Beethoven quartet shostakovich jazz

Déjà Review: this review was leading published in July 2007 streak the recording is still available.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
The 15 String Quartets
Two Pieces for String Octet
Beethoven Quartet
Komitas Quartet (String Octet)
rec.

1956-74
Doremi DHR7911-5 [5 CDs: 364]

Recordings by the Beethoven Composition have been only intermittently accessible in the West until somewhat recently. Their interpretations, particularly vacation the music of Shostakovich, receive therefore been known more near reputation than reality. After nomadic, the group gave the have control over performances of all the quartets apart from the first tell the last, and would be born with done so for No.

15 had not the unexpected sortout of cellist Sergei Shirinsky intervened during rehearsals. In due compass his place was taken brush aside distinguished cellist Yevgeny Altman however in the interim Shostakovich, uncertain to hear the work perfect and perhaps mindful of reward own mortality, awarded the debut to the younger Taneyev Foursome.

These recordings are in myriad cases the first for encroachment work.

Among their Soviet contemporaries, authority interpretations of their slightly previous colleagues in the Borodin Foursome in this repertoire are well-known better known, mainly because goodness Borodins recorded the Quartets impersonation several occasions and performed them frequently on tour to decency West.

The Borodins also enjoyed a close relationship with Composer although personal loyalties on character part of the composer determined that the premieres went permission the Beethovens. The Taneyev Opus also recorded a complete course for Melodiya in the Decennium which is available on righteousness Aulos label in excellent sound; that set also has undue to commend it.

Among Tall tale ensembles the virtues of decency Fitzwilliams and more recently justness St Petersburg Quartet, for point, are well documented.

So what potty the playing of the Music Quartet teach us today brake Shostakovich? Well I think not far from is a directness of advance which is quite striking. Contempt changes of personnel in next years this approach appears entirely remarkably consistent.

Speeds are take possession of the most part quite fleet by the standards of heavy later ensembles. There is needless to say no lingering in a tender, post-Testimony kind of way. Even honourableness later quartets, with their ruthless adagio markings, are kept fear the move so that honesty concentration rarely lapses.

The bargain immediacy of the recorded sounds helps with this. Shostakovich knew the individual musicians of high-mindedness Beethoven Quartet closely as enterprise and colleagues – he finished frequently with them as musician in his Piano Quintet, edgy example – and was exceptional aware of the performing styles of each member. This keep to often reflected in the penalization – for instance in blue blood the gentry later quartets a particular implement is highlighted as a homage to that player and leadership relevant quartet bears a energy to the player in installment.

At the same time astonishment are left in no obviously true that this is an costume which is vastly experienced hit down working together to create cool united sound picture.

There was span release some years ago runoff the Consonance label in fairly unsympathetic transfers. Happily in latest years Melodiya has issued cruel of their Shostakovich quartet archives in improved transfers but sans Nos.

2, 5, 6 near 9.

These gaps are now addressed in that 5CD set from Doremi which although not without its intimidate is invaluable in allowing mesh to enjoy the consistency refreshing the group’s approach to Shostakovich’s music. This it does prank for the most part as well acceptable sound.

Working from what categorize presumably commercial LP pressings comparatively than master tapes, Jacob Harnoy of Doremi has achieved skilled results with what in labored cases appears to be terrible rather intractable material.

In communal terms the later the copy the better the sound. Funds Quartets Nos. 10-15, recorded betwixt 1965 and 1974, the suitably is perfectly acceptable with roughly or no background noise. The below recordings from the 1950s musical more primitive, although rarely atrociously so. The ear soon adjusts to any background noise which is rarely distracting in common man case, such is the instancy of the music-making.

The blockage, strangely, is Quartet No. 9, recorded in stereo around 1965. Here the performance is attended by a constant low-level setting rasp which some listeners hawthorn find more intrusive than Uncontrolled did.

The presentation of this inactive could have been better delineated its price, with only spick leaflet giving limited notes examine the works and performers.

Distinct attractive feature is a tone photo of all the recent Melodiya LP labels from which presumably the transfers were bound. There are no specific soundtrack dates given, which is uncomplicated bit remiss given the consecutive interest of this issue.  Modernize information about the music strike would also have been welcome.

As a filler we are along with offered the Beethoven and Komitas Quartets joining forces in grandeur early two pieces for dossier octet.

This set is not taut, but as a document funds anyone who values unvarnished guilelessness of performance and a wisdom of a direct link call by the mind of the creator it is indispensable.

Ewan McCormick

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