Borodin & the Budapest Quartet

[Rae]

Okay, so I know very little about classical recordings, but I thrifted an LP by a group called the Budapest Quartet and I think that it's excellent. I'm particularly stuck on one particular track, Borodin's Nocturne from Quartet No. 2 in D Major. It's just exquisitely pretty. I had planned to give this particular piece of vinyl to a friend as a gift, but I find myself listening to it over and over again. Can anyone tell me more about Borodin or about this particular ensemble? If I do end up giving this LP away, is there any particular recordings of this piece that you'd recommend I track down? Or should I try to find this one again? It's very good (to my inexperienced ears).

~Rae

[Mr Peabody]

Rae, I also really like Borodin. I don't know that much about him except he was only alive long enough to write, I think 2 Symphonys and he is mostly famous for writing ballets. You can get albums of Borodin's dances. He did write some beautiful stuff. I'm not aware of that Quartet but it's the composer who I feel is most important. Some orchestras may have a different interpretation but if you like the Borodin piece, I'd suggest looking for more Borodin and not so much for the Quartet.

[Pat D]

Rae, I also really like Borodin. I don't know that much about him except he was only alive long enough to write, I think 2 Symphonys and he is mostly famous for writing ballets. You can get albums of Borodin's dances. He did write some beautiful stuff. I'm not aware of that Quartet but it's the composer who I feel is most important. Some orchestras may have a different interpretation but if you like the Borodin piece, I'd suggest looking for more Borodin and not so much for the Quartet.

Borodin wrote 3 Symphonies, the third one being unfinished. Symphony No. 2 is a great work and the recording to get is Jean Martinon with the London Symphony Orchestra. Borodin composed two quartets, and String Quartet No. 2 is the better known. There is a terrific 2 CD set on Decca I wish I had called The Essential Borodin listed in the Penguin Guide. I have quite a bit of this on other issues both LP and CD. I know it's available from Amazon.co.uk:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Bo...4121364&sr=1-4

Lacking that, one might be able to find a used single CD, The World of Borodin, which I do have, which contains Jean Martinon's classic recording of Symphony No. 2 and the Nocturne from the String Quartet No. 2 done by the Borodin Qt., the Polovstsian Dances from Prince Igor, and other material.

I don't have String Quartet No. 1, but I do have a fine recording of String Quartet No. 2 on LP with the Gabrieli Qt. The Penguin Guide likes the Borodin Qt.'s recording of the two String Quartets on Chandos.

The musical Kismet uses a lot of Borodin's music.("Stranger in Paradise")

Borodin was a world-class chemist, too. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Borodin

[Mr Peabody]

Chandos is a quality label. Thanks for the link.