Revel: F major (1903)
- Shostakovich: No. 7 (1960)
I first heard the string quartets of Debussy and Ravel just about a month ago. Otherwise, there would have been two more "classical era" quartets on my list, above, ... not that there's anything wrong with that. (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/wink.gif)
Quote from: Dan on May 26, 2010, 01:53:29 PM
...
Have you seen the movie, Copying Beethoven? They used that music to great effect, I thought. Whenever I hear the Grosse Fugue, these days, I think of the very lovely, but worried, Miss Anna Holtz, travelling through the Austrian countryside on a stagecoach, on her way to see her dear friend, Beethoven, for the last time. There's a bit more to it, but I don't want to ruin it for you, in case you haven't seen the movie.
Thanks for the tip: I haven't seen the movie.
Quote from: Dan on May 26, 2010, 01:53:29 PMI first heard the string quartets of Debussy and Ravel just about a month ago. Otherwise, there would have been two more "classical era" quartets on my list, above, ... not that there's anything wrong with that. (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/wink.gif)
I'm not a particular fan of either Debussy or Revel, but their string quartets are great. Perhaps because they each only wrote the one quartet, they put special effort into it to show what they could do. In any case both were very successful.
Interesting thead that I have not yet read all of.
But I thought I would mention that this beautiful set:
BELA BARTOK (1881-1945)
The String Quartets No. 1-6 - Vegh Quartet
TELEFUNKEN 6.35023 Teldec 1972 "Grand Prix du disque"
pictured here:
http://tinyurl.com/yj2xl5n
http://tinyurl.com/y8s8dcy
is still not out on CD to the best I know. How odd that a top rated recording would fall between the cracks like this. An older Vegh recording in Mono has appeared, but the stereo recordings are MIA on CD. I may have to do my own CDs from vinyl, unless anyone can confirm a CD set somewhere.
Quote from: just Jeff on June 21, 2010, 01:34:23 AM
BELA BARTOK (1881-1945)
The String Quartets No. 1-6 - Vegh Quartet
TELEFUNKEN 6.35023 Teldec 1972 "Grand Prix du disque"
is still not out on CD to the best I know. How odd that a top rated recording would fall between the cracks like this. An older Vegh recording in Mono has appeared, but the stereo recordings are MIA on CD. I may have to do my own CDs from vinyl, unless anyone can confirm a CD set somewhere.
Here it is on CD, reissued by Naïve:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GbVIzWvtL._SS500_.jpg)
And yes, quite a nice set!
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on June 28, 2010, 05:41:53 PM
Here it is on CD, reissued by Naïve:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GbVIzWvtL._SS500_.jpg)
And yes, quite a nice set!
Thanks Dancing Div, this info is important to me to know. I guess everything comes out again on CD eventually, even if it comes out way late in the game. With the sad decline of the CD market, it is making labels dig in harder to find things that have not yet been milked dry in the format already.
Quote from: Valentino on December 03, 2009, 12:40:55 PM
Beethoven op. 95. Can't get enough of it. Hagen Quartett is the obvious choice.
Shares disk with D. 887. A cracker.
Fantastic. op. Beethoven's 95 is one of my fav too.
My 12 favorites SQ:
LvB 13Th.
Borodin 1 and 2
Tchaikovsky first
Franck
Ravel
Magnard
Shosta.8Th.
Brahms third
Taneyev 1 and 2
Glazunov third
Well after all this time, it's about time that I revise my list just a little bit, see below. (The list is in order of composition date, not my preference.)
I'm sure pretty much everyone will agree that one's preferences shift over time because of expanded experience and change of interest. However I think the modest number of changes I've made indicates the robustness of my orignal choices -- at least that's the way I like to think of it.
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
- Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)
- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56, M64 (1927)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
Shostakovich: No.8, Op.110 (1960)- Shostakovich: String Quartet No.7, Op. 108 (1960)
Alwyn: No.2 "Spring Waters" (1975)
op 59 to 135, plus "Death and the Maiden" and Debussy's quartet.
Quote from: Feanor on January 08, 2011, 05:53:20 AM
Well after all this time, it's about time that I revise my list just a little bit, see below. (The list is in order of composition date, not my preference.)
...
- Mozart: No.19, K.465 "Dissonance" (1785)
- Haydn: No.62, Op.76/3 "Emperor" (1796)
- Beethoven: No.7, Op.59/1 "Rasumovsky" (1806)
- Schubert: No.14, D.810 "Death and the Maiden" (1824)
- Beethoven: No.14, Op.131 (1826)
- Borodin: No.2 (1881)
- Dvorak: No.6, Op.12 "American" (1893)
- Janácek: No.1 "Kruetzer Sonata" (1923)
- Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56, M64 (1927)
- Bartók: No.4 (1928)
- Carter: No.2 (1959)
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No.7, Op. 108 (1960)
Well now, if my original request had been for
15 quartets, my list would include in addition...
- Debussy: String Quartet, Op.10 (1883)
- Ravel: String Quartet in F major (1903)
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No.8, Op. 110 (1960)
As it is, the Debussy and Ravel are
really close
vs. the Haydn and Mozart.
I don't know the Mozart, Brahms, Shostakovich or Bartok Quartets--so please note that while going through my list :)
- Beethoven: The Harp, Eflat (op.127), c sharp minor, a-minor (op132)
- Schubert: G-Major (the big one), The Death and the Maiden
- Mendelssohn: a-minor
- Tsaikovski: The Third (in e-flat minor)
- Franck
- Grieg
- Sibelius
- Schönberg: the First (in d-minor, op.7)
Quote from: abidoful on January 09, 2011, 07:53:24 AM
I don't know the Mozart, Brahms, Shostakovich or Bartok Quartets--so please note that while going through my list :)
- Beethoven: The Harp, Eflat (op.127), c sharp minor, a-minor (op132)
- Schubert: G-Major (the big one), The Death and the Maiden
- Mendelssohn: a-minor
- Tsaikovski: The Third (in e-flat minor)
- Franck
- Grieg
- Sibelius
- Schönberg: the First (in d-minor, op.7)
IMHO, some familiarity with Bartok's and Shostakovich's quartets are indispensible, even if none make it to your final list.
It would be impossible to dispute
any of Beethoven's late quartets being on a person's list. Personally, I chose Op.131 as representative; (reputedly Beethoven's own favorite too).
I'll have to check out the Tchaikovsky's 3rd; I don't have a copy and don't recall ever having heard it.
Quote from: Feanor on January 09, 2011, 08:16:30 AM
IMHO, some familiarity with Bartok's and Shostakovich's quartets are indispensible, even if none make it to your final list.
It would be impossible to dispute any of Beethoven's late quartets being on a person's list. Personally, I chose Op.131 as representative; (reputedly Beethoven's own favorite too).
I'll have to check out the Tchaikovsky's 3rd; I don't have a copy and don't recall ever having heard it.
I have heard some quartets of Bartok (the first) and Shostakovich (can't remember which) but yeah, i know- it's a great gap not to know them.
I really like the Tsaikovski Quartets, and The third is a big Quartet, first movement lasting about 17 minutes and there is IMO a profound slow movement, a funeral march in e-flat minor with a wonderful, absolutely GORGEOUS trio. A soaring melody in G flat. Try the version by the Borodin Quartet. It is a complete recording consisting all the Quartets + the Sextet.
My favourite string quartet:
Grosse Fuge op. 133
Beethoven op. 131
Beethoven op. 132
Beethoven op. 130
Beethoven op. 127
Beethoven op. 95
Mozart k 387
Mozart k 421
Mozart k 428
Mozart k 464
Beethoven op. 18 n. 2
Schubert D 889
What is certain is that op. 95 by Ludwig van is a Masterpiece.
Quote from: laredo on January 10, 2011, 04:44:45 AM
My favourite string quartet:
Grosse Fuge op. 133
Beethoven op. 131
Beethoven op. 132
Beethoven op. 130
Beethoven op. 127
Beethoven op. 95
Mozart k 387
Mozart k 421
Mozart k 428
Mozart k 464
Beethoven op. 18 n. 2
Schubert D 889 ops...the Rosamunde quartet is slightly better
....
What is certain is that op. 95 by Ludwig van is a Masterpiece.
Quote from: laredo on January 10, 2011, 04:44:45 AM
My favourite string quartet:
Grosse Fuge op. 133
Beethoven op. 131
Beethoven op. 132
Beethoven op. 130
Beethoven op. 127
Beethoven op. 95
Mozart k 387
Mozart k 421
Mozart k 428
Mozart k 464
Beethoven op. 18 n. 2
Schubert D 889
What is certain is that op. 95 by Ludwig van is a Masterpiece.
What is there to say? When I proposed that folks nominate 12
great quartets, I meant "great" in the sense of highly listenable, enjoyable,
and providing good variety with in the subgenre. Personally I'm not a musician or musically trained so it would be very presumptuous of me nominate for
greatness in terms of the art of composition.
So you can be sure I won't debate the greatness of any of Beethoven mid or late quartets -- well with the exception of
Grosse Fuge which has always mistified me, (and which I would put well below, say, Elliott Carter's No. 3, and many, many others in terms of my own interest or enjoyment).
So I would not weight Beethoven so heavily that even his great works would occupy
six or more of a top dozen "great" in the sense I meant it. And as for
four Mozart, so much the less so.
Quote from: Feanor on January 10, 2011, 07:33:31 AM
What is there to say? When I proposed that folks nominate 12 great quartets, I meant "great" in the sense of highly listenable, enjoyable, and providing good variety with in the subgenre.
But you said none of this in your opening post; all you said was "favorite".
Quote from: Bulldog on January 10, 2011, 08:10:34 AM
But you said none of this in your opening post; all you said was "favorite".
Right you are! :) So if you choose to submit a list, please feel free to use whatever criterion or criteria you choose.
Actually, I didn't then or do I now wish to restrict other people; I was only clarifying my personal selection bases.
I made this list trying to choose Great String Quartets (that's why I didn't choose Beethoven op.95), presuming it meant a lengthy, big work with lot's of substance.
However, if this would be thread called 12 favourite String Quartets, my list would consist the following works;
- Beethoven: f-minor "Serioso" op.95, E-flat op127, a-minor op132
- Mendelssohn: nr.6 in f-minor
- Schumann: A-Major
- Tchaikowsky: nr.3 in e-flat minor
- Franck
- Faure
- Sibelius
- Melartin: nr.2 in g-minor
- Raitio
- Berg: op.3
Difficult, difficult. I am going to say only 1 or 2 works/composer so I can name as many composers as possible. These are not in any particular order:
Beethoven: C sharp minor no.14 op.131
Beethoven: Grosse Fuge B-flat major op.133 (even though originally just finale of op.130, I still count this magnificent work as string quartet)
Mendelssohn: F minor no.6 op.80
Schubert: G major no.15 D887
Brahms: C minor no.1 op.51/1
Brahms: B flat major no.3 op.67
Sibelius: D minor no.4 op.56, also known by the nickname "Voces Intimae"
Dvorak: A flat major no.14 op. 105
Cesar Franck: D major
Verdi: E minor
Mozart: C major no.19 K465 "Dissonance"
Debussy: G minor op.10
Quote from: Alberich on January 27, 2011, 03:10:25 AM
Sibelius: D minor no.4 op.56, also known by the nickname "Voces Intimae"
Voces Intimae is actually the subtitle of op.56 rather than a nickname. And while he wrote 4 quartets in total, plus many other quartet movements, officially has only two. In addition to that one already mentioned, the one in B-flat op.4. And Sibelius didn't number them. So he didn't talk of the op.56 as his "second (or "fourth") quartet, or the op.4 as his "first".
Quote from: Alberich on January 27, 2011, 03:10:25 AM
Difficult, difficult. I am going to say only 1 or 2 works/composer so I can name as many composers as possible. These are not in any particular order:
Beethoven: C sharp minor no.14 op.131
Beethoven: Grosse Fuge B-flat major op.133 (even though originally just finale of op.130, I still count this magnificent work as string quartet)
Mendelssohn: F minor no.6 op.80
Schubert: G major no.15 D887
Brahms: C minor no.1 op.51/1
Brahms: B flat major no.3 op.67
Sibelius: D minor no.4 op.56, also known by the nickname "Voces Intimae"
Dvorak: A flat major no.14 op. 105
Cesar Franck: D major
Verdi: E minor
Mozart: C major no.19 K465 "Dissonance"
Debussy: G minor op.10
Fine quartets all, but weighted to the Romantic; (not there's anything
wrong with the Romanitic).
I also chose to keep it at most two per composer. For Beethoven I selected Op.131 and Op.59 "First Rasumovsky" -- the appeal of
Grosse Fuge, Op.133, has always alluded me despite many listenings.
Quote from: abidoful on January 10, 2011, 12:59:28 PM
I made this list trying to choose Great String Quartets (that's why I didn't choose Beethoven op.95), presuming it meant a lengthy, big work with lot's of substance.
...
I ought to have been clear in my OP. But I think it's great that people should make their choices based on whatever criterion they like, but it is nice too if they stated the criterion.
Are "lengthy, big work with lot's of substance" necessary to greatness? Is Beethoven's Op.95 too short and/or too lacking in substance, (just wondering)?
Quote from: Feanor on January 27, 2011, 07:55:54 AM
I ought to have been clear in my OP. But I think it's great that people should make their choices based on whatever criterion they like, but it would be nice too if they stated that criterion.
Are "lengthy, big work with lot's of substance" necessary to greatness? Is Beethoven's Op.95 too short and/or too lacking in substance, (just wondering)?
No.
Quote from: Feanor on January 27, 2011, 07:55:54 AM
I ought to have been clear in my OP. But I think it's great that people should make their choices based on whatever criterion they like, but it would be nice too if they stated that criterion.
Are "lengthy, big work with lot's of substance" necessary to greatness? Is Beethoven's Op.95 too short and/or too lacking in substance, (just wondering)?
I'd say yes--as I did :D
Yah, I know those things about Voces intimae, I am Finn also :P Yes, nickname was wrong term, since Sibelius even had written "Voces intimae!" above those three quiet notes in his 3rd movement. And yes, technically Voces Intimae is his first and only mature string quartet, and second with opus number, but I appreciate earlier A minor and E flat major quartets so much that it would seem somewhat rude IMO to not include them, after all, he composed them in his youth yet they show tremendous amount of skill.
And yeah, my pickups were mostly from the 19th century: I am kind of Romantic era fag. I was about to mention some of Haydn's quartets but I guess didn't have enough room. Have to go out finding some new string quartets.
// Täytyykin tutustua mahdollisimman pian tuohon kvartettoon! Ja on kyllä kieltämättä mahdollista että Sibelius halveksui suurta osaa nuoruudenteoksistaan, ja vaikka levytyksiä tehtiin jo Sibeliuksen elinaikana, olisi ollut hupaisaa nähdä mestarin reaktio siihen kuinka helppoa tavallisen pulliaisen on nykyaikana kuunnella Sibeliusta vaikka mp3:lta. Joo, onhan tuo kieltämättä vähän harhaanjohtavaa mutta meikällä on päähänpinttymä laskea nuoruuden yiritelmät myös. ;D
This might be of interest here... the German shop zweitausendeins had DG put together for them exclusively a 5CD set of the most important string quartets and they sell it for dirt cheap EUR 19. It's not available anywhere else. There's 13 quartets on it, so perfect for this thread. You get a baker's dozen. :D
(http://www.zweitausendeins.de/www_articles_images/large/600066.jpg)
http://www.zweitausendeins.de/suche/?ArticleFocus=22&ord=-1&alpha=1&cat=all&q=streichquartette
I always make a trip to one of their stores when I'm in Germany, but have never ordered anything to be shipped to the US or anything, so I don't know how their service is on that front. At any rate, given the DG catalog, this is as fine a starter set as any:
Haydn Op. 64 Nr. 5 "Lark" - Hagen Quartet
Mozart KV 465 "dissonances" - Emerson Quartet
Beethoven Op. 74 - Melos Quartet
Mozart "Hunt" - Amadeus Quartet
Mendelssohn Eb Major - Emerson Quartet
Haydn "Emperor" - Melos Quartet
Beethoven Op.135 - Lasalle Quartet
Dvorak "American" - Prague String Quartet
Smetana "From my Life" - Amadeus Quartet
Schubert "Death and the Maiden" - Amadeus Quartet
Schumann Op. 41, No. 3 - Melos Quartett
Schubert "Rosamunde" op.28 - Hagen Quartet
Brahms op.51-2 - Tokyo String Quartet
Quote from: Alberich on January 27, 2011, 01:03:59 PM
Yah, I know those things about Voces intimae, I am Finn also :P Yes, nickname was wrong term, since Sibelius even had written "Voces intimae!" above those three quiet notes in his 3rd movement. And yes, technically Voces Intimae is his first and only mature string quartet, and second with opus number, but I appreciate earlier A minor and E flat major quartets so much that it would seem somewhat rude IMO to not include them, after all, he composed them in his youth yet they show tremendous amount of skill.
And yeah, my pickups were mostly from the 19th century: I am kind of Romantic era fag. I was about to mention some of Haydn's quartets but I guess didn't have enough room. Have to go out finding some new string quartets.
Hyvää iltaa maanmies! I guess the numbering thing is sort of a minor issue, but it's just not right ;D Think of it; its reasonably safe to say that Sibelius quite probably would have been horrified, if he'd seen a recording of his "String Quartet nr1 in E-flat" or "String Quartets 1-4" . IMO it's just more "elegant"-while acknowledging he did write four quartet's- leaving the numbering out. Otherwise it is sort of misleading- in a way. To Sibelius, and to the public.
Tunnetko muuten Väinö Raition Jousikvarteton? Aika komea teos, vähän franckilainen ja myös Grieg aika selvästi ollut "sylikummina". Aika upea hidas osa!
hauskaa että suomalaisiakin täällä!!!!