Customer Reviews

Bloch: String Quartets 1-4

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When I first heard these works, I did not even know that Ernest Bloch had written string quartets. Violin Concerto, Israel Symphony, the cello-evergreen Schelomo: yes. And good; all of it. But I was not prepared for this stunning discovery. In his four (of five--the fifth having been composed after this record was made) string quartets--the 2nd perhaps the primus inter pares--he gives Shostakovich a run for his money with his ravishingly rhythmic, increasingly chromatic style. Composed in 1916, 1945, 1952, and 1953, this music has a kick to it that belies the mellow style of Schelomo and the age of these 1954 mono recordings. Anyone wondering where the famous "Decca sound" came from might well start here. Anyone with even the faintest interest in 20th-century chamber music has a duty to him/herself to explore this budget-priced double CD. Dedicated to one composer, unearthing masterpieces, splendidly played, eerily good sound: this is my favorite of the Decca Original Masters series... it's a stunning release, and it's a must-have for anyone who enjoys Shostakovich, Bartok, Villa-Lobos, or Rawsthorne quartets.

I am so happy for having bought this cds with the string quartets by Bloch. Relatively in a short time I have "discovered" this composer and considered him as one of my favorites.
I had iniciated an own project to listen to more than four hundred string quartetes which are in my sound library by many of the greatest composers of the history of music when I faced the Bloch's ones. What a surprise when I listened for the first time the s.q. no. 1 by this composer. It was one of my most enormous musical discoverings of my life.
Although this cd set contains four quartets undoubtedly no. 1 deserves the best treatament. First, it is really a great scale work in the especiallity. The first movement requiers a lot of mental concentration considering the complexity of its structure and the magnificent treatment of nuances-obscurity in most of it. I can not attribute this to the mono recording because in general despite more than fifty years of the recording it conserves a good quality in sound of the DECCA house. This first movement allows us to give the greatest value to the second one, which is , in my opinion the best of the work and perhaps of the entire quartets of this collection. The quality of the Griller String Quartet performance is evident. In my short experience with the old past interpreters does not oppose in this case with the "modern" musicians. I must consider that I am an only 22 year-old listener of classical music and I should know and experience more with "the old" not in the bad sense of the word. I would like to get this first str. quart. no. 1 in a DDD or SACD version as soon as it be available. This wish does not undeserve the quality of the Griller. Any way i am proud of having this cds.

These are each intense and uncompromising. The recordings and performances are wonderful.

With these, Bloch must stand with Bartok and Shostakovitch for the best in 20th Century SQ witing.

They are not acid, not strident, not turgid, not painful in any way, yet they are demanding, modern, intense and complex works. Bloch has a way of explosive intensity and also quiet, eerie intensity - and also has a way to blend it all together that tells a story coherent and satisfying.

If you have journeyed to LVBs late SQ, then you should take this journey, too. Equally rewarding! These (and the 5th, too) are similar enough to really indeed make a little world of sound and expression just like the Beethoven set.

If you are unsure of the cost or value of this set, then you could start with Piano Quintet #1 and SQ #5 from Laurel Records (my preferred recording), or some other chamber music from Bloch - it is all of incredibly high quality.