String Quartets

[sonic1]

I wanted to get some discussion going on string Quartets-maybe a list of favorites. Here are some of my favorites off the top of my head, probably forgetting some cherished ones somewhere.

Shostakovich: all of them
Berg: Lyric Suite
Ligeti: String Quartet no. 1 “Metamorphoses Nocturnes”
Bartok: all of them
Crumb: Black Angels
Schoenberg: All of them
Hiller: Sting Q. No. 5 (In Quarter Tones)
Nono: Fragmente-Stille, An Diotima
Scelsi: Quartetto D’Archi no. 4



And pretty much anything from the Lasalle Quartet and the Arditti String Quartet.

It would be great to get some discussion going specifically on String Quartets.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Beethoven's late quartets

for me, only the Bartok quartets can equal them

[sonic1]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Beethoven's late quartets

for me, only the Bartok quartets can equal them

I love the drier readings of the late Beethoven SQs. Like the Berg renditions.

[Gentle Giant]

I saw this performed at Brandeis University a few years ago. The resident Lydian String Quartet is a very fine local ensemble, and the composer sat directly behind me.

[Pete C]

Haydn--most of them Op. 54 and above.

[Vince Kargatis]

Xenakis - "Tetras" and "Tetora", particularly the latter - it's just so perversely stately and discordant.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by sonic1

They look like the MJQ

[Sergio Zamora]

I was listening to Debussy and Ravel string quartets last night. I dug the Ravel piece more.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Interesting that two of the contemporary works listed above, the Crumb and the Reich, are done by the Kronos Quartet, whose commitment to featuring modern compositions should be mentioned on this thread.

[sonic1]

I am amazed not only of their execution of modern string quartets, but of their best selling status as interpreters of some of the most difficult music out there. They get high ticket sales every time they come to Tucson.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Borodin -- Quartet #2, full of overdone Russian bathos, but the gorgeous melodies are inescapably captivating, the tunes of the musical Kismet.

[Vince Kargatis]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Interesting that two of the contemporary works listed above, the Crumb and the Reich, are done by the Kronos Quartet, whose commitment to featuring modern compositions should be mentioned on this thread.

Arditti's commitment to same exceeds Kronos's in recording volume, afaik.

[sonic1]

If I were to choose between Arditti and Kronos, it would be Arditti hands down. Some of my all time favorite recordings of music period involve the Arditti SQ. Nono's Framente is on the top of my list of most loved music out there.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by Vince Kargatis

Arditti's commitment to same exceeds Kronos's in recording volume, afaik.

Just because it's louder doesn't mean it's better.


Just kidding... Arditti is less well known, but may have a larger modern repertoire.

[Sergio Zamora]

I'm no expert in musical "stuff", but while Kronos' efforts are certainly comendable, Arditti does seem to take on what seem to be more difficult pieces, such as works by Nono and Cage.

My favorite string quartets, though, are probably the Bartok SQs by the Julliard SQ.

Is there a definitive Beethoven sq box set or maybe one for each period?

[sonic1]

Originally Posted by Sergio Zamora

I'm no expert in musical "stuff", but while Kronos' efforts are certainly comendable, Arditti does seem to take on what seem to be more difficult pieces, such as works by Nono and Cage.

My favorite string quartets, though, are probably the Bartok SQs by the Julliard SQ.

Is there a definitive Beethoven sq box set or maybe one for each period?

I suggest the Berg late string Quartets I mentioned above.

[Root Doctor]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Haydn--most of them Op. 54 and above.

I'm with you. I favor the performances of the Quatuor Mosaïques.

[letchhausen]

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

I'm with you. I favor the performances of the Quatuor Mosaïques.

I'm in agreement here with the Haydn and the group, I have the entire series. I also like the ones by the Kodaly Quartet on Naxos, really outstanding playing as well.

I think the late Beethoven quartets are outstanding and like the Budapest Quartet on those. The Guarnari are excellent. I have mixed feelings towards that Emerson set. As a friend put it "This is jet-set playing....."

I also like the Hollywood Quartet on everything they do.

The Borodin's Shostakovich Quartet set on Melodiya is amazing.

For modern stuff I get almost everything the Arditti does. I find the Kronos Quartet much more hit or miss as far as material goes.

I saw the Juillard Quartet perform the Bartok material and it pretty much blew me away. Better than the recordings not that the recordings are bad, just the live experience trumps all......

[walto]

My faves are the late Mozarts, the middle and late Beethovens, the Bruckner (quintet), both Brahms, a couple of the Regers, the Nielsens, the Faure, Bartok 4 & 5, several of the Shostakovichs, both Prokofievs, the Crawford Seeger, all but the last Schoenberg, Vermeulen, all the Carters, the Feldman 3 pieces, the Penderecki, both Lerdahls, both Ligetis, the Cage, hmmmmm, what am I forgetting?

[Gentle Giant]

I have the complete Bartoks in a set by the Emerson SQ. How do they stack up against other ensembles? (Not that I'm looking to replace it, just curious since the music astounds me and wondering if it gets even better than this.)

[walto]

I like the Hungarian Qt.--for both Bartok and Beethoven.

[Vince Kargatis]

Walt, you own or have heard the Xenakis chamber music double on Montaigne? Just curious whether you leave out the quartets deliberately or not.

[Frisco]

Originally Posted by sonic1

If I were to choose between Arditti and Kronos, it would be Arditti hands down. Some of my all time favorite recordings of music period involve the Arditti SQ. Nono's Framente is on the top of my list of most loved music out there.

I'm with you. Arditti String Quartet was in a large way responsible for me diving head first into more and more contemporary classical music. I just recently heard (and picked up) the Montaigne BBC Radio 3 cd of Berio's String Quartets by Arditti. I've also picked up two copies of an RCA LP of the Arditti Quartet doing Ferneyhough, Harvey, and Carter Quartets. If anybody wants one, let me know, maybe we can trade.

I know you're talking about classical music here, but does anyone like the "Quator Accorde" on Emanem? Phil Durrant, Charlotte Hug, Mark Wastell, and Tony Wren. I played that one to death. I always loved Wastell's cello work. Wish that we'd hear more of it today.

[Jonathan Sutton]

The Vegh Bartok Quartets are outstanding; the violins are more like fiddles than you often find in classical string quartets, if you know what I mean, and it suits Bartok very well, I think.

I love Quatuor Accorde, and Hug in particular. (Neuland!)

[Pete C]

Most Haydn quartets I own are in the Naxos series by Kodaly Quartet. I also have a couple by Takacs. I have op. 33 & 42 by Quatour Festetics on period instruments & tuning, but it just doesn't please my modern ears enough.

[john williams]

The String Quartet is one of my very favorite musical forms.

Shostakovich String Quartets. My favorite cycle of SQs, particularly the later ones. I have the brilliant Fitzwilliams on Decca which are as good as any I've heard and even give the Borodins a run for their money.
Ligeti String Quartets 1 & 2. I have The Hagen Quartet on Phillips which is very good but hear the Arditti is better.
Gorecki SQs #1 & 2 Kronos
Schnittke SQs 1-4 Kronos
Bartok SQs 1-6 Alban Berg Quartet
Berg Lyric Suite Lasalle Quartet

I also own Feldman's SQ2 on Mode which doesn't always work for me. I have very mixed and a sometimes cynical view of this work.

[walto]

I don't think I've heard the Xenakis quartets, Vince. Also, I forgot to mention the Hindemith, which are fun.

[gnhrtg]

Originally Posted by walto

I don't think I've heard the Xenakis quartets, Vince. Also, I forgot to mention the Hindemith, which are fun.

I would highly recommend the double disc set on Naive/Montaigne Vince mentioned. I got it (just) a few years ago, based on Other Steve's urging here, and it's been in frequent circulation since then.

[walto]

Thanks, Gokhan--I'll put it on THE LIST. Also, wanted to second (or third) the Berg Lyric Suite and add the Sibelius, the Ives, the Janaceks, and the Szymanowskis.

And Scelsi.

[stonemonkts]

My favorites are:

Beethoven - all of them, although a strong preference for the middle and late qts. I was once a sort of Guarneri Quartet groupie. I favor their readings most. followed by Vegh qt., Julliard qt., and Quartetto Italiano.

Dvorak - Prague qt.

Bartok - Julliard qt.

Brahms - Hungarian qt.

Hindemith - Emerson qt; Guarneri qt.

Shostakovich - what JBW said.

Mozart (late) quartets - Quartetto Italiano.

Haydn, as Pete described, OP. 54 or so to the end - off the top of my head I cannot recall my quartet of choice, but I know there is one qt. in particular I favor....wtf were they called.....had a slavic-sounding name. oh well.