A series made up primarily of the string quartet repertoire, with other string and/or chamber works included here and there. There’s so much of this stuff that’s so worthy of attention, and it would take too long to get through in the main mid-week series, so here we are.
performed by the Quatuor Diotima (cover image by Frantzou Fleurine) Everyone knows the middle movement, but what about what comes before and after it? This quartet, while an early work, is powerful and more than worthy of a listen from … Continue reading Barber String Quartet in Bm, op. 11
performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band (cover image by Francisco Aceldo) Frederick Shepherd Converse was born on January 5, 1871 in Newton, Massachusetts. He studied at Harvard with John Knowles Paine, and his op. 1 violin sonata from 1893 got ‘highest honors’ as … Continue reading Frederick Converse: String Quartet no. 2 in Am, op. 18
performed by the Rawlings Piano Trio (cover image by Kassey Downard) Horatio Parker was born on September 15, 1863 in Auburndale, Massachusetts. He studied first with his mother, then with Chadwick at the New England Conservatory. He also studied, as did … Continue reading Horatio Parker: Suite for Piano Trio in A, op. 35
performed by the DaVinci Quartet and James Barbagallo, or as below by five other people second and third/fourth movements (cover image by Matthew Landers) Arthur William Foote was born on March 5, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts. He was organist of the … Continue reading Arthur Foote: Piano Quintet in Am, op. 38
‘From my life’, performed by the Pavel Haas Quartet, or below by the Stamitz Quartet (cover image by Roman Kraft) Bedřich Smetana was born on 2 March, 1824 in Litomyšl, near the border between Bohemia and Moravia, at the time both provinces … Continue reading Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet no. 1 in E minor, ‘Z mého života’
performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, or below by the Prazak Quartet and Zemlinsky Quartet (in a recording I chose not for the sound quality but the engaging experience of watching only eight people … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Octet in E flat, op. 20
performed by the Emerson String Quartet, or below by the Pavel Haas Quartet (cover image by Tamara Menzi) Indeed, the material proved to be fresh and original… I settled on writing a string quartet, thinking that the combination of new, … Continue reading Prokofiev String Quartet no. 2 in F, op. 92
performed by the Quatuor Danel in a world premiere recording, or below by the Gothenburg Quartet entire playlist here (cover image by Ricardo Gomez Angel) Mieczysław Weinberg was born on 8 December, 1919 in Warsaw to a Jewish family. So … Continue reading Mieczysław Weinberg: String Quartet no. 1, op. 2
performed by the Panocha Quartet (Oops! We have a rare case with no YouTube video for the work. If you’re intent on hearing it, you can purchase the first three movements individually from iTunes, part of the Panocha quartet set. Since … Continue reading Martinů String Quartet no. 1, H. 117, ‘French Quartet’
performed by the Amar Quartet, or below by the Danish String Quartet (cover image by Annie Sprat) Paul Hindemith’s first string quartet wasn’t recognized as such until recently. In Stephen Luttman’s book Paul Hindemith: a Guide to Research, he makes a … Continue reading Hindemith String Quartet no. 1 in C, op. 2
performed by the Vertavo Quartet, or below by the Copenhagen Quartet I have recently finished a string quartet which I still haven’t heard. It is in G minor and is not intended to bring trivialities to market. It strives towards … Continue reading Grieg String Quartet no. 1 in Gm, op. 27
performed by Tamás Vásáry, Thomas Brandis and Ottomar Borwitzky, or below by Suk, Starker, and Katchen (cover image by Juja Han) Play this work while you’re reading, if you can, at least the first movement. Brahms was a prodigy for sure. … Continue reading Brahms Piano Trio no. 1 in B major, Op. 8
performed by Trio Wanderer, or below by the Castle Trio, on period instruments (cover image by Martin Oslic) More Beethoven! Today’s work acts as sort of an introduction to what we’ll be doing in the month of August, similar to … Continue reading Beethoven Variations in E-flat piano trio, op. 44
performed by the Emerson String Quartet, or below by the Borodin Quartet Although this is only the third of the composer’s fifteen completed string quartets, it’s not an early work by any means. In fact, it comes after the composer’s ninth symphony, op. 70, … Continue reading Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F major, op. 73
performed by the Emerson Quartet, or below by the Takács Quartet Bartók’s third string quartet was written in Budapest in 1927, putting it just after the first piano concerto in his output. Remember, despite the low numbers, these are not … Continue reading Bartók String Quartet no. 3
Performed by the Quatuor Diotima and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, or below by the Juilliard Quartet (without vocalist) If I haven’t already mentioned it, and I’m pretty sure I have, the works of Alban Berg might for many be the way into … Continue reading Berg: Lyric Suite
performed by the Quatuor Diotima, or below by the Juilliard Quartet playlist for the entire work here Qualifying Statements This is another revisit article, and one I’ve been meaning to rewrite for a long time. My previous articles on works … Continue reading Revisit: Webern’s 5 Sätze für Streichquartett, op. 5
performed by the Venice Quartet, or below by the Enso String Quartet Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini had a long name. He was born on December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy, one of nine children in the Puccini … Continue reading Giacomo Puccini: Crisantemi
performed by the Venice Quartet, or below by the Shanghai Quartet I’ve written a Quartet in my leisure moments in Naples. I had it performed one evening in my house, without attaching the least importance to it and without inviting … Continue reading Verdi String Quartet in E minor
performed by Karl Schlechta, clarinet; Susanne Kaldor, violin; Akos Hernadi, piano; or below, in what might be this release We jump ahead now to a much later work in Bartóks’ output, having given him our attention for an entire week, even if … Continue reading Bartók: Contrasts, Sz. 111
performed by the Emerson String Quartet, or below by the Takács Quartet Bartók’s second quartet was written between 1915 and 1917, in Rákoskeresztúr, Hungary (or Gerersdorf in German, for those of you who don’t like consonants as much). What you may or … Continue reading Bartók String Quartet no. 2, Sz. 76
