Customer Reviews

Berkeley: String Quartets Nos. 1-3

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These three quartets are among the most enjoyable pieces of 20th century chamber music that I have heard in over fifty years of listening. The works grab you by the ears and don't let go. I am struck by the integrity of the compositions. This is quartet writing to compare to the best of Bartok and Shostakovich. Don't pass it by!

These pieces are in the typical Berkeley style which consists of
(1) Distinctive meolodies with athletic leaps of sixths and sevenths
tempered with minor seconds with a smooth sense of forward
direction. The emotional tone tends to be cool but focused, like
touring a European city for the first time.
(2) A harmonic sense that is sharp and clear. Major sevenths and minor
ninths are tempered with major or minor thirds. There may be some
flirting with polytonality (Particularly his favorite of A major
and F major) but the music is grounded in a simple, if not
conventional tonality. One has a sense that harmony and melody
are cut from the same cloth.

These string quartets are very highly charged, aggressive, and potent. Instead of the city tour we are getting the engineering tour with hard hats. I loved it and recommend it to all, even if you never wore a hard hat before.