string quartets Archive
DOWLAND: Lachrimae or Seven Tears – Phantasm – Linn
JOHN DOWLAND: Lachrimae or Seven Tears – Phantasm – Linn multichannel SACD CKD 527, 57:00 (8-12-16) [Distr. by Naxos] *****: Phantasm just keep doing excellent recordings of early music. This new audiophile recording, featuring lutenist Elizabeth Kenny and Phantasm, directed by Laurence Dreyfus, takes listeners on a refreshingly varied Dowland soundscape in which sublime sadness, […]
BEN JOHNSTON: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, & 8—Kepler Quartet—New World
A challenging new musical language for modern music lovers. BEN JOHNSTON: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, & 8—Kepler Quartet—New World 80730-2, 66:43 [Distr. by Albany] ****: As difficult and dangerous as it is to climb Mt. Everest, people do it because it’s there. Ben Johnston’s String Quartet No. 7 (1984) is known among string players and […]
TANEYEV: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 4 = Quartet No. 9; Quartet No. 6 – Carpe Diem String Q. – Naxos
The Carpe Diem String Quartet extends its gratifying traversal of Sergey Taneyev’s chamber music. TANEYEV: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 4 = Quartet No. 9 in A Major; Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 – Carpe Diem String Quartet – Naxos 8.573470, 65:42 (12/11/15) ****: The Carpe Diem String Quartet – Charles Wetherbee and […]
JOHN ADAMS: Absolute Jest; Grand Pianola Music – SF Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media
Two wonderful works by John Adams in hi-res surround – one early and one late.
*JOHN ADAMS: Absolute Jest; Grand Pianola Music – SF Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media
************ MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ************
Two wonderful works by John Adams in hi-res surround – one early and one late.
DVORAK: String Quartets = String Quartet No. 12 in F Major “American”; String Quartet No. 14 in A flat Major; Tercet in C Major – Zemlinsky Quartet – Praga Digitals
Dvorak well-played and realistically recorded.
Home Page for October 2014
Our October drawing is for six collector edition sets of the complete Harmonia mundi 8-SACD set of the Complete Beethoven String Quartets performed by the world-famous Tokyo String Quartet. This quartet existed from 1969 to 2013 and has 40 landmark recordings in their discography. Their version of this cycle of the Beethoven String Quartets (Nos. […]
Editorial for October 2014
This month our drawing/giveaway is for six collector edition sets from Harmonia mundi of the 8-SACD collection of the Complete Beethoven String Quartets performed by the world-famous Tokyo String Quartet. Our review is here. This hi-res multichannel recording is a major sonic improvement over their earlier complete Beethoven set on the RCA CD label, and […]
BEETHOVEN: Complete String Quartets – Tokyo String Quartet – Harmonia mundi (8 SACDs)
How does the Tokyo String Quartet handle these works? With utmost aplomb, guided by an uncanny degree of inspirational talent.
WEINBERG: Symphony No. 21, Kaddish & Polish Tunes – The Siberian Sym. Orch./ Dmitry Vasilyev – Toccata Classics
A noteworthy Weinberg Symphony and a fine recording.
MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG: Complete String Quartets – Quatuor Danel – CPO (6 CDs)
One of the great quartet cycles of the 20th century receives definitive performances.
BEETHOVEN: Complete String Quartets, Vol. III = Quartet in C Minor; Grosse Fuge in B-flat Major; Quartet in F Major – Quartetto di Cremona – Audite
Wickedly scintillating renditions of Beethoven quartets in this third installment of the cycle make the Cremona players‘ versions irresistible.
PHILIP GLASS: String Quartets No. 2 “Company”, No. 3 “Mishima”, No. 4 “Buczak” & No. 5 – The Dublin Guitar Quartet – Orange Mt. Music“Sax Allemande – MENDELSSOHN & Friends” – 22 Songs Without Words (Arr. for sax trio & violin/cello/horn trio) – Farao Classics
Two of my personal favorite same-instrument groups on two discs.
PHILIP GLASS: String Quartets No. 2 “Company”, No. 3 “Mishima”, No. 4 “Buczak” & No. 5 – The Dublin Guitar Quartet – Orange Mt. Music“Sax Allemande – MENDELSSOHN & Friends” – 22 Songs Without Words (Arr. for sax trio & violin/cello/horn trio) – Farao Classics
Two of my personal favorite same-instrument groups on two discs.
BEETHOVEN: Complete String Quartets Vol. II: Op. 59 No. 2 and Op. 127 = Quartetto di Cremona – Audite
The quartet plays as if they themselves were being overcome and seduced by Beethoven’s enormous charm.
FARTEIN VALEN: String Quartets, No. 1, Op. 10; No. 2; Three Poems by Goethe – Hilde Haraldsen Sveen, sop./ Hansakvartetten – 2L Pure Audio Blu-ray + SACD
Not for everyone, but of intense interest for those who need more of the Second Viennese School tradition.
* HAYDN: String Quartets, Op. 77, Nos. 1-2, Op. 103, Op. 42 – Vol. 14 of 14 – Auryn Quartet – Tacet Pure Audio Blu-ray; HAYDN: String Quartets, Op. 55, Nos. 1-3 – Vol. 9 of 14 – Auryn Quartet – Tacet Pure Audio Blu-ray
************ MULTICHANNEL DISCS OF THE MONTH ************
Incredible sound and definitive performances make for releases that just can’t be overlooked.
HAYDN: Op. 2 String Quartets, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6 – Auryn Quartet/ Matthias Lingenfelderm & Jens Oppermann, violins/ Stewart Eaton, viola/ Andreas Arndt, cello – Tacet audio-only Blu-ray
Non-standard surround placement on this disc, but excellent performances and audio quality.
The Soviet Experience = Vol. IV – SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartets 13, 14, 15; SCHNITTKE: String Quartet 3 – Pacifica Quartet—Cedille (2 CDs)
The Pacifica Quartet completes their Shostakovich cycle—adding Schnittke’s Third Quartet—in performances that express the essence of Russian music in the 20th century.
BARTOK & KODALY: The Complete String Quartets – Alexander String Q. – Foghorn Classics (3 CDs)
This is an essential recording, maybe the best ever of these important works.
BRITTEN: String Quartets 1, 2 & 3 – Takacs Quartet—Hyperion
The centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth is bringing to light the greatness of his string quartets, of which this recording is one of the best
TCHAIKOVSKY: String Quartets Vol. 2 = No. 3, Op. 30 and Children’s Album Op. 39 – Utrecht String Quartet – MD&G
A very listenable disc of lesser-known Tchaikovsky.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
