Bartók String Quartets

For its first recording for BIS Records, the Marmen Quartet tackles three major works from the twentieth-century string quartet literature. The two quartets by György Ligeti belong to two different periods in the composer’s output. Written before Ligeti left Hungary and emigrated to the West, the First, subtitled ‘Métamorphoses nocturnes’, represents the peak of his ‘Hungarian’ period. Regarded as a virtuoso exercise, the work reveals the influences of Béla Bartók, particularly from his Third and Fourth Quartets.

One of the great recent versions of - arguably - the towering string quartets of the 20th century is by frequent Buffalo visitors the Vermeer Quartet. Three decades separate the composition of the first Bartok Quartet from the sixth and last. Not only is the stylistic diversity within them often much exaggerated but so too are the difficulties presented by the third quartet, which, for all its dissonance, is so structurally cohesive (it's the shortest at 15 minutes - half the length of the first, fifth and sixth) that it remains one of the most powerful works in the quartet repertoire.

For their debut release on Chandos, award winning Silesian Quartet presents the complete string quartets by Grayna Bacewicz. Bacewicz's life was conditioned by the political and military events of her time, making her works reflect not only traumas but also the stylistic shifting into twentieth-century music. These seven string quartets have withstood the test of time and showcase Bacewicz's understanding of all string instruments.

Bartók Bound (Vol. 2): String Quartets 3, 5 & 6 - The music of Béla Bartók has everything: the mysterious tension of a thriller, loving lyricism, warm string sounds, almost impossible techniques challenging any string player to rediscover his instrument, and exhilarating rhythms which could well be rooted in folk dance. With the second volume of Bartók Bound, Ragazze Quartet complete their string quartet cycle.

For its very first recording on Chandos, the Arcadia String Quartet presents what has been at the very heart of its musical career and influences: the complete string quartets by Bartók. With the music of the Hungarian composer, the members of this Romanian ensemble, neighbours of his birthplace, have won such major careershaping competitions as Osaka, the Wigmore Hall, and Hamburg.

Béla Bartók - Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets 1-6
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 647 MB | Full Artwork: 62 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: EMI # 0946 3 60947 2 4 | Country/Year: Europe 2006, 1987
Genre: Classical | Style: Early 20th Century

“The Alban Berg bring all their usual sophistication and Viennese hothouse climate to works which are sometimes illuminated by them, and equally often obscured.” ~BBC Music Magazine

Béla Bartók - Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets 1-6
2xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 647 MB | Full Artwork: 62 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: EMI # 0946 3 60947 2 4 | Country/Year: Europe 2006, 1987
Genre: Classical | Style: Early 20th Century

“The Alban Berg bring all their usual sophistication and Viennese hothouse climate to works which are sometimes illuminated by them, and equally often obscured.” ~BBC Music Magazine