Customer Reviews

String Quartets

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These are masterpieces of the literature. Few 20th century
string quartets are full of light. These are. The reviewer below (above) from Australia who mentions "atonal"is as far off the mark as one could get. These are supremely tonal pieces, in fact very conservatively so. In fact,there is not an atonal moment in them, they are more firmly rooted in tonal centers than even Bartok, Hindemith and Ravel quartets of the early part of the century. The comments about small fragments are correct however. These are mosaic structures of great beauty. Other quartets which are crafted similarly are those by Stravinsky. Imagine a more Slavic flavor and you have Janacek.

I must confess that I bought this record out of pure curiosity and interest on chamber music. I haven't heard the music beforehand, and was in for quite a surprise, and a good one at that. The Janácek quartets are unlike any others, from any other time. Although they might sound a bit rough at first, repeated hearing will have them grow on you little by little, revealing subtleties previously unthinked of. As for the performance, they are superbly played by the Guarneri Quartet, as usual. This is highly recommended, don't let the duration of only 41 minutes discourage you. This is one where every minute is worth it.

How fortunate I bought this CD! I have discovered Janacek's string quartets, previously unknown to me. They are totally different - Janacek has his own voice, he cannot be compared to any other composer. There is nothing inaccessible here, moments of melody interweave quirky spasms and spiky rhythms. This is interesting music, unlike anything I have heard before. And the Guarneri Quartet is a most persuasive advocate of what for many listeners will be a new sound. Though brief, at 40 minutes, there is ample musical nourishment. I'm so glad I took a chance on an "unknown" quantity. Not for the faint of ear!

This disc has impressed many listeners who are not familiar with either Janacek or Guarneri. I have known these quartets for years, have played the both of them, and had a recording already when Guarneri released this one. In sum, this recording is by far the best on the market. It is very nicely played, and beautifully recorded. If you don't know the pieces, the other reviews speak highly of them (my opinion seems to be of little value--most of the things I like very few other people also like) and the fact that other reviews are so unanimous in praising this piece suggests that it would be a good purchase. For those that know the pieces, I can recommend it to you as well.

The affirmation of the nature, intrinsically linked with the rural world was the propulsive string of his perpetual optimism. At the edge of the musical tendencies, he knew to survey far beyond the limits of the romantic tradition to develop in his inner creative world a fruitful sonorous language; like Bartok he isolated the folkloric roots into an orchestral superstructure, as living and burning expression of a living and beating humanity. That is why he will be particularly reminded by his chamber music beyond other works.

These Quartets reveal themselves with frazzled sincerity and volcanic despair, his late affair with Kamila Stösslova. The programmatic set talks by itself.

It' s useless to affirm that as well as Smetana for instance, Janacek did not yield to the temptations of neoclassic sonorities; underlining with primary passion if you want his environment, preserving for the late generations the genuine roots of his country, creating in his entire work a well known pattern: a continuous repetition of few melodic designs, nourishing with the most fertile and purest colorist timbers of his beloved country.

This is a powerful and well acclaimed choice. Since I knew of this set in those late Seventies, this version seems to enhance through the time thanks primordially, to its vibrant expression.

Fans of the Guarneri String Quartet will be pleased with this exquisite recording of Janacek's string quartets. These were recorded in the same Washington Heights, Manhattan studio used by the Emerson String Quartet for their critically acclaimed Beethoven string quartet cycle. A splendid choice since the acoustics are vividly warm. As for these performances, the Guarneri Quartet's performance is quite lyrical, emphasizing the melodic qualities of Janacek's music. I hadn't heard these string quartets before; undoubtedly they must rank as one of the finest works in the string quartet canon. Although these are exceptional performances recorded via Philips' latest digital state of the art technology, they come at a rather steep price. That's why I am giving this CD four stars instead of five, since it is a rather expensive acquisition for forty one minutes of recorded performances. Still, it is worth acquiring.

I'd never before heard of the Guaneri Quartet (excuse my ignorance...they're world famous), so I was a little apprehensive when purchasing this item. Also, the odd front cover design was rather off-putting. But, now I know that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover because these guys really know what they're doing. The two quartets are true Janacek - strange emotions and timbre are everpresent without sacrificing a clear melody to severe abstraction (as with many 20th century composers). Sudden outbursts exist alongside beautiful harmonies. At times one voice may leave the others for a while, lost in its own thoughts. Academics will love this album. Classicists will hate it. Janacekians will fully appreciate it. Those just interested in music generally will like it. There are expressions in these quartets that you will never hear anywhere else. Certainly, it's not music for all occasions, but in the right atmosphere it's terrific. And, once you begin to become fatigued from all the polyphony and atonalism, the last track (Allegro-Andante etc) seems to release all the pressure built up in the previous movements as it moves into a moravian dance which is sure to get your feet moving (or, for those more dignified, your heart racing). Though it's only 41 minutes, the technical quality is superb - it's one of those C.D.s that feels secure in your hands, with a kind of thickness that other/cheaper C.D.s don't have.

Conclusion: *Janacek fans - yes (unless you have a recording of the quartets which you're happy with) *Bach purists - no, the music will leave you confused and possibly epileptic *20th century music lovers - yes *pop music lovers - no, the music will leave you confused and possibly epileptic *Music historians - definitely, although you probably already have it.