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Tag: SQS

American Symphony, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Barber String Quartet in Bm, op. 11

October 15, 2017October 7, 2017 Fugue for Thought

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

American Symphony, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Frederick Converse: String Quartet no. 2 in Am, op. 18

October 8, 2017September 30, 2017 Fugue for Thought

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

English Symphony, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: Naxos Quartet no. 1, op. 229

May 21, 2017May 18, 2017 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Maggini Quartet Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was born September 8, 1934 in Salford, Lancashire. He told his parents at the ripe young age of four that he wanted to be a composer, after having seen Gilbert & … Continue reading Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: Naxos Quartet no. 1, op. 229

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Prokofiev String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, op. 50

October 30, 2016October 30, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Emerson String Quartet or below by the Pavel Haas Quartet Prokofiev’s first string quartet comes shortly after the first version of his symphony no. 4, and just before the fourth piano concerto (the left-handed one) (with a … Continue reading Prokofiev String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, op. 50

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 32

October 16, 2016October 10, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by Yefim Bronfman, Cho-Liang Lin, and Gary Hoffman, or below by the Beaux Arts Trio This is another name we haven’t seen in almost exactly a year. Arenksy’s first symphony was in last year’s Russian Symphony Series, but we’d visited … Continue reading Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 32

Music, SQS, Swedish Series 2016Leave a comment

Atterberg String Quartet no. 2 in B minor, op. 11

September 10, 2016September 9, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Stenhammar Quartet (no YouTube this time, but a review of the album is on MusicWeb, and it’s rather frank and more negative than I was inclined to be. Also, if you’re determined to listen to something today and … Continue reading Atterberg String Quartet no. 2 in B minor, op. 11

Music, SQS, Swedish Series 2016Leave a comment

Per August Ölander: String Sextet

September 4, 2016September 4, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Uppsala Kammarsolister Per August Ölander was born 8 January, 1824 in Linkoping. His father was an organist. He studied at Uppsala University, and owed something of his career to support from his father-in-law, Johan Erik Nord Blom, Director … Continue reading Per August Ölander: String Sextet

Music, SQS, Swedish Series 20161 Comment

Lindblad Piano Trio in G minor, Op.10

September 2, 2016September 2, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by: Bernt Lysell, violin Björn Sjögren, viola Lucia Negro, piano First things first. Do note that this piano trio is for violin, viola, and piano, with no cello. You’ll notice in the recording. Also, it’s an extra installment of our SQS on … Continue reading Lindblad Piano Trio in G minor, Op.10

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 1 in E flat, op. 12

August 28, 2016August 20, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Talich Quartet, or below in a nice performance from the Halcyon Music Festival with a small introduction The opening of this work seems like such a mature, polished, well-executed work for a young, early composition like a first string … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 1 in E flat, op. 12

Music, SQS2 Comments

Glass String Quartet no. 2, ‘Company’

August 21, 2016August 20, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Smith Quartet, or below by the Spektral Quartet or in another great performance here Here we are! This is something many more people will recognize as Philip Glass. The description of the above video says it is … Continue reading Glass String Quartet no. 2, ‘Company’

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Philip Glass: String Quartet no. 1

August 20, 2016August 20, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by The Smith Quartet (in a video below that seems not to be available in all countries. The album can be purchased here or in iTunes) I’ll be the first to say that this work isn’t the best place to start … Continue reading Philip Glass: String Quartet no. 1

Music, SQS1 Comment

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68

August 14, 2016August 5, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Emerson String Quartet Shostakovich was a prolific composer, as we have discussed, but it was rather late in his life that he got around to string quartets. He was in his thirties before he completed his first, in … Continue reading Shostakovich String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Shostakovich String Quartet no. 1 in C, Op. 49

August 13, 2016July 29, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed (live) by the Emerson String Quartet, from their box set of the quartets “I visualized childhood scenes, somewhat naïve and bright moods associated with spring.” Dmitri Shostakovich from Epstein, Paul. Emerson String Quartet: “Shostakovich: The String Quartets” I wrote … Continue reading Shostakovich String Quartet no. 1 in C, Op. 49

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Bartok String Quartet No. 1 in A minor

August 7, 2016September 17, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Emerson String Quartet Beethoven left his mark on just about everything. If you want to talk about ‘cycles’ of piano sonatas, Beethoven has a killer one. Symphony cycle? One of the best. Piano concertos? Five of them. … Continue reading Bartok String Quartet No. 1 in A minor

Music, SQSLeave a comment

Ravel String quartet in F major

July 31, 2016September 17, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Emerson String Quartet I hope you listened to and enjoyed the very first post of July, Debussy’s string quartet. It’s one of the most famous quartets in the repertoire, I’d say, especially from a composer who lived … Continue reading Ravel String quartet in F major

Darmstadt Beginnings, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Berio: Quartetto (1956)

July 24, 2016July 23, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Arditti quartet The string quartet under discussion begins at this point in the above video, or from here In searching for information about this quartet, I came to find that there is very little discussion virtually anywhere of Berio’s almost-earliest work … Continue reading Berio: Quartetto (1956)

Darmstadt Beginnings, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Bruno Maderna: Quartetto per archi in due tempi

July 23, 2016July 22, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Cicada Quartet Maderna’s Quartet is the hardest nut to crack [on the album], with its fragmented phrases and restless rhythms and dynamics. But behind the notes the Cikadas’ deeply committed playing reveals glimpses of a dramatic personality … Continue reading Bruno Maderna: Quartetto per archi in due tempi

Darmstadt Beginnings, Music, SQSLeave a comment

Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps

July 9, 2016June 24, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Maryvonne Le Dizes, Pierre Strauch & Alain Damiens or below by Pianist Matthew Schellhorn and Soloists of the Philharmonia Orchestra: James Clark (violin), Barnaby Robson (clarinet), David Cohen (cello) Never was I listened to with such rapt attention … Continue reading Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps

Darmstadt Beginnings, Music, SQS1 Comment

Debussy String Quartet in Gm, op. 10

July 2, 2016June 11, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Emerson String Quartet, or below by the Kodaly Quartet Any sounds in any combination and in any succession are henceforth free to be used in a musical continuity… -Claude Debussy  Our first piece in the Darmstadt Series isn’t. … Continue reading Debussy String Quartet in Gm, op. 10

Music, SQS3 Comments

Webern: Six Bagatelles, op. 9

June 26, 2016June 24, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the Juilliard Quartet Non multa sed multum (Not much in quantity, but much in content) A Deruchie We’re nearing the end of a long stretch of history (of course skipping over a lot) into the modern era, but … Continue reading Webern: Six Bagatelles, op. 9

Music, SQS1 Comment

Schoenberg String Quartet in D major

June 19, 2016June 10, 2016 Fugue for Thought

performed by the LaSalle Quartet I owe very, very much to Mozart; and if one studies, for instance, the way in which I write for string quartet, then one cannot deny that I have learned this directly from Mozart. And … Continue reading Schoenberg String Quartet in D major

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