Calling Pat D...

[bobsticks]

...or anyone else listening to some chamber music. During the summer months I don't seem to have it in me to tackle large-scale symphonic works. Anyone have any recs for small-scale ensembles (quartets, quintets)?

[JohnMichael]

...or anyone else listening to some chamber music. During the summer months I don't seem to have it in me to tackle large-scale symphonic works. Anyone have any recs for small-scale ensembles (quartets, quintets)?


bobsticks an interesting recording I have is Bach "The Art Of Fugue" by the Emerson String Quartet. I also enjoy the ESQ "Mendelssohn, The Complete String Quartets" which features the Octet where the ESQ plays both roles with the aid of studio recording. ESQ's "The Haydn Project" is enjoyable.

[noddin0ff]

I really like Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets, Vol 3 which is the late ones. I think it's the Julliard String Quartet. It's a 3-disk set. More interesting with out being too modern.

[bobsticks]

Thanks for the recs, guys.

[Feanor]

...or anyone else listening to some chamber music. During the summer months I don't seem to have it in me to tackle large-scale symphonic works. Anyone have any recs for small-scale ensembles (quartets, quintets)?

Some of my favorite chamber music recordings are the following, and I have lots more too if you want 'em ...

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D2CCE453F5CC0640&sql=43:22980
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D1CAE454FACC0640&sql=43:68761
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D1C9E454FDCC0640&sql=43:6027
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D1CEE457F5CC0640&sql=43:67814
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D1CDE457FBCC0640&sql=43:53530
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781BDE4BAD7320D3AD3B7BCBB57AFE0CC763 E38F162F451BDFB42D448C176FE353EC95CBAEFB71AB7BAFFF 29E85305D1C3E457F5CC0640&sql=43:111316

[Pat D]

Sorry to be so late in replying. We have been doing a lot of gardening.

I came rather late to chamber music and though I have quite a lot of recordings, I don't have a very systematic collection. But I'll do the best I can.

Let's start with Bach. The 6 Brandenburg Concertos are for relatively small ensembles, 7-11 performers in my Pinnock set, if I counted correctly.

Haydn wrote numerous string quartets. I like the Op. 20, 33, 71. 74. 76, and 77 quartets. The recordings by the Kodaly Qt. on Naxos are good to excellent, but there are probably better ones. The recording quality is somewhat variable, too.

Mozart wrote some excellent string quartets. The Six Quartets dedicated to Haydn, nos. 14-19, wonderful work. Quartets no. 20-23 are great works, too. The Flute Quartets are earlier works but quite charming. I don't have all 6 String Quintets but the ones I have are great works.

Mozart's Clarinet Quintet is absolutely wonderful, often enough coupled with the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. The instrumentation is a string quartet plus a clarinet.

Beethoven 16 String Quartets have already been mentioned. I think the Early (nos. 1-6) and Middle Quartets (nos. 7-11) are most approachable, but the Late Quartets (nos. 12-16 plus the Grosse Fuge) are commonly thought to be among the greatest music ever composed. The Quartetto Italiano has a great set, but there are other good ones, like the Lindsays.

Schubert's Piano Quintet in A (the Trout Quintet) is very popular, as is the Octet. Many regard the String Quintet in C as one of the greatest pieces ever composed--I don't rate it quite that high but it's a great work. Dusty Chalk likes some of Schubert's Piano Trios as I recall.

Schuberts Late Quartets, Nos. 12-14, are fine works, too. I like the Italian Quartet's recordings.

Mendelssohn and Schumann wrote some very nice quartets, too, but they're not usually regarded as quite on the same level.

Brahms 3 String Quartets are very beautiful. The Piano Quintet is wonderful, and is often coupled with Schumann's Piano Quintet, which is a lovely work, too.

For a more obscure work, I rather like Berwald's Septet.

The later Dvorak Quartets are great works. Feanor has suggested the recording to Dvorak's "American" Quartet (no. 12) coupled with no. 13 by the new Vlach Qt. of Prague on Naxos and it is great. The Vlach Qt. also did a wonderful version of Quartets nos. 10 and 14 which is very beautiful.

As I mentioned above, the Brahms Clarinet Quintet is very beautiful, as is Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. CBC Radio 2 did a survey of listeners' favorite music and the slow movement of tht Brahms Clarinet quintet came out first.

Brahms Serenade no. 1 can be done in sort of large chamber ensemble proportions, and Wagner's Siegfried Idyll is also for a similar sized ensemble, although there are orchestral versions, too. Both are very beautiful.

Debussy and Ravel each wrote a single quartet, often coupled together on the same CD. They're different from most other quartets previous, but quite beautiful. Naturally, I like the Quartetto Italiano on Philips but Feanor's suggestion of the Cleveland Quartet's recording on Telarc is also excellent. I like an older one with the Chicago Fine Arts Quartet, which I have on LP. The critics also like a number of others, too.

Sibelius' "Voces Intimae" Quartet is quite interesting.

I have never quite warmed up to the 6 Bartok Quartets but many regard them as the greatest body of quartets since Beethoven. I try, but so far they aren't my thing, but you may like them.

I really haven't gotten into the Shostakovich Quartets though I have a few. They are also regarded as a fine body of work.

Thre's a lot of interesting chamber music and I hope you enjoy your summer.

[Feanor]

Sorry to be so late in replying. We have been doing a lot of gardening.
...
I have never quite warmed up to the 6 Bartok Quartets but many regard them as the greatest body of quartets since Beethoven. I try, but so far they aren't my thing, but you may like them.

I really haven't gotten into the Shostakovich Quartets though I have a few. They are also regarded as a fine body of work.

Thre's a lot of interesting chamber music and I hope you enjoy your summer.

One more strong recommendation from me is the string quartets of Leos Janácek. He only wrote two: No.1 "Kreutzer Sonata" and No.2 "Intimate Letters" but they are great. I have two recordings; I'm not sure which I prefer, but the one I can find just now is the following. The Janacek are here paired with Alban Berg, one of the "Second Viennese School" composers, which isn't to everyone's taste ...
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=5697

Unlike Pat, I'm really into Shostakovich's string quartets: my favorites are Nos. 3, 7, 8, and 10.

I like Bartok's quartets too, but I have to be in the mood. They make annoying back ground music but are interesting if you give them some attention -- of course, that's true of many works, especially the contemporary ones, including my Elliot Carter recommendation.

[bobsticks]

I can always count on you two showing up like the cavalry on this topic and responding with a few that I own, a few that I've wanted, and many with which I would like to become familiar.

Dusty and I had a dialogue about the "Trout Quintets" a few months ago. I have the Philips label version and should probably dig that out. The Sibelius too.

Thank you both for taking the time to be so thoughtful and complete. Now, on to the hunt...

Peace

[Pat D]

One more strong recommendation from me is the string quartets of Leos Janácek. He only wrote two: No.1 "Kreutzer Sonata" and No.2 "Intimate Letters" but they are great. I have two recordings; I'm not sure which I prefer, but the one I can find just now is the following. The Janacek are here paired with Alban Berg, one of the "Second Viennese School" composers, which isn't to everyone's taste ...
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=5697

Unlike Pat, I'm really into Shostakovich's string quartets: my favorites are Nos. 3, 7, 8, and 10.

I like Bartok's quartets too, but I have to be in the mood. They make annoying back ground music but are interesting if you give them some attention -- of course, that's true of many works, especially the contemporary ones, including my Elliot Carter recommendation.

I actually have the Debussy, Dvorak and Takemitsu CDs you pictured above.

Yes, the Bartok Quartets aren't good for background music (unlike Mozart's Flute Quartets!) but they do seem to be very strong works.

I have the Vlach Qt.'s recording of the 2 Janacek Quartets and with your strong recommendation of those works I'll have to listen to them seriously again.

Which are your favorite recordings of the Shostakovich Quartets? Any good sets you like? In retrospect, I would have been better off to have gotten more sets of symphonies, quartets, quintets, sonatas, and so on, instead of individual discs. Cheaper in the long run. But when younger, one doesn't know what one will want in the future.

[Feanor]

I actually have the Debussy, Dvorak and Takemitsu CDs you pictured above.

Yes, the Bartok Quartets aren't good for background music (unlike Mozart's Flute Quartets!) but they do seem to be very strong works.

I have the Vlach Qt.'s recording of the 2 Janacek Quartets and with your strong recommendation of those works I'll have to listen to them seriously again.

Which are your favorite recordings of the Shostakovich Quartets? Any good sets you like? In retrospect, I would have been better off to have gotten more sets of symphonies, quartets, quintets, sonatas, and so on, instead of individual discs. Cheaper in the long run. But when younger, one doesn't know what one will want in the future.

Pat,

I have a number of Takemitsu recordings, but the 'Toward the Sea' is my favorite by some margin.

Given the Vlach's Janacek is on Naxos, prehaps I'll pick up a copy. Actually, the Julliard isn't my favor of the two I presently have: I had a listen this afternoon, and decided I much prefer the version by the Travnicek Quartet, Koch DICD 920457. It is coupled with Ravel.

As I mentioned, my favorite Shostakovich are Nos. 3, 7, 8, and 10. My preferred recording is the Borodin, but the version I have doesn't have all of the preceeding. I have the complete sent, however, by the Éder Quartet on Naxos, which is pretty good too.

By the way, you'll perhaps agree that the late Beethoven quartets are quite challenging. After many listenings I'm starting to appreciated Op. 131, (reputedly Beethoven's personal favorite), but so far I can't get very far with Op. 133, the Grosse Fugue.

[Rae]

I am overwhelmingly underqualified to post in this thread, but last night I was spinning Metropolis by the Turtle Island String Quartet and enjoying it. Am I a philistine?

~Rae

[Feanor]

I am overwhelmingly underqualified to post in this thread, but last night I was spinning Metropolis by the Turtle Island String Quartet and enjoying it. Am I a philistine?

~Rae

I gather their basically jazz, with a little cross-over to this and that including classical. Good stuff. Enjoy.

[Pat D]

Pat,

I have a number of Takemitsu recordings, but the 'Toward the Sea' is my favorite by some margin.

Given the Vlach's Janacek is on Naxos, prehaps I'll pick up a copy. Actually, the Julliard isn't my favor of the two I presently have: I had a listen this afternoon, and decided I much prefer the version by the Travnicek Quartet, Koch DICD 920457. It is coupled with Ravel.

As I mentioned, my favorite Shostakovich are Nos. 3, 7, 8, and 10. My preferred recording is the Borodin, but the version I have doesn't have all of the preceeding. I have the complete sent, however, by the Éder Quartet on Naxos, which is pretty good too.

By the way, you'll perhaps agree that the late Beethoven quartets are quite challenging. After many listenings I'm starting to appreciated Op. 131, (reputedly Beethoven's personal favorite), but so far I can't get very far with Op. 133, the Grosse Fugue.

Late Beethoven strings quartets challenging? As Mr. Spock used to say, "I believe I said that, Captain!" quartets.

The Vlach Quartet is a world class ensemble, IMHO.

I've sort of been keeping the idea of more Shostakovich on the back burner for some time, both the Quartets and the Symphonies. I only have Prokofiev's Symphonies 1 and 5.

Some time ago, I picked up a disc with Takemitsu's Vers l'arc en ciel, Palma and To the Edge of a Dream with Salonen and the London Sinfonietta, with John Williams playing the guitar part, on an anthology including works by Messiaen, Lutoslawski, and Stravinsky, on Sony SMK 53473. I quite like To the Edge of a Dream.

The Naxos CD is quite interesting, too, and I'm listening to it as I write to refresh my memory. It's very well recorded, too: the music is just 'there'. Do you have any other Takemitsu suggestions? He's got such wonderful titles like From Me Flows What You Call Time.

I don't have much music by Japanese composers, but I rather like some of Toshiro Mayuzumi's works, especially the tone poem, Samsara, which is not something I think most people would like. I wish I had the Tendai texts (in translation, of course) used in the Nirvana Symphony.