Eugene Drucker, Philip Seltzer, violins; Lawrence Dutton, viola; David Finckel, cello.
This two-CD collection of the six string quartets of Bela Bartok won the Grammy Awards for best classical recording and best chamber music performance in 1989, the year after its issuance. Since then the Emerson Quartet has won six more Grammys for best chamber music performance (1993, Ives; 1997, Beethoven; 2000, Shostakovich; 2005, Mendelssohn; 2006, Grieg, Sibelius and Nielsen; and 2007, Janacek and Martinu) and a second Grammy for best classical album (2000, Shostakovich). To say that this music is well played is an understatement: it’s exceptionally well played by an ensemble known for its ability to play mellow, angular and even harsh as the music dictates. It’s the mellowness that surprises on this album: it humanizes and makes more accessible Bartok’s often prickly music, a music of many changes and delightful surprises. Alas, I own only one other album by the Emerson String Quartet, its recording of the Debussy and Ravel string quartets. I have listened to that album so many times that I can sing along with parts of it. I don’t expect to sing along with Bartok, though there are portions of movements here that are eminently lyrical. I do however expect to listen to these two discs many times with pleasure.
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Bartok: The 6 String Quartets
2 CD
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Editorial Reviews
EMERSON STRING QUARTET
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Language : English
- Product Dimensions : 6.65 x 6.54 x 0.39 inches; 4.09 Ounces
- Manufacturer : Deutsche Grammophon
- Original Release Date : 2007
- SPARS Code : DDD
- Date First Available : January 10, 2007
- Label : Deutsche Grammophon
- ASIN : B000LC4B34
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #135,952 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #4,217 in Chamber Music (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
34 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 10, 2018
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2018
Bartók’s six quartets were written between 1909 and 1939. They are regarded as the greatest cycle of chamber works of the first half of the 20th century. They mirror different phases of the composer's career. Named after the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Emerson String Quartet was formed at the Juilliard School as a student ensemble and turned professional in 1976.
This recording won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance in 1989. The DG sound is excellent. Many brilliant quartets have recorded this music over the decades. Determining whose interpretation is the best is subjective and a matter of taste. I would recommend the Emersons and also the Takacs Quartet. The Penguin Guide says of this recording "The Emerson Quartet ...in terms of virtuosity, finesse and accuracy outstrip most of their rivals."
This recording won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance in 1989. The DG sound is excellent. Many brilliant quartets have recorded this music over the decades. Determining whose interpretation is the best is subjective and a matter of taste. I would recommend the Emersons and also the Takacs Quartet. The Penguin Guide says of this recording "The Emerson Quartet ...in terms of virtuosity, finesse and accuracy outstrip most of their rivals."
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 12, 2020
This was recorded in 1988 around the time when digital recording first came out. It has the 2 dimensional sound of early digital recordings. The tempos are rushed in spots, which works in some cases, but in combination with the thin digital recording can be very irritating and distracting. There are much better recordings available, e.g. Takacs or the Alexander quartets.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 10, 2013
This is a swell reading of a great work, no surprise given the players. But for me it is second-best to the 1961 Deutsche Grammophon (as remastered) reading by the Hungarian String Quartet, seemingly a little more insightful, a little richer, a little more satisfying.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 4, 2016
Great!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 18, 2013
The 25th anniversary of the Emerson Quartet’s famous 1988 cycle of the six Bela Bartok quartets served as a good opportunity for me to re-visit the set in depth and compare it to some other performance made since then. I purchased this set when it was first released and over the years have listened to individual quartets many times, making the Emerson my “reference” for these years.
When it first appeared, my impression was that the Emerson’s had mastered the technical details of Bartok’s difficult writing as no ensemble had done before, outdoing earlier competitors like the Juilliard and Tokyo quartets, while maintaining an interpretive approach that was a bit dry and clinical. This technical mastery is part of the trend in today’s classical music performance practice, where the ability of individual instrumentalists and ensembles has outstripped those from 50 years ago I think in a comprehensive way. (This is no comment on the artistic or emotional aspect of interpretation, a separate matter.) My view today is a bit different: I view the Emerson’s as still very polished in the technical sense – it’s hard to detect any flaws in terms of say intonation or ensemble anywhere in the set – but that they are not as dry and expressionless as I once thought.
This liveliness is most vividly heard in what I now think is the set’s signature performance, an aggressive, incisive version of the 4th quartet, one of the great performances by a string quartet I have had the pleasure of hearing. When compared to some quality alternatives I have in my collection, the sheer passion and energy they bring is awe-inspiring. That energy can manifest itself in the dissonant modernist complexity of the opening allegro or in the more humorous and colorful all-pizzicato fourth movement. The Emerson’s 4th quartet by itself makes this set a success.
But that impression of dryness isn’t mistaken either. The short 3rd quartet – part of Bartok’s most modernist period in the mid-1920s – is given an anemic, detached performance. The Emersons seem to be just playing the notes, not living what is intended to be highly emotional – even expressionist – musical style.
Most of the set falls below these two poles in terms of quality. The first two quartets, less interesting than Bartok’s writing in other genres from the 1900s and 1910s I think, are given solid performances. I like the way the Emersons handle the long and complex 5th quartet, despite the fact that I’ve grown to dislike this composition. The Emersons finish with a very successful performance of the 6th quartet, my personal favorite among the six. While I can imagine a more atmospheric approach to this kaleidoscopic music, the Emerson’s do well, emphasizing the contrasts in textures and moods, and the humor of the Burlesque movement.
One of the negatives with this set is the average sound engineering by DG. For some reason, DG has “blessed” the Emersons, headline artists for their label, with very average sonics, ranging from the frank awfulness of the Schubert triple-CD set to the overly bright Mozart performances. This Bartok set is actually relatively good within the spectrum of engineering mediocrity DG rolls out for a string quartet that obviously merits better.
But all in all, this remains an outstanding set containing some stellar work.
When it first appeared, my impression was that the Emerson’s had mastered the technical details of Bartok’s difficult writing as no ensemble had done before, outdoing earlier competitors like the Juilliard and Tokyo quartets, while maintaining an interpretive approach that was a bit dry and clinical. This technical mastery is part of the trend in today’s classical music performance practice, where the ability of individual instrumentalists and ensembles has outstripped those from 50 years ago I think in a comprehensive way. (This is no comment on the artistic or emotional aspect of interpretation, a separate matter.) My view today is a bit different: I view the Emerson’s as still very polished in the technical sense – it’s hard to detect any flaws in terms of say intonation or ensemble anywhere in the set – but that they are not as dry and expressionless as I once thought.
This liveliness is most vividly heard in what I now think is the set’s signature performance, an aggressive, incisive version of the 4th quartet, one of the great performances by a string quartet I have had the pleasure of hearing. When compared to some quality alternatives I have in my collection, the sheer passion and energy they bring is awe-inspiring. That energy can manifest itself in the dissonant modernist complexity of the opening allegro or in the more humorous and colorful all-pizzicato fourth movement. The Emerson’s 4th quartet by itself makes this set a success.
But that impression of dryness isn’t mistaken either. The short 3rd quartet – part of Bartok’s most modernist period in the mid-1920s – is given an anemic, detached performance. The Emersons seem to be just playing the notes, not living what is intended to be highly emotional – even expressionist – musical style.
Most of the set falls below these two poles in terms of quality. The first two quartets, less interesting than Bartok’s writing in other genres from the 1900s and 1910s I think, are given solid performances. I like the way the Emersons handle the long and complex 5th quartet, despite the fact that I’ve grown to dislike this composition. The Emersons finish with a very successful performance of the 6th quartet, my personal favorite among the six. While I can imagine a more atmospheric approach to this kaleidoscopic music, the Emerson’s do well, emphasizing the contrasts in textures and moods, and the humor of the Burlesque movement.
One of the negatives with this set is the average sound engineering by DG. For some reason, DG has “blessed” the Emersons, headline artists for their label, with very average sonics, ranging from the frank awfulness of the Schubert triple-CD set to the overly bright Mozart performances. This Bartok set is actually relatively good within the spectrum of engineering mediocrity DG rolls out for a string quartet that obviously merits better.
But all in all, this remains an outstanding set containing some stellar work.
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 20, 2018
Just some housekeeping - I don't show up as a verified buyer as I received this CD set as a gift from my wife.
Given these 6 quartets were composed from 1908 to 1938 my headline isn't exactly accurate, but in a sense it is. Bartok was not the typical composer of quartet music; there's a little bit of rock star in him.
I found the Emerson quartet really by accident, having stumbled across them playing in a quintet by Schubert . I liked what they did so when i saw them here I wisely stuck. As other reviewers more knowledgeable than I have pointed out, they are considered the best with this material.
This is very pleasant, sometimes "rocking" and other times humorous music to listen to. I've listened to this set while reading, listened while driving, and listened while just listening.
If you like string quartets you'll love this. If you are curious about string quartets but haven't listened to any or many this would make a good introduction. If you like Bartok then the Emerson String Quartet are decidedly the way to go.
Given these 6 quartets were composed from 1908 to 1938 my headline isn't exactly accurate, but in a sense it is. Bartok was not the typical composer of quartet music; there's a little bit of rock star in him.
I found the Emerson quartet really by accident, having stumbled across them playing in a quintet by Schubert . I liked what they did so when i saw them here I wisely stuck. As other reviewers more knowledgeable than I have pointed out, they are considered the best with this material.
This is very pleasant, sometimes "rocking" and other times humorous music to listen to. I've listened to this set while reading, listened while driving, and listened while just listening.
If you like string quartets you'll love this. If you are curious about string quartets but haven't listened to any or many this would make a good introduction. If you like Bartok then the Emerson String Quartet are decidedly the way to go.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
LR
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lacking depth?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 28, 2020
In my view, the Emerson’s do not wholly convey the mystery or strange beauty of these masterpieces.
The technique and ensemble is exemplary, and the engineering lovely, but there is so much more to these quartets.
I would encourage listeners who wish to go deeper to sample the recordings by the Keller, Tokyo,Guarneri, Fine Arts and the Lindsay Quartets
The technique and ensemble is exemplary, and the engineering lovely, but there is so much more to these quartets.
I would encourage listeners who wish to go deeper to sample the recordings by the Keller, Tokyo,Guarneri, Fine Arts and the Lindsay Quartets
hotswimming
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kunst kommt von Können
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on May 9, 2015
Bartóks Streichquartette sind diffizil und alles andere als eingängig. Teilweise streifen sie ebenso schonungslos durch menschliche Abgründe wie diejenigen von Shostakovich; wenngleich das bei Bartók nicht die hervorstechende Facette ist.
Ich finde diese Aufnahme spannend und genussreich und ziehe sie mir gerne immer wieder rein, immer wieder Neues entdeckend. Die Freude an diesen widerborstigen und mitunter spröden Werken rührt größtenteils von der Meisterschaft der Emersons her: Sie haben das Opus durchdrungen und können es folglich derart überzeugend durchleuchten, dass es auch für unbedarfte Hörer wie meine Wenigkeit zum Lichtblick wird. Kunst kommt von Können, und Verstand von Verstehen...
Ich finde diese Aufnahme spannend und genussreich und ziehe sie mir gerne immer wieder rein, immer wieder Neues entdeckend. Die Freude an diesen widerborstigen und mitunter spröden Werken rührt größtenteils von der Meisterschaft der Emersons her: Sie haben das Opus durchdrungen und können es folglich derart überzeugend durchleuchten, dass es auch für unbedarfte Hörer wie meine Wenigkeit zum Lichtblick wird. Kunst kommt von Können, und Verstand von Verstehen...
Copland
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bartok quartettistico!
Reviewed in Italy 🇮🇹 on November 28, 2015
I quartetti di Bartok e gli Emerson: binomio quantomai felice! Registrazione pluripremiata e a ragione: tempi vorticosi, linee precise e sempre limpide, melodie sgranate con amore, virtuosismo magnifico. Grande alternativa ai quartetti ungheresi.
Cadmium yellow
5.0 out of 5 stars
息をもつかせぬ快演奏。1989 Gramophone Record of the Yearは伊達じゃない。
Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on January 19, 2018
これがバルトークだと言う感じで迫って来る快演奏です。ジュリアード弦楽四重奏団の全集も持っていますが、バルトークの特長を聴くと言う意味では、こちらの方が明快です。但し、ドイツグラモフォンの固めの録音のせいか、聴き疲れを感じます。また、曲ごとの差異と言う面では、ジュリアード弦楽四重奏団の方が良く出ているかと思います。予算が許せば、両方買っても損はないでしょう。
Mr. R. J. Kohn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 19, 2015
Brilliant
2 people found this helpful
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