Bartok Quartets

The Végh Quartet was not only one of the finest string quartets from mid-twentieth century Europe, but its style was never subjected to radical change over the years from personnel changes because the four original players remained members for 38 of the 40 years of the ensemble's existence. Its style evolved in subtle ways, of course, but its essential character endured until 1978: the quartet was Central European in its sound, with a bit more prominence given to the cello in order to build tonal qualities from the bottom upward. The Végh Quartet was best known for its cycles – two each – of the Beethoven and Bartók quartets. It also performed and recorded many of the Haydn quartets, as well as numerous other staples of the repertory by Mozart, Schumann, Brahms, and Debussy. For a group that disbanded in 1980, its recordings are still quite popular, with major efforts available in varied reissues from Music & Arts, Archipel, Naïve, and Orfeo.

The six string quartets of Béla Bartók mark a high point in the genre, and even though their myriad technical demands, rhythmic complexity, and bracing dissonances are no longer obstacles to frequent performance, they still present a major challenge for any string quartet. The Heath Quartet has been performing since 2002, and it has considerable experience with repertoire ranging from Beethoven to contemporary music, though this 2017 set on Harmonia Mundi shows that even after 15 years of music-making, these musicians can still be in awe of Bartók's achievement.

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.

This new set on the revived Näive label comes from the Quatuor Diotima, long-associated with thorny contemporary repertoire. They're marvellous here, forensically accurate but never driving the music too hard…An outstanding achievement then, and a library choice. These quartets aren't always easy listening, but they contain some of the last century's most profound and emotionally affecting music. If you've not heard them before, start here.

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.

The Schumann Quartett, consisting of the brothers Erik, Ken (Violin), Mark (Cello) Schumann and violist Ayako Goto, was formed in Cologne (Germany) in 2007. They are all students of the Cologne University of Music and Dance. With great respect for the masters of the string quartet repertoire and with very dynamic style the Schumann Quartett combines tradition and innovation in an appealing way.

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 first volume in a complete string quartet cycle, The Ragazze Quartet has declared itself Bartók Bound.