Borodin Quartet Beethoven String Quartets,

The wisdom of experience and the infirmities of age lie perhaps too heavy on the Borodin Quartet's set of Beethoven's early quartets. There is no denying that the Borodin know exactly what to do with the music. Their balances are exemplary, their tempos are ideal, and their phrasing is supremely expressive. And there is no denying that the Borodin love deeply every note of the music.

Still at it and still pretty good at it even if not as good at it as it used to be, the Borodin Quartet continues to record with only cellist Valentin Berlinsky still on hand from the Borodin Quartet of the '60s. With a powerful attack and an expressive tone, the new Borodin Quartet is a fine ensemble. But although the attack is powerful, it's not the old Borodin's attack. The angle of attack is different, the point is different, the moment is different.

The third volume of the Borodin Quartet's long-awaited digital set of Beethoven's cycle presents one bold work from the end of the middle period, the String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95; the deeply moving late masterpiece, the String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131; and the sui generis Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133, which is treated here as a quartet in its own right.

Following close on the heels of the mighty F major Quartet (featured in the first volume of this series along with Op. 59, No. 3), Beethoven’s Quartet in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 could not be more different. Where the F major Quartet pursues its course with a leisurely breadth, the cries of the opening chords of the E minor and the whispers that follow confront a void. The real release comes only in the slow movement, which was clearly a significant piece for the composer, judging by his instruction ‘this piece is to be played with great feeling’. The battle of E minor and E major continues in the scherzo: its fractured waltz comes out into the light of the trio with one of the Russian themes Beethoven promised Count Rasumovsky he would insert into each of the quartets.

…The great F-Major Quartet, op. 59/1, is a highlight on the Virgin set: the Borodins take a lyrical, symphonic view with moderate tempos throughout the opening movement. Sforzandos and accents are never harsh; the dolce moments have memorable sweetness. In the Allegretto vivace, the Russian quartet realizes this somewhat unusual tempo marking without artifice or exaggeration, as 16th notes nimbly chase each other around the ensemble, perfectly matched and effortless…. Michael Fine, FANFARE

This set of Beethoven string quartets by the Borodin Quartet reflects a mature perspective on the works. It's not that it lacks energy the Vivaces are vivacious and the Allegros have plenty of brio but it has wisdom and a maturity not generally characteristic of performances by younger quartets. These performances are comparable with the Budapest Quartet's last set of the quartets.

The Zurich-based Valentin Berlinsky Quartet, named in honour of the legendary founding cellist of the Borodin Quartet, debuts on Avie with the first in a series of recordings pairing the works of Beethoven and Shostakovich.

On MDG, the Meccore String Quartet has recorded Edvard Grieg’s three works for string quartet, of which only String Quartet No. 1 in G minor is in complete form. Grieg’s music is often seen as defined by a small body of works: Piano Concerto, Peer Gynt suites, Holberg Suite, Lyric Pieces for solo piano including the notable Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. Nevertheless, there are a number of gems to discover, including the Cello Sonata, the three Violin Sonatas and the G minor String Quartet performed here.

Shostakovich - Complete String Quartets (CDs + Scores!) - Borodin Quartet
Classical | EAC: FLAC+Cue+Log | 6 Cds, Covers; 15 PDF | 2.21 Gb (CDs) + 39.8 Mb (Scores)
Label: Melodiya/BMG - Date: 1997

Rarely do we come across as intimate and wide-angled a set as this collection of Dmitri Shostakovich's 15 string quartets, all of them played by the Russian Borodin Quartet. Recorded in Moscow between 1978 and 1983, the quartets are excellently reproduced in digital sound by Sviatoslav Richter, who maintains just enough shadow from the old Melodiya vinyl's audio vérité to make the music breathe passionately…

Shostakovich - String Quartets 3, 7 & 8 / Borodin Quartet (1991)
EAC Rip, FLAC (tracks), cue, log, scans | RAR rec. 3% | 306 MB | filesonic, hotfile
Classical | Label: Virgin Classics | Time: 1:07

The Borodin Quartet commands a special position of respect in the chamber music world. In existence for more than 60 years, it has preserved a unique performance tradition, focusing on the masterpieces at the very heart of the quartet repertoire. Its interpretations are celebrated for their intensity and focus, a style in which individualism dedicates itself to the collaborative spirit of chamber music and total service of the composer’s wishes.