Sibelius: Complete String Quartets

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Out of Sibelius's four completed string quartets, only one dates from his mature mastery: the dark, intimate Op. 56 "Voces Intimae." By contrast, the A Minor and B-flat major reveal an assured surface style redolent of Dvorák and Tchaikovsky, but laced with original touches that foreshadow the Sibelius to come. The same cannot be said of the 19-year-old composer's well-crafted but derivative, Haydnesque E-flat Quartet. The Sibelius Academy Quartet recorded all four works in the 1980s for Finlandia, and the label eventually compiled these amply engineered, scrupulously prepared, and heartfelt performances for a 1992 double-disc release. Here they are again, but with the Sibelius Academy's "Voces Intimae" replaced by the New Helsinki Quartet's 1998 recording. By and large, the change is not for the better. To be certain, there's much to admire in the New Helsinki's leaner timbre, which imbues the music's contrapuntal give and take with an appropriately austere transparency, similar to the Melos Quartet's excellent version on Harmonia Mundi. At the same time, the Helsinki group's well-played yet essentially soft-grained Scherzo falls short of the Melos's and Sibelius Academy's characterful bite and nervous energy. All the same, listeners who wish to acquire Sibelius's quartet output at Finlandia's reduced two-for-one price won't be disappointed. But where does that leave the Sibelius Academy Quartet's superior "Voces Intimae"? --Jed Distler

Sibelius: Complete String Quartets, Music, Jean Sibelius, Sibelius String Quartet, New Helsinki Quartet, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Quartet for Four String Instruments

Average customer rating:

masterful playing, excellent recording

outstanding performances

Sibelius: Complete String Quartets
Jean Sibelius , Sibelius String Quartet , and New Helsinki Quartet
Manufacturer: Finlandia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005UNOT
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

String Quartet in E Flat Major: Allegro
String Quartet in E Flat Major: Andante molto
String Quartet in E Flat Major: Scherzo (Allegretto)
String Quartet in E Flat Major: Vivace
String Quartet in A Minor: Andante-Allegro
String Quartet in A Minor: Adagio ma non troppo
String Quartet in A Minor: Vivace
String Quartet in A Minor: Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 4: Allegro
String Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 4: Andante sostenuto
String Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 4: Presto
String Quartet in B Flat Major, Op. 4: Allegro
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 56: Andante-Allegro molto moderato
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 56: Vivace
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 56: Adagio di molto
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 56: Allegro (ma pesante)
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 56: Allegro

Amazon.com

Out of Sibelius's four completed string quartets, only one dates from his mature mastery: the dark, intimate Op. 56 "Voces Intimae." By contrast, the A Minor and B-flat major reveal an assured surface style redolent of Dvorák and Tchaikovsky, but laced with original touches that foreshadow the Sibelius to come. The same cannot be said of the 19-year-old composer's well-crafted but derivative, Haydnesque E-flat Quartet. The Sibelius Academy Quartet recorded all four works in the 1980s for Finlandia, and the label eventually compiled these amply engineered, scrupulously prepared, and heartfelt performances for a 1992 double-disc release. Here they are again, but with the Sibelius Academy's "Voces Intimae" replaced by the New Helsinki Quartet's 1998 recording. By and large, the change is not for the better. To be certain, there's much to admire in the New Helsinki's leaner timbre, which imbues the music's contrapuntal give and take with an appropriately austere transparency, similar to the Melos Quartet's excellent version on Harmonia Mundi. At the same time, the Helsinki group's well-played yet essentially soft-grained Scherzo falls short of the Melos's and Sibelius Academy's characterful bite and nervous energy. All the same, listeners who wish to acquire Sibelius's quartet output at Finlandia's reduced two-for-one price won't be disappointed. But where does that leave the Sibelius Academy Quartet's superior "Voces Intimae"? --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

masterful playing, excellent recording.......2006-01-11

In listening to all four quartets, one can hear a definite evolution of ideas, from the first quartet that is reminiscent of Haydn or Mozart, to the middle quartets which seem to be influenced by the work of Dvorak, and the fourth string quartet "Voces Intimae" (one of my all-time favorite string quartets) which seems quite original and played masterfully by the New Helsinki Quartet. The sound quality also seems quite good. Also, check out the Sibelius Academy Quartet's version of "Voces Intimae" (95851). This was the version I heard that originally compelled me to purchase his quartets.

outstanding performances.......2003-07-28

This is a really magnificant performance of Sibby's string quartets, especially the last two, which are pretty stunning! Can't recommend it enough.

Average customer rating:

He wasn't just a symphonist

Sibelius: The Complete String Quartets

Manufacturer: Finlandia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005IG7
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Tracks:

String Quartet In E Flat Major (1885): Allegro
String Quartet In E Flat Major (1885): Andante molto
String Quartet In E Flat Major (1885): Scherzo (Allegretto)
String Quartet In E Flat Major (1885): Vivace
String Quartet In A Minor (1889): Andante - Allegro
String Quartet In A Minor (1889): Adagio ma non troppo
String Quartet In A Minor (1889): Vivace
String Quartet In A Minor (1889): Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 4 (1890): Allegro
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 4 (1890): Andante sostenuto
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 4 (1890): Presto
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 4 (1890): Allegro
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 (1909) 'Voces Intimae': Andante - Allegro molto moderato (attacca)
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 (1909) 'Voces Intimae': Vivace
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 (1909) 'Voces Intimae': Adagio di molto
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 (1909) 'Voces Intimae': Allegro (ma pesante)
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 (1909) 'Voces Intimae': Allegro

Customer Reviews:

He wasn't just a symphonist.......2003-04-06

Jean Sibelius is famous primarily for his symphonies and symphonic poems. In the realm of chamber music, he is represented by the string quartet in D minor (subtitled "Voces Intimae"), which he wrote during his mature period. Among the lesser known aspects of his musical output are three quartets which preceded it. The first quartet (in E flat) was written by Sibelius at the age of 20 in 1885. It is clearly a student work, with a Haydnesque quality, and unremarkable except for occassional flashes of the distinctive musical voice the composer was to develop. But if the E flat quartet is the work of a student, and "Voces Intimae" is one of a master, then the real surprise comes with the second and third quartets.

The A minor string quartet was composed a scant four years after the E flat quartet, yet it reveals a very different - and more unique musical world. While the form of each movement is rather textbook, the flow of ideas and harmonic inventiveness are truly remarkable. This quartet also reflects Sibelius' early interest in counterpoint with fugato sections in both the first and fourth movements, although these sections are by no means mere dry academic exercises! Except for the middle section of the second movement, which can be recognized as being very Sibelian, the originality of the musical language in the A minor quartet is unusual compared to that of the composer's later work. It is a haunting piece from beginning to end, and one very much worth getting to know.

The B flat quartet, composed one year after the A minor quartet, shares two things in common with it - the form is rather textbook, but quality of the material is remarkable. In contrast to the earlier quartet, the first movement is calmer and rather pastoral. However, there are elements more distinctly recognizable as being from the pen of Sibelius, with occassoinal flashes of harmony suggestive of Debussy or Ravel. Although the melodic aspects of Sibelius' music are described as being folk-like, he rarely quoted actual Finnish folk songs. The second movement of the B flat quartet is one of those rare occasions, where he uses the quotation as the basis for a set of variations. The odd harmonic shifts underpinning the statement of the "theme" set the tone for the entire movement, and one variation in particular borders on the hallucinatory. The third movement is an athletic scherzo with a brief moment of melancholy that expresses itself fully only in the trio section, which like the middle section of the A minor quartet's second movement, is distinctly Sibelian. The fourth movement begins with a vigorous theme that foreshadows the finale of Sibelius' violin concerto (there is a similar foreshadowing in the first movement of the B flat quartet with that of the violin concerto). As it proceeds, the assertiveness of ideas are interspersed with moments of genuine (and surprising) warmth.

Sibelius wrote the D minor quartet ("Voces Intimae")in 1909, between his Third and Fourth symphonies. Much has been made about this in musical commentary, but it misses the point that Sibelius had a different way of expressing himself away from his usual symphonic idiom. While his approach to form in this quartet is more in keeping with his orchestral music, the expression is (as the subtitle suggests) more intimate. The promise suggested by the A minor and B flat quartets is fully revealed here, and offers proof that it is truly a loss to the musical world that Sibelius did not choose to pursue a line of musical development in which he clearly had a great deal of skill.