Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Shostakovich's Eighth Quartet is his most autobiographical piece of music. Composed in a matter of days and dedicated to "the victims of fascism," the piece not only quotes from highly personal works like the Second Piano Trio, the First Cello Concerto, and the opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, it also features the composers own musical monogram and a terrifying slow movement inspired by thoughts of the bombing of Dresden. It's so powerful and trenchant that it has also been successfully performed as a chamber symphony arranged for string orchestra. The Ninth Quartet has something of the same tension within a more conventionally balanced structure, while the First is all sweetness and light. You must hear this music. --David Hurwitz

Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2, Music, Gyorgy Eder, Dmitry Shostakovich, Eder Quartet, Sandor Papp, György Selmeczi, Peter Szuts, Chamber, Chamber Symphony, Classical, Classical Composers, Quartet for Four String Instruments

Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Average customer rating:

Cruel Joke

The first--and still greatest?--modernist readings

Great music, great performance

Re-release of a Fantastic Collection

Shostakovich: The String Quartets

Manufacturer: DG
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Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99

ASIN: B000F3T7RE
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Customer Reviews:

Cruel Joke.......2007-01-20

I heard this set of discs elsewhere. I tried to send them to my niece twice as a Christmas present in Paris, France. The delivery by U.P.S. was never accomplished owing to U.P.S. retuning the items to your warehouse too rapidly for my niece to arrainge delivery. I was nonetheless charged for one of these deliveries and just don't want to exhaust the energy to contest this charge, having tried that already. Be very sure that amazon won't spring back to life for my pocketbook.

The first--and still greatest?--modernist readings.......2006-11-13

This re-issue at bargain price of the Emerson's complete Shostakovich quartet cycle is a reminder that their breakthrough readings are roughly a decade old now (the set was taped in concert from Aspen 1994-99). Instead of Russian soul we get clean, often faster interpretations that brought out Shostakovich's modernist side, aided by the ultra virtuosity of the playing. In the meantime, however, other groups like the St. Lawrence and Hagen Quartets have made even more severe, biting, stark, haunted, and tragic recordings of selected works from the fifteen quartets. This doesn't mean the Emersons have been eclipsed, only that they started a trend that shows no sign of ending.

Also, I'd like to point out that if you want the best all-around modern set from a Russian group. the Shostakovich Quartet, which recorded for Olympia, can now be found on bargain reissues from Regis (Berkshire Record Outlet offers the complete quartets for $20). The SQ play beautifully, are well recorded, and imbue Shostakovich's music with more emotional intensity than the cooler Emersons. By comparison, the old standby set from the Fitzwilliam Quartet on Decca seems dated and stodgy. The choice for me comes down to 1. Emerson complete cycle 2. Shostakovich Quartet complete cycle or 3. Pick and choose among outstanding individual readings from the St. Lawrence, Kronos, Hagen, and of course older Soviet groups like the Borodin and Beethoven Quartets. That's just a thumbnail sketch. Many die-hard fans won't give up their beloved Emerson cycle, while older aficinados would never part with their traditional Soviet favorites.

Great music, great performance.......2006-10-21

I've been through this collection three times so far and am delighted with it in every aspect. True, I haven't picked up the scores yet, which would add a great deal, but even short of that I can recommend this performance both from an acoustic and aesthetic point of view. And the music, of course, speaks for itself. Big bonus which shouldn't be is that the discs are pressed (burned?) in numerical order 1 through 15 so you don't have to keep switching discs like you do with, say, the Alban Berg Beethoven integral.

Can't think of a single complaint, and I've tried! OK, there is one. I'm afraid that the notes that accompany the recording are pretty uninformative. A little historical fact followed by vague and misleading metaphorical descriptions are about the sum of it. True, Shostakovich scholarship is just beginning so there is little to draw on, but still...

Re-release of a Fantastic Collection.......2006-06-23

This is a re-release of the Emerson String Quartet's live performances of the Shostakovich String Quartets. For Shostakovich lovers this is a must buy.

Note that Amazon does offer the original as well. This re-release, however, is priced at about half of the original. There is nothing left out in this one, so if you want the original artwork and so on, pay the double price. If you want the music to enjoy, buy this one -- at least until someone realizes that the two are competing with each other. (Note that many people, after viewing this album, purchased the more expensive one!)

That being said, many reviewers of this and other editions have compared Emerson's against Borodin String Quartet among others. The Emerson String Quartet is as perfect as one can get during this lifetime. It may lack "Soul," as some reviewers put it, but if it does, then I don't know what "soul" means. Different interpretations? Yes. Lack of soul? No. Americans can perform Russian works with dexterity. Incidentally, I also enjoy these same works produced on a budget label by an relatively unknown string quartet. I love them, too, and I'm keeping them both.

Average customer rating:

Hum a little Shostakovich
Not just a bargain--a must-have
lusterless
Rating this bargain set against the Emersons at full price
A triumph of creativity over censorship

Shostakovich: The String Quartets

Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000042HV
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: V. Moderato - Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: II. Andantino - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No .5 In B flat Major, Op. 92: I. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: II. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: III. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: III. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op. 101: IV. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 zIn F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: II. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: III. Allegro - Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: I. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: II. Allegro molto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: IV. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: V. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: I. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: II. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: V. Allegro - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: I. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: II. Allegretto furioso - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: III. Adagio - - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: IV. Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Introduction: Andantino - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: II. Scherzo: Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: III. Recitative: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: IV. Etude: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: V. Humoresque: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: VI. Elegy: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Finale: Moderato - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major, Op. 133: II. Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo - Dmitri Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: I. Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: II. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: III. Allegretto - Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: I. Elegy. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: II. Serenade. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: III. Intermezzo. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: IV. Nocturne. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: V. Funeral March. Adagio molto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: VI. Epilogue. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich

Amazon.com

The Fitzwilliam Quartet is English by birth but shows a lot of Russian soul in these works, which were recorded in consultation with the composer. Their technique is flawless, their immersion in the music total, their interaction with one another and with the music spontaneous and intense. Priced competitively with the Borodin Quartet, they do not have any added attraction to match the Piano Quintet in that set, but this close-up stereo recording is significantly better. Highlights of the set include the relaxed, folk-flavored No. 1; the tense, autobiographical No. 8, which recalls the terrors of World War II, quotes a lot of Shostakovich's earlier works, and mourns for the "victims of fascism and war"; the contrasts of quiet beauty and fierce intensity in No. 10; and the bold structure of No. 15, Shostakovich's last quartet, in which he looks at death, steadily and without blinking. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Hum a little Shostakovich.......2007-02-19

I enjoyed these performances and would have purchased this album, but there is a persistent hum on some of these CDs and, once noticed, it became impossible for me not to notice it.

Not just a bargain--a must-have.......2007-02-05

There are perhaps several complete Shostakovich cycles one would like to own for these amazing pieces, and this is one of them. Not every single quartet is perfect, but that is to be expected. What these players excel in is an emotional depth that is perhaps left behind in the sheer brilliance of the Emerson SQ's playing.

Their tempi are excellent: fast when necessary, and painfully slow where Shostakovich asks for it. Perhaps my favorite point of their playing is the articulation, which is broader than most recordings I hear. Typically, they only play short when asked to in the score, and I think this sounds better than, for instance, if the opening of the Fifth Quartet, a work of enormous gravity and passion, is taken lightly.

Get this one. Highly recommended.

lusterless.......2006-11-05

The only qualm I have with this set is that the String Quartet No. 9 is a lusterless endeavor when compared to other renditions. The intensity and suffering just isnt there.

Rating this bargain set against the Emersons at full price.......2006-03-09

For many buyers the choice for a complete cycle of the Shostakovich quartets will come down to three: the Borodin, Emerson, and Fitzwilliam quartets. I own the latter two and can offer a comparison.

Fitzwilliam: This set, made between 1975-77 in a church in Surrey, has the advantage of price. Although the 15 quartets are spread out over 6 CDs as compared to 5 for the Emersons, Decca offers this cycle at roughly half the cost of the DG cycle (it's much cheaper than that, even, on the used market). The performances eschew Russian soul, grit, and emotional extremes such as one hears from the Borodin Quartet. The Fitzwilliam Quartet sounds soulful but stops short of impassioned. As much as it is possible, they make this music friendly and easy to listen to without sacrificing all of its bite and sarcasm. They are not a virtuoso group (English critics actually praise them for this lack, as if the Emersons' technical mastery was a sign of glibness), so individual solo lines, of which there are many in these quartets, sound medium well played, not dazzling. Decca's sound as transferred to CD can be a bit shrill and congested but is certainly good enough. One large missing ingredient is tonal variation--the Fitzwilliam doesn't search out the peculiar tonalities that are implied in Shostakovich's string writing, which can be eerie, ghostly, brutal, and caustic by turns.

Emerson: Recorded in Aspen at intervals between 1994 and 1999, these are live performances from the music festival and are thus not ideal sonically. What's most lacking is solidity and body. Even so, the recorded sound is considerably more detailed than in the Fitzwilliam set, or any other of the four I listened to. When this cycle was first issued in 1999 it swept the field for good reason. The Emersons are head and shoulders above any other quartet for sheer virtuosity in this music. Not that virtuosity is required very often, but the many solo lines are rendered with exquisite technique, and the Emersons pay very close attention to changes in tonality. As a result, these performances are more varied and interesting to listen to than any competitor that I sampled (including the Fitzwilliam, Brodsky, Borodin, St. Petersburg, and Shostakovich quartets on various labels).

The drawbacks are price (it's hard to find even a used set for under $70) and the prevalent accusation, from some quarters, that the Emersons lack Russian soul--they are supposedly too cool, detached, and efficient. Yet this charge can be turned around to say that the Emersons make Shostakovich sound more modern by removing a layer of sentiment. It's really up to the listener to decide, yet I found that cool detachment is not prevalent here--not by any means--and the reviewer below who thinks that the tempos are uniformly too fast is not aware of the field; the Emersons are not extreme in their allegros, at least not very often, and when they play a movement for virtuosic speed, it's almost alwaays to good effect.

I bbught this set because I heard the Emersons play Shostakovich in concert on two occasions, and I was deeply struck by how much better these quartets sound when they are given superlative musicianship. I am not one to believe that Shostakovich was a great master of quartet writing compared to Bartok, Schoenberg, and Janacek among moderns. But he found an idiom, often spare and therefore one-dimenisonal, that is easy to absorb. The Emersons go a step further and give that spare idiom all kinds of shading and colors that often make it sound better than it is.

In sum, I did what many collectors befoe me have done. I gave away the Fitzwilliam set, which was a good stop gap for many years, and relish the Emerson set as a great achievement, especially for a non-Russian ensemble.

A triumph of creativity over censorship.......2006-01-22

It is extremely difficult for a westerner, living in today's modern democracies, to have the full grasp of the extent of censorship and control of the Stalinist regime. During most of his creative life, Shostakovich was under surveillance, and some of his works were publicly censored by the self-intitled followers of the "Socialist Realism". The tension of censorship is reflected in his body of symphonies. The uneveness and limitations of some of his symphonies are a reflection of his limitations under Stalin. His string quartets, however, are mostly free from these limitations. For one, it is extremely difficult to establish what is "socialist realism" in a string quartet. Since Shostakovich was not a follower of serialism, he could afford to translate into the string quartet medium most of his tortured inner self. These quartets are filled with humanism. They are not easy listening in the sense of Hadyn and Mozart. They are rather deep, touching pieces, like the late Beethoven, Schummann, or Bartok. These recordings by the Fitzwilliam Quartet have an immense authority at a reasonable price. Lovers of string quartet cannot afford to be without the entire Shostakovich set, and anynone buying this collection will enjoy a lifetime of rewarding listening.

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 14, 15

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 14, 15

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 11, 12, 13
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 9, 10
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 4, 5
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, 8

ASIN: B000000833
Release Date: 1994-01-28

Tracks:

Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Allegretto
Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Adagio
Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Allegretto
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Elegy-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Serenade-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Intermezzo-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Nocturne-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Funeral March-Adagio Molto
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Epilogue-Adagio

Average customer rating:

5 stars for what is there.
A very nice partial cycle
A little less of a good thing

Shostakovich: String Quartets 1-13
Dmitry Shostakovich , and Borodin Quartet
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Borodin: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 3, 14 & 15

ASIN: B00008WQB4
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

I Moderato
II Moderato
III Allegro Molto
IV Allegro
I Allegretto
II Moderato Con Moto
III Allegro Non Troppo
IV Adagio
V Moderato
I Moderato
II Allegro-Adagio-Moderato-Adagio-Moderato-Allegretto

Tracks:

I Allegretto
II Andantino
III Allegretto
IV Allegretto
I Allegretto Non Troppo
II Andante
III Moderato-Allegretto
I Allegretto
II Moderato Con Moto
III Lento
IV Lento- Allegretto

Tracks:

I Allegretto
II Lento
III Allegro-Allegretto
I Largo
II Allegro Molto
III Allegretto
IV Largo
V Largo
I Moderato Con Moto
II Adagio
III Allegretto
IV Adagio
V Allegro Molto
I Introduction. Andantino
II Scherzo Allegretto
III Recitative. Adagio
IV Etude. Allegro
V Humoresque. Allegro
VI Elegy. Adagio
VII Finale. Moderato

Tracks:

I Overture. Moderato Con Moto
II Recitative And Romance. Adagio
III Waltz. Allegro
IV Theme With Variations. Adagio
I Adante
II Allegretto Furioso
III Adagio
IV Allegretto
Adagio-Doppio Movimento-Tempo Primo

Customer Reviews:

5 stars for what is there........2004-03-08

This is an excellent transfer of the recordings I remember from the Seraphim set of the 70's -- and more inclusive, since I believe that set stopped at #11.

As suggested in another post, I augmented this set with the Glinka and Beethoven Quartets recordings of #s 14 & 15 on the Praga label -- equally impressive performances; a fine recording.

It is hard to choose between this earlier set, and the later set, which includes all the quartets, plus the Quintet with Richter (and a really lumbering account of the scherzo; it could almost be a 'lost' fragment by Bruckner). Frankly, at this level of musicianship and personal identification with the composer, it might be a matter of shelf space! The BMG box is pretty hefty,
enclosing perhaps seven separate jewel cases. This chandos set, plus the Praga of the last two quartets, and a recording of the quintet take up the space of @ 4 1/2 jewel cases.

Unfortunately, living in a Manhattan appartment does make one think twice about shelf space. But this is a trivial matter; the performance and recording are what really count. All the more reason to appreciate this current, compact issue of excellent recordings.

A very nice partial cycle.......2003-12-25

Since there seems to be some confusion as to what these recordings are, let's make a few things clear. This is the Borodin's first stereo go-round of the quartets, recorded for Melodiya in the late 60s and early 70s. It is not the same as the well-known EMI box set which was recorded in the 80s and keeps bouncing in and out of circulation. These performances have never been available on CD before.
Of course the last two quartets didn't exist at the time of these recordings, but they were set down by the slightly reconfigured Borodins soon thereafter and it is too bad those documents have been orphaned as they would have made the most logical compliment to this not quite complete set.
As to the performances themselves, they are classic, comparable to the later EMI versions but heard in a warmer acoustic, which has the effect of making the music seem a little less edgy, too.
One hopes that some of the other masterful cycles of this music by groups such as the Beethoven, Tanayev and Shostakovich Quartets will return to the catalog. The Borodins are great, but not the last or only word on the subject.

A little less of a good thing.......2003-10-27

The Borodin Quartet made their first Shostakovich cycle for Melodiya in 1967-71. Soon after the 14th and 15th quartets were written in 1973 and 74, they were recorded, too, but never integrated into any of the incarnations of this set, last seen in the US on Angel's budget Melodiya/Seraphim label. It is a shame they could not have been included here.

The performances are comparable to the 1980s Melodiya traversal now available on EMI, which is to say they are pretty great though perhaps a shade less intense, an impression abetted by the sound, which is warmer and more spacious than in the later set. But, of course, that one gives you all 15 Quartets and the Piano Quintet with Richter.

Average customer rating:

Musical Must Have
Powerful, sometimes devastating
a shame!
Could not be a better 8th
Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?

Complete String Quartets
Dmitry Shostakovich , and Emerson String Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

ASIN: B00003XAGO
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 1. Moderato
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 2. Moderato
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 3. Allegro molto
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 4. Allegro
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 1. Overture: Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 2. Recitative And Romance: Adagio
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 3. Waltz: Allegro
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 4. Theme With Variations: Adagio - Moderato con moto - Allegretto - Piu mosso - Allegro non troppo - Allegro - Adagio
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 2. Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 3. Allegro non troppo
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 4. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 5. Moderato - Adagio

Tracks:

Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 2. Andante
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 4. Allegretto
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 1. Allegro non troppo - attacca:
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 2. Andante - Andantino - Andante - Andantino - Andante - attacca:
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 3. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 2. Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 3. Lento - attacca:
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 4. Lento - Allegretto - Andante - Lento

Tracks:

Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 1. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 2. Lento - attacca:
Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 3. Allegro - Allegretto - Andante - Lento
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 1. Largo - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 2. Allegro molto - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 4. Largo - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 5. Largo
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 1. Moderato con moto - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 2. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 4. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 5. Allegro
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 1. Andante
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 2. Allegretto furioso
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 3. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 4. Allegretto - Andante

Tracks:

'Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District', Op. 29: Adagio (Elegy) For String Quartet
'The Age Of Gold', Op. 22: Allegretto (Polka) For String Quartet
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 1. Introduction: Andantino - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 2. Scherzo: Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 3. Recitative: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 4. Etude: Allegro - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 5. Humoresque: Allegro - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 6. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 7. Finale: Moderato - Meno mosso - Moderato
Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 1. Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato
Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 2. Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Adagio - Moderato - Allegretto
Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo

Tracks:

Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 1. Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto
Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 2. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 3. Allegretto - Poco meno mosso - Adagio
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 1. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 2. Serenade: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 3. Intermezzo: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 4. Nocturne: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 5. Funeral March: Adagio molto - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 6. Epilogue: Adagio - Adagio molto

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Can an American string quartet grasp the power of Shostakovich's 15 string quartets? By the sounds of this incredible cycle, the answer is a resounding Yes! Capturing every nuance of Shostakovich's emotionally gripping, sometimes humorous, often angst-filled compositions, the Emersons deliver very likely the finest performances of these works available. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Musical Must Have.......2007-06-01

These are wonderfully performed and spectacularly produced CDs. Other reviewers have commented about the applause. It does not detract from the listening experience. In fact, I feel that it adds to the live quality that these discs have. The energy and freshness of a live performance shine in each quartet. And, it has the sound quality of a studio recording. The sound is balanced and intimate. I cannot say enough about how fantastic this set is.

Powerful, sometimes devastating.......2006-11-10

This would be a bargain at almost any price, and the depth of emotional intensity that the Emerson brings to a live performance -- I saw them on a sticky evening at Ravinia in summer 2006, playing the last three quartets -- is evident in this stunning studio collection. In addition to the climactic quartets, don't miss the Eighth. Happy 100th birthday, Dmitri.

a shame!.......2006-09-25

These guys used to be decent players, but their playing have gotten worse over the years. They have no understanding of Shostakovich's music, but then again who does? These extraordinary works deserve extraordinary interpretations and nobody has yet offered definitve performances yet. Meanwhile, Fitwilliam and Debussy quartet offer very good performance of some of these works.

Could not be a better 8th.......2006-06-25

Just saw the Emerson do the 8th at the Amelia Island chamber music summer program. It is not possible that there is a better performance of this work. Moving beyond belief.

Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?.......2006-03-09

For many buyers the choice for a complete cycle of the Shostakovich quartets will come down to three: the Borodin, Emerson, and Fitzwilliam quartets. I own the latter two and can offer a comparison.

Fitzwilliam: This set, made between 1975-77 in a church in Surrey, has the advantage of price. Although the 15 quartets are spread out over 6 CDs as compared to 5 for the Emersons, Decca offers this cycle at roughly half the cost of the DG cycle (it's even cheaper on the used market). The performances eschew Russian soul, grit, and emotional extremes such as one hears from the Borodin Quartet. The Fitzwilliam Quartet sounds soulful but stops short of impassioned. As much as it is possible, they make this music friendly and easy to listen to without sacrificing all of its bite and sarcasm. They are not a virtuoso group (English critics actually praise them for this lack, as if the Emersons' technical mastery was a sign of glibness), so individual solo lines, of which there are many in these quartets, sound medium well played, not dazzling. Decca's sound as transfered to CD can be a bit shrill and congested but is certainly good enough. One large missing ingredient is tonal variation--the Fitzwilliam doesn't search out the peculiar tonalities that are implied in Shostakovich's string writing, which can be eerie, ghostly, brutal, and caustic by turns.

Emerson: Recorded in Aspen at intervals between 1994 and 1999, these are live performances from the music festival and are thus not ideal sonically. What's sometimes lacking is solidity and warmth. Even so, the recorded sound is considerably more detailed than in the Fitzwilliam set, or any other of the four I listened to. When this cycle was first issued in 1999 it swept the field for good reason. The Emersons are head and shoulders above any other quartet for sheer virtuosity in this music. Not that virtuosity is required very often, but the many solo lines are rendered with exquisite technique, and the Emersons pay very close attention to changes in tonality. As a result, these performances are more varied and interesting to listen to than any competitor that I sampled (including the Fitzwilliam, Brodsky, Borodin, St. Petersburg, and Shostakovich quartets on various labels).

The drawbacks are price (it's hard to find even a used set for under $70) and the prevalent accusation, from some quarters, that the Emersons lack Russian soul--they are supposedly too cool, detached, and efficient. Yet this charge can be turned around to say that the Emersons make Shostakovich sound more modern by removing a layer of sentiment. It's really up to the listener to decide, yet I found that cool detachment is not prevalent here--not by any means--and the reviewer below who thinks that the tempos are uniformly too fast is not aware of the field; the Emersons are not extreme in their allegros, at least not very often, and when they paly a movement for virtuosic speed, it's almost alwaays to good effect.

I bbught this set because I heard the Emersons play Shostakovich in concert on two occasions, and I was deeply struck by how much better these quartets sound when they are given superlative musicianship. I am not one to believe that Shostakovich was a great master of quartet writing, not compared to Bartok, Schoenberg, and Janacek among moderns. But he found an idiom, often spare and therefore one-dimenisonal, that is easy to absorb. The Emersons go a step further and give that idiom all kinds of shading and colors that often make it sound better than it is.

In sum, I did what many collectors befoe me have done. I gave away the Fitzwilliam set, which was a good stop gap for many years, and relish the Emerson set as a great achievement, especially for a non-Russian ensemble.

Shostakovich: String Quartets Complete (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Affordable modern Digital Shostakovich...
Very Good Shostakovich Cycle
Shostakovich on a Shoestring

Shostakovich: String Quartets Complete (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets

ASIN: B000092Q5V
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Customer Reviews:

Affordable modern Digital Shostakovich..........2007-04-03

and worth every penny and more.
Everyone lucky enough to have picked up a copy of the Borodin Quartets cycle when it was list price, will already have all the Shostakovich String Quartets they'll ever need.
The Rubio Quartet doesn't carry the emotional depth or angst of The Borodin's in this music, but NO ONE else does either.
But this performance DOES belong at the Top of a short list of modern Digital recordings.
Beautifully played, with wonderful warm tone and the requisite fire when appropriate.
Their phrasing is impeccable and the unified ensemble sound is as good as it gets.
If there was ever a complaint about The Borodin Quartet's recording it would be the sound quality.
While it is still Excellent sound, it is a bit dry and maybe a slight bit compressed at the bottom end.
And CDs have made many advances since the Early 80s when it was recorded by (Russian) Meloydia.
On the other hand this Rubio recording on Brilliant Classics is just that-BRILLIANT-.
Wide open to allow air between each note creating a greater transparency and clarity than almost all the competition.
The sound is SUPERB.
So, unless you are willing to lay out $75+ for the Borodin cycle, that's if you can find it, this is an affordable alternative and would still be at a higher price.
If the Borodin's had never recorded this cycle, I dare say The Rubio performance would make a top first choice.
This is the best "bargain" out there.
And we're talking FIVE, 60+ minute CDs.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Very Good Shostakovich Cycle.......2006-03-17

I want to thank the other reviewer for leading me to this set; cash-strapped teenager maybe, but he knows quality when he hears it! The Rubio Quartet is Flemish and its full, warm sound (very handsomely recorded on these ridiculously inexpensive CDs)is a joy to hear .... and very recognizable to anyone who's heard marvelous Dutch/Belgian/Flemish string players like Anner Bylsma. The Rubio may not provide the kind of idiomatic Slavic 'grit' you hear on classic Shostakovich recordings by the Beethoven and Borodin quartets, but their performances are fully competitive with everybody else (including those by younger Russian ensembles like the St. Petersburg Quartet). According to the excellent liner notes, the Rubio recordings were made 'live' in a Flanders church over a few months in 2002. A small audience was present at each recital/session, but I heard almost no audience noise at all: the performances are so good the listeners must have been nearly mesmerized! Competition in this price range comes from classic 1970s British recordings by the Fitzwilliam Quartet, now available in a bargain box from Decca. The Fitzwilliam performances are certainly marvelous, but the Rubio's are just as accomplished and insightful and are also better recorded. One more word about the liner notes: I've rarely seen such detailed and insightful notes -- each quartet is discussed separately -- included with 'bargain box' sets. This is a first-rate production all around. If you don't know the Shostakovich quartets, it's just about a perfect introduction. And even if you do own other recordings this Brilliant Classics set is such a great bargain you just shouldn't pass it up.

Shostakovich on a Shoestring.......2004-09-12

As a teenage conneseiur of classical music, I can't exactly dish out the money that some other recordings of the complete Shostakovich String Quartets cost. This is the best you can get for the money, and worth much more! The sound quality is fantastic, and I find little wrong with the CDs. While I prefer the Kronos Quartet's phrasing (particularly on the 8th string quartet), the Rubio's mellower sound is a nice alternative, and adds a contrast to the otherwise pessimistic music of Dmitri Shostakovich. Named in honor of the late instrument maker Rubio, they all play on his instruments. In part due to this continuity of instrument, and part due to their extraordinary musicality, the recordings have a very unified sound. This is a great find!

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 11, 12, 13

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 11, 12, 13

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 14, 15
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 9, 10

ASIN: B000000832
Release Date: 1994-01-28

Tracks:

Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Intro-Andantino
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Scherzo-Allegretto
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Recitative-Adagio
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Etude-Allegro
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Humoresque-Allegro
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Elegy-Adagio
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Finale-Moderato
Str Qt No.12 in D-Flat, Op.133: Moderato
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Allegretto
Str Qt No.13 in b-Flat, Op.138:Adagio-Doppio Movimento-Tempo Primo-Poco Meno Mosso-Tempo Primo

Shostakovich: String Quartets #3, 7 & 8 - St. Lawrence String Quartet

Average customer rating:

Incisive, precise, haunting
Thoughtful, riveting performances
Fantastic!

Shostakovich: String Quartets #3, 7 & 8 - St. Lawrence String Quartet

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets 1 & 3
Frank Peter Zimmermann and Heinrich Schiff Play Honegger, Martinu, Bach, Pintscher, Ravel
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Angelika Kirchschlager Handel arias
C.P.E. Bach: Symphonies 1-4/Cello Concerto in A with Andrew Manze

ASIN: B000FP2O2M
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Tracks:

Allegretto
Moderato Con Moto
Allegro Non Troppo
Adagio
Moderato
Allegretto
Lento
Allegro Allegretto
Largo
Allegro Molto
Allegretto
Largo
Largo

Customer Reviews:

Incisive, precise, haunting.......2007-02-03

I had the pleasure of seeing the St Lawrence perform the 3rd quartet and went out and bought this CD immediately after. It did not disappoint. In fact the 8th is the best interpretation I have heard so far of this disturbing, enigmatic work. Forget that this is the "Shostokovitch" year - you will not regret owning this CD - each time I listen to it, the more I hear.

Wonderful.

Tony Warren

Thoughtful, riveting performances.......2007-01-22

The St. Lawrence String Quartet may not be as well known as, say, the Emerson, whose traversal of the entire Shostakovich quartet canon is a must-have. It is hard to imagine, though, a better taste of the early and middle quartets than this selection of three -- at least until Cuarteto Casals commits its interpretation of No. 8, which we heard for the second time in Santa Fe this past August, to disc. But this review is about the St. Lawrence, and their No. 8 is also profoundly to be admired, with No. 3 and No. 7 right up there.

Fantastic!.......2006-08-03

Absolutely fantastic! I am a huge fan of the St. Lawrence and this is one of their best. The St. Lawrence really understands Shostakovich and that definitely comes through in their music. Sadly, one of their members is moving on to other things. That makes this all the more special. There is no doubt that we will hear more great music from them in the future.

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2, 3

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2, 3

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 4, 5
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, 8
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 9, 10

ASIN: B00000082X
Release Date: 1993-01-14

Tracks:

Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Moderato
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Moderato
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Allegro Molto
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Allegro
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Ov-Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Recitative & Romance-Adagio
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Dance-Allegro
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Theme & Vars-Adagio
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Allegretto
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73:Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Allegro Non Troppo
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Adagio
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Moderato

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 9, 10

Average customer rating:

The best of the series
somewhat glib readings

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 9, 10

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, 8
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 14, 15
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 4, 5
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 11, 12, 13
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2, 3

ASIN: B000000830
Release Date: 1994-01-28

Tracks:

Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Adagio
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Allegretto
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Adagio
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Allegro
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Andante
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Allegretto Furioso
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Adagio
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

The best of the series.......2000-09-13

Lovingly recorded, played; studied interpretations of Shostakovich's most personal, emotional, deep works. Some of the finest string quartets of the 20th century.

somewhat glib readings.......2000-08-15

Manhatten's reading here is somewhat glib. The Ninth Quartet the opening moments can be rendered with incredible mystery,anxiety,almosta distrubing danger,something Shostakovich knew quite well in the dark times he lived through. Manhatten really don't bring enough contrast to their playing, I didn't feel there was a large dynamic spectrum,that's where mystery resides, in travelling from barely perceptible moments to,untrappled fury to Brucknerian cathedral-like sound.All the dynamic spectrum here was either an uncommitted loud or a soft. They also don't infuse their playing with colour schemes, where for instance the Borodin Quartet's reading there is always a biting nasal sound with an edge to it,or a provincial-like baseness,Gypsy-like colours of string sound to portray some irony. But that's a matter of judgemental taste. Still the lack of mystery in the Ninth here is disappointing,listen to the Borodin in comparison. Manhatten also strives,it seems to blend themselves all the time,like a lounge quartet,which has no place in Shostakovich and,which again makes for uninteresting listening when extended over the course of a quartet's length. The Tenth seems to hide some of these interpretive problems for its massive opening sound. The key of Ab major was always a positive key for Shostakovich, and here he relishes, basks in the hopeful sun of it.

Frequently these Quartets are juxtaposed next to his immense Symphonies in that both genres moved together throughout his life,but that's incorrect I think. The Quartets had a purer conception,one that Shostakovich left for relatively more private reflections even though the gestures do parallel the Symphonies,well his music did have a one-dimensional cast to it,like he was retelling, working over the same dramatic icons over the course of his creativity.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Collection

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