Tchaikovsky: String Quartets 1 & 3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Though known primarily for his symphonies, ballets, and operas, Tchaikovsky, like many other composers, reserved the expression of his most intimate, personal feelings for his string quartets. Not often heard in concert, they have been recorded in Russia by the St. Petersburg and two constellations of the Borodin Quartet, and in the West by the Vermeer and Schubert Quartets. This recording by the Canadian St. Lawrence Quartet is the latest addition to the discography, and it is excellent. The sound is lovely, warm, and full, yet the ensemble and interplay between the instruments is so careful that important lines can stand out. In the few passages where the texture gets muddy, the fault lies in the scoring, not the playing. The St. Lawrence's approach is thoroughly romantic, the expressiveness heartfelt but noble and restrained, full of ardor and exuberance. The players have the courage to take liberties with tempo and dynamics and the conviction to make them organic and persuasive.

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': I. Allegro ma non troppo
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 2. Lento
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 3. Molto vivace
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 4. Finale: Vivace, ma non troppo
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 1. moderato e semplice
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 2. Andante cantabile
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 3. Scherzo: Allegro non tanto -- Trio
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 4. Finale: Allegro giusto - Allegro vivace
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 1. Allegro moderato
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 2. Scherzo: Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 3. Notturno: Andante
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 4. Finale: Andante - Vivace

Amazon.com

The Emersons offer one of the very best accounts of the popular American Quartet on disc. It is dramatic, exuberant, persuasive, and right to the point--a well-paced reading full of ravishing details (like the dueting of the violins in the slow movement) that has been beautifully recorded. Originally made for Book-of-the-Month Club in 1984, the recording was later picked up by DG and first released in the U.S. in 1990. For this reissue, it has been coupled with equally well-played accounts of quartets by Borodin and Tchaikovsky, which makes for an especially well-filled CD. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Streamlined from Russia -- not for everyone.......2007-07-01

The string quartets of Dvorak and Borodin are among the lushest and easy-to-listen music in the genre, romanticism for every ear. Because of the hummable tunes in the Borodin 2nd (lifted wholesale to become part of the Broadway musical, Kismet) and the folsy vigor of Dvorak's "American" Quartet #12, most performers emphasize this lushness. Not the Emersons, whose readings here are clean and streamlined. They don't dig deep into the wood the way the Alban berg Qt. do. Their is the patented Emerson virtuosity at work, though, with impeccable intonation and matched timbres.

For me, the effect was refreshing, particularly in the Borodin, which hwere gets a performance that never threatens to become gooey. The Dvorak is a mite too efficient and far removed form its folk inspiration, yet still impressive technically. Its buoyancy creates a great deal of enjoyment. I've never been able to warm up to Tchaikovsky's quartet writing, but here again the Emersons go for clean lines over Russian luxuriousness.

In all, a very appealing CD that groups three favorites in vintage Emerson Qt. performances. Very good sound, too.

What an artificial performance it is!.......2007-02-17

Dvorak is just okay. Not a superior performance to their rivals, but it's just about the average. Nothing special. Nothing to comment.
Tchaikovsky? Again, no noteworthy point to make here.
Borodin? This is certainly one of the poorest performance of this music on the CD that I've ever heard. The problem is the Notturno movent.
here we have something very unpleasant music making here. The Emersons probably think that the movement is to be played with full of emotion and involvement. They may be right. But, playing this popular movement with emotional involvement does not mean that it is to be played very slowly and dully. What are they aiming at? What are they "thinking" when they treat this movement in a totally no-brainer way?

They are probaly perfect in terms of their technical flawless. But I always witness thet they do not seem to have found the way to play certain music. In short words, no attachment, no careful studying of the score, no soul. There only remains an artificial performance of the music. Good pretenders, but single CD from them has never moved me.
Beethoven quartets set was another joke.

Well.... but I cannot live without their Schostakovich. Yes, they are all not that bad anyway.

BTW, if it comes down to Borodin's second quartet, the Cleveland Quartet is my first pick.

Disappointing for the Emerson String Quartet.......2006-07-19

The Emerson String Quartet, no matter what some believe, is technically and artistically one of the best quartets in the world. This album, however, is not one of their best. The playing is somewhat lethargic, and the quartets themselves, while being somewhat popular (particularly the Borodin), are not masterpieces within the genre.

The Dvorak is fine, a 4 star effort. The Tchaikovsky is only average. The Borodin is, well, something else. The Emerson plays it to appeal to a crowd who can only appreciate "pops classical styling."

When listening to the Borodin all I hear is the advertisement for the World's Most Beautiful Music" collection, (just send in your $ for some CD's containing classical music played by various studio orchestras.) This, I find, is perhaps the most distracting aspect of the music. I don't hear the quartet. I hear the advertisement instead. So perhaps I am being unfair to the Emerson String Quartet on this one. It might be the same as thinking about "A Clockwise Orange" when listening to Beethoven's ninth.

But even barring the Borodin, the other two quartets just don't quite measure up to what I expect to hear from this wonderful quartet.

A genuine surprise........2006-03-16

Though I'd heard of Borodin before, I hadn't realized what a wonderful composer he truly was. The second movement of his second quartet is revelatory, and this recording of it (compared to others I've heard since) is definitive for its clarity, tenderness, and directness of expression.

Excellent music, excellent renditions.......2005-06-28

Most people viewing this item probably haven't heard of Borodin before, and I must assure such people that the Borodin quartet on this recording is more than worth listening to! The star of these three compositions is, of course, the American quartet, which is legendary. Though I haven't listened to any other performers playing the quartet, the Emerson Quartet's sound is exquisite, with each detail executed to perfection. You can't expect much else - the Emerson Quartet is always great.

I usually don't like Tchaikovsky, but the quartet on this recording is wonderfully melodic. And together, these three quartets on one CD make for one great purchase.

Great sound, great performance, great music - at a great price. What else could you ask for?

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets Nos. 1 - 3/Souvenir De Florence

Average customer rating:

Great playing, amazing music, unbalanced recording
All-star performance of some sadly neglected music

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets Nos. 1 - 3/Souvenir De Florence

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Borodin: String Quartets Nos 1 & 2
Smetana: Má vlast
Dvorák: The String Quartets
Tchaikovsky: Complete Suites for Orchestra
Beethoven: String Quartets

ASIN: B000000SIT
Release Date: 1993-11-02

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Moderato e semplice
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Andante cantabile
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Scherzo: Allegro non tanto e con fuoco
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Finale: Allegro giusta
String Quartet In B Flat Major: Adagio misterioso - Allegro con moto - Adagio misterioso
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegro con spirito
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Adagio cantabile e con moto
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegretto moderato
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegro vivace

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Adagio - Moderato assai
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Scherzo: Allegro giusto
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Andante ma non tanto
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Finale: Allegro con moto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Andante sostenuto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Allegretto vivo e scherzando
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Andante funebre e doloroso, ma con moto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Finale: Allegro non troppo e risoluto

Customer Reviews:

Great playing, amazing music, unbalanced recording.......2005-10-24

My comment will only focus on the recording as I cannot agree more with other reviewers as far as interpretation and music are concerned.

The teldec engineers have focused on the violins and forgotten that a quartet is a balanced ensemble and thus viola and cello are not accompaniement. Their bias damages the final result and suppress the rich interplay Borodin has been renown for. For instance in the fugue of the second quartet last mvt, the cello is barely audible and all ears are on the violins. The result of this takes its toll when the reverberent acoustics saturates the microphones in some powerful zingers shooting.

It also makes the listening tiring as you have to extract the other instruments lines from the soloists... So 4 stars when it should have been a no brainer 5!

(listening was made on professional JBL studio monitors, Bryston amps and Linn source)

All-star performance of some sadly neglected music.......2005-09-23

I am a huge fan of the Borodin quartet. I had heard Schubert's quintet performed by the Emerson Quartet, and after hearing the same piece performed by the Borodin Quartet, I was blown away by how overrated the Emerson ensemble is.
That Tchaikovsky's chamber music doesn't receive the fanfare it deserves is understandable; the composer's orchestral works are so widely acclaimed that it tends to cast a shadow over the rest of his oeuvre. However, these are worth a purchase for sure. Tchaikovsky was a master of music writing for strings, and this medium lets him show off his virtuosic side with more ease than the symphonic medium. My bias towards fugues predisposes me to the 2nd quartet and the Souvenir de Florence and their contrapuntal finales; but that is not to say they stand alone on this 2 disc set. Each of the Quartets, as well as the Souvenir de Florence, are filled with charming melodies, folk music overtones, and the driving, rhythmic and dynamic writing style typical of a composer so celebrated for these techniques. The set also includes the B-Flat quartet, a work without opus but nonetheless a nice addition.
The recording is impeccable, as are all of the Borodin's efforts on the Teldec label. If you find yourself interested in Tchaikovsky's chamberworks after listening to these little-known masterpieces, you should check out his Piano Trio, a monstrous piece at nearly 50 minutes in length but well worth your time.

Average customer rating:

Tchaikovsky String Quartets
Great performances
Inconsistent

Tchaikovsky: Complete String Quartets

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schumann: String Quartets, Op. 41 / Eroica Quartet
Tchaikovsky: The Snow Maiden
Haydn: String Quartets, Opp. 51, 54, 55, 64, 71, 74
Haydn: Piano Trios (Complete) [Box Set]
Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet

ASIN: B00005043D
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Str Qt Movt in B flat: Adagio Misterioso - Allegro Con Moto
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: I. Moderato E Semplice
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: II. Andante Cantabile
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: III. Scherzo. Allegro Non Tanto E Con Fuoco
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: IV. Finale. Allegro Giusto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: I. Adagio - Moderato Assai
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: II. Scherzo. Allegro Giusto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: III. Andante Ma Non Tanto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: IV. Finale. Allegro Con Moto

Tracks:

Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: I. Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Moderato
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: II. Allegretto Vivo E Scherzando
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: III. Andante Funebre E Doloroso Ma Con Moto
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: IV. Finale. Allegro Non Troppo E Risoluto
Souvenir De Florence in d, Op.70: I. Allegro Con Spirito - Borodin Qt/Genrikh Talalyan/Mstislav Rostropovich
Souvenir De Florence in d, Op.70: II. Adagio Cantabile E Con Moto - Borodin Qt/Genrikh Talalyan/Mstislav Rostropovich
Souvenir De Florence in d, Op.70: III. Allegretto Moderato - Borodin Qt/Genrikh Talalyan/Mstislav Rostropovich
Souvenir De Florence in d, Op.70: IV. Allegro Vivace - Borodin Qt/Genrikh Talalyan/Mstislav Rostropovich

Customer Reviews:

Tchaikovsky String Quartets.......2007-05-25

This recording of Tchaikovsky's three String Quartets by the Borodin Quartet (including the incomparable late cellist Mstislav Rostropovich) is superb in every way. If you're looking for a recording, this is it!

Great performances.......2007-04-13

I'm a little surprised by the last reviewer's dismissiveness. These are really first rate recordings with quartet no 1 and the invigorating Souvenir de Florence standing out in particular. The playing is muscular and deeply felt throughout - sure it may not be perfect but that, somehow, is not the point. Don't take my word for it though, have a listen yourself! These are widely loved recordings and you should not take one person's word for it!

Inconsistent.......2005-03-21

The Borodin's recording of the Shostakovich quartets is the historical benchmark performance. This recording of Tchaikovsky's is sadly not as well prepared. The quartet is out of tune at several points throughout the set, and at some points the energy and intensity lag. Other spots are incredibly exciting and come off very effectively, though in my opinion you'd be better off finding a more contemporary recording.

Average customer rating:

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets 1 & 3
St. Lawrence String Quartet
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Schumann: String Quartets #1 in A minor, op.41/1 & 3 in A op. 41/3; St. Lawrence String Quartet
Shostakovich: String Quartets #3, 7 & 8 - St. Lawrence String Quartet
Golijov: Yiddishbbuk
Crazy for You (1992 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005O83P
Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: I. Moderato E Semplice
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: II. Andante Cantabile
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: III. Scherzo: Allegro Non tanto E Con Fuoco
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: IV. Finale: Allegro Giusto
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: I. Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Moderato
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: II. Allegretto Vivo E Scherzando
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: III. Andante Funebre E Doloroso Ma Con Moto
Str Qt No.3 in e flat, Op.30: IV. Finale: Allegro Non Troppo E Risoluto

Amazon.com

Though known primarily for his symphonies, ballets, and operas, Tchaikovsky, like many other composers, reserved the expression of his most intimate, personal feelings for his string quartets. Not often heard in concert, they have been recorded in Russia by the St. Petersburg and two constellations of the Borodin Quartet, and in the West by the Vermeer and Schubert Quartets. This recording by the Canadian St. Lawrence Quartet is the latest addition to the discography, and it is excellent. The sound is lovely, warm, and full, yet the ensemble and interplay between the instruments is so careful that important lines can stand out. In the few passages where the texture gets muddy, the fault lies in the scoring, not the playing. The St. Lawrence's approach is thoroughly romantic, the expressiveness heartfelt but noble and restrained, full of ardor and exuberance. The players have the courage to take liberties with tempo and dynamics and the conviction to make them organic and persuasive.

The first quartet is most familiar for its folk-songlike slow movement and ingratiating for its pensive lyricism, rambunctious Scherzo, and charming Finale. The third quartet, written in memory of Tchaikovsky's friend the violinist Ferdinand Laub, is longer, more discursive, and abstruse. It opens with a long, agonizingly dissonant, melancholy lament with an intensely dramatic coda, goes into a pungent Scherzo, and culminates in a heavy, lugubrious Funeral March, whose muted fortissimos and hollow unisons foreshadow Shostakovich. The Finale is surprisingly gay and playful. Having previously recorded Schumann's first and third quartets, the St. Lawrence Quartet might want to pair his and Tchaikovsky's second quartets on its next disc to complete both sets. --Edith Eisler

Tchaikovsky: Quartets Nos. 1 & 3
Average customer rating:
Tchaikovsky: Quartets Nos. 1 & 3
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , and The Vermeer Quartet
Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 2 in F, Op. 22/String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 "Souvenir de Florence"

ASIN: B00005KA23
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Album Description

Formed at Marlboro in 1969, the revered Vermeer, "one of the world's premier quartets" (Chicago Tribune), applies its characteristically "virtuous energy level" (Los Angeles Times) to Tchaikovsky's much-favored First Quartet and his seldom-heard Third.

The famous "Andante cantabile" movement of the First Quartet ranges from moving melancholy to lyrical ecstasy. It's said to have made Tolstoy cry, and gained such immediate popularity that Tchaikovsky worried it might overshadow the rest of his music.

An epitome of full-bore, heartfelt Romanticism, the rarely recorded Third Quartet is an elegiac tribute to a close friend. Especially eloquent and moving is its slow movement, marked "Andante funebre e doloroso."

With this CD, the Vermeer concludes its survey of Tchaikovsky's chamber works for strings, which began with Cedille Records' 1994 release of the String Quartet No. 2 and string sextet, "Souvenir de Florence" (CDR 90000 017). The Chicago Tribune's John von Rhein called it "one of the most successful discs for [Cedille] to date" and praised the Vermeer's "lean, sharply dramatic" interpretation. Terry Teachout of the New Yourk Daily News gave it a four-star review for its "passionate, extroverted performances" and "beautifully recorded" sound.

Tracks:

Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: Moderato E Semplice
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: Andante Cantabile
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: Scherzo: Allegro Non Tanto E Con Fuoco
Str Qt No.1 in D, Op.11: Finale: Allegro Giusto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: Adagio, Moderato Assai (Quasi Andantino)
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: Scherzo: Allegro Giusto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: Andante Ma Non Tanto
Str Qt No.2 in F, Op.22: Finale: Allegro Con Moto

Average customer rating:

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets 1 & 3

Manufacturer: Russian Season
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000HXHV
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Qt No.1 in D: 1. Moderato E Semplice
Qt No.1 in D: 2. Andante Cantabile
Qt No.1 in D: 3. Scherzo: Allegro Non Tanto E Con Fuoco
Qt No.1 in D: 4. Finale: Allegro Giusto
Qt No.3 in e flat: 1. Andante Sostenuto
Qt No.3 in e flat: 2. Allgretto Vivo E Scherzando
Qt No.3 in e flat: 3. Andante Funebre E Doloroso Ma Con Moto
Qt No.3 in e flat: 4. Finale: Allegro Non Troppo E Risoluto

Arensky: Symphony No. 1 and Premiere Recordings

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Arensky: Symphony No. 1 and Premiere Recordings

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Arensky: Symphony No. 2, etc.
Arensky: Three Suites
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Martucci: The Complete Orchestral Works [Box Set]
Arensky: Violin Concerto/Glazunov: Concerto Ballata/Piano Concerto

ASIN: B00009V907
Release Date: 2003-07-22