Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 3; Octet

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Here is Mendelssohn at his most dazzling and exuberant. The Octet, written at the incredible age of 16, combines a youthful, carefree attitude with astonishing technical mastery and expressive variety; the quartet, written 13 years later, frames two serene, wistful movements with two bursts of sunshine. The playing is fabulous. The corner movements of the Quartet are brilliant but never hectic, the middle ones lovely and expressive; the Guarneri's beauty of tone and transparency of texture are fully on display. In the Octet, the eight players, resisting the usual temptation of trying to make every voice important, weave a wonderfully clear tapestry of lines; take-overs are seamless, phrasing and expression unanimous. The individual and collective sound shimmers and glows; a sense of rapport and mutual enjoyment warms the heart. --Edith Eisler

Tracks:

I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace
II. Adagio Non Lento
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto Con Moto
IV. Presto
A Tempo Ordinario
I. Adaigo Non Troppo - Allegro Non Tardante
II. Canzonetta: Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo
IV. Molto Allegro E Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Assai Appassionato
II. Scherzo: Allegro Di Molto
III. Andante
IV. Presto Agitato
I. Allegro Vivace
II. Scherzo: Assai Leggiero Vivace
III. Adagio Non Troppo
IV. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

I. Molto Allegro Vivace
II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo Ma Con Moto
IV. Presto Con Brio
Andante con Moto - Allegro Fugato, Assai Vivace
I. Allegro Vivace Assai
II. Allegro Assai
III. Adagio
IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Leggiero

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato, Ma Con Fuoco
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro Leggierissimo
IV. Presto
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Non Troppo
III. Minuetto
IV. Fuga

Amazon.com

Trust the Emerson Quartet to do nothing by halves. This 4-CD set presents all of Mendelssohn's quartets, including one written at 14, the five pieces Op. 81, as well as the Octet. This set should disprove the assertion that Mendelssohn, a sensational prodigy, blossomed young and never developed further. The difference in compositional skill and emotional depth between the early and late quartets is unmistakable; the miracle is that he could write the Octet at 16. The quartets are of uneven quality: Op. 44 No. 3 is distinctly inferior to the more-familiar Nos. 1 and 2; of the two Fugues Op. 81, the later one is far better. The quartets Op. 12 and 13 (written in reverse order) pay homage to Beethoven in Mendelssohn's very own romantic voice. Op. 80 is masterful although perhaps less disciplined: written just after his beloved sister Fanny's death and shortly before his own, it is a turbulent, heart-rending outcry of anguish. Some of the most-magical moments occur in the inimitable Scherzi and Intermezzi. The performances are vintage Emerson: impeccable individually and together, beautiful in sound, clear, carefully worked out. Although generally a little cool, they can rise to considerable warmth and passion. Not surprisingly, the best pieces elicit the most involved, exciting playing. As always, the violinists switch parts, but the whole group also alternates old Italian and modern American instruments, for the players have a surprise in store: they give the Octet a new twist by "doubling" on all eight parts through a complicated process of over-dubbing (a documentary video of the recording process is included). Here, using the different instruments is intended to combine the old and the new and to give the voices more-distinct timbres. However, the differences throughout are imperceptible. The idea of playing the Octet with themselves, so to speak, is intriguing, but the result is disappointing. Hearing four rather than eight individual voices is disconcerting, and worse, the balance is completely awry, especially in the corner movements. The busy tremolo accompaniment makes the middle register thick and heavy, the tone gets rough, important lines are obscured, and the Quartet's customary admirable textural transparency is lost. And even a cellist as splendid as David Finckel cannot save the opening of the Fugue from sounding like a growl. This may be a triumph of recording technology, but it adds nothing to the music or the performance. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

First Rate Performances.......2006-09-18

This is a series of first rate performances by the outstanding Emerson String Quartet. They include all the Mendelssohn quartets, including rarely heard juvenile work, and as a bonus, the very enjoyable Octet. This is a good deal of lovely music. The Mendelssohn quartets, however, are generally excellent as opposed to outstanding chamber music. Well worth owning and listening to but a step below the pinnacles of the chamber literature.

Fantastic.......2006-07-01

I never have cared much for Mendelssohn, nor have I cared much for String Quartets, but after listening to the Emerson String Quartet's Shostakovich cycle and finding that I enjoyed it immensely, I undertook listening to the Mendelssohn cycle.

In the privacy of my living room, on several occasions I stood up and cheered! Absolutely magnificent. Enough said.

Highly recommended.

Beautiful Performances.......2005-09-10

Mendelssohn's string quartets are very appealing, tuneful works that engage the listener completely. Chamber music was an important part of Mendelssohn's output and one does not gain a full picture of his growth as a composer by only being familiar with his orchestral works. This 4-CD set by the Emerson String Quartet brilliantly explores not only the six numbered quartets but includes the shorter Op. 81 works (published after Mendelssohn's death), the student quartet (written when the composer was 14) and the stunning Octet for strings.

Naturally, the early quartets (written in 1827 and 1829 but published in reverse order in 1830) reflect the influence of other composers, most notably Beethoven. The movements of these quartets were linked by thematic ideas. The quartet in A minor uses Mendelssohn's song Frage (Question) as the musical link. The quartet in E-Flat (Op. 12) was composed during Mendelssohn's trip to the British Isles, which also inspired his Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture.

When Mendelssohn next turned to the form he was the director of the Gewandhaus and a famous composer. The composition of the three quartets Op. 44 (number 3, 4 and 5) occurred after his marriage to Cecile Jeanrenaud in 1837 and were composed during his two month long honeymoon. These quartets reflect the composer's maturity and accessible style. The sixth quartet was published after Mendelssohn's death and was written following the sudden death of his sister Fanny in May 1847. It follows that the quartet is darker than the others and is agitated and dissonant in tone; the first movement begins with dark tones from the cello then proceeds with a beautiful melody punctuated with tremolos. The scherzo is characterized by an unusual tempo that has a frantic quality to it. The Adagio allows Mendelssohn to fully express his grief and the Finale has the syncopated rhythm of the scherzo.

The five pieces collected as Op. 81 contain what probably are two movements for an unfinished quartet - a Theme and Variations in E major and Scherzo in A minor. It was reported by the composer Ignaz Moschelles that Mendelssohn was at work on a new string quartet before his death and of these two pieces the Theme and Variations is closest to the description of the work. The earliest of Mendelssohn's quartets appears last on the CDs and is a pleasant work written under the influence of Mozart and Haydn.
The Octet receives a marvelous performance with the Emerson playing all of the parts with each member playing different instruments and seated in different positions during the recording sessions.

The performances are impeccable with beautiful and clear sound. I purchased the set anticipating a performance of three of the quartets by the Emerson. As I have listened to the set the warmth and sensitivity of the playing makes this the Mendelssohn quartets to own. I have only become interested in chamber music in recent years and Mendelssohn was a natural choice for me because of his gift of melody. I think this music would appeal to someone getting to know chamber music.

LIKE WATER FROM A PUBLIC FOUNTAIN.......2005-05-12

That was Wagner's dismissive description of the music of Mendelssohn. In the later 19th century there was a critical reaction against both of the great Germans who had dominated English music for a century and a half overall, Handel and Mendelssohn. As is usual with such debunking, much of it was trivial and petulant. However Handel has recovered strongly over the last 50 years and by now is probably almost as familiar as Bach is, whereas Mendelssohn has not. The popular favourites among his compositions have never ceased to be that, but opportunities to hear most of his chamber music and songs are still rare. I am myself in the happy position of having attended two years ago a festival dedicated to those sides of his output, and consequently I know the works on this distinguished set fairly well.

The performers are the Emerson Quartet, and the quality of their work is well known. In every imaginable respect it is superlatively good. Technically these accounts are flawless, and in terms of comprehension of the music and insight into the spirit of the composer I prefer to learn from them rather than to pass otiose comment. There are 7 complete quartets here, plus 5 isolated movements. Being moderately familiar with the music I would advise newcomers that the approach taken throughout is `normal' in the best sense and free from idiosyncrasies - if you are looking for `model' performances of these works this would be where to look. Mendelssohn's tempo markings, unlike those of greater composers such as Beethoven Schubert and Brahms, are almost invariably clear and unambiguous. In the one case where a bit of interpretation is called for, the central two movements of the D major quartet op44/1, I am convinced and delighted by the solution adopted. The Emersons take the minuet slowly and the following `andante con moto' at a very flowing pace, almost like an andante in Handel, so that the minuet seems like the slow movement and the andante like an intermezzo in moderate tempo.

I love Mendelssohn and I love these quartets. However I can't get it out of my mind that Wagner had a bit of a point. Shaw complains of Mendelssohn's `kid-glove gentility' and he is uncomfortably near the bone. Mendelssohn is truly unique, and what he does best he does better than anybody. At the age of 16 or 17 he turned out the octet, the rondo capriccioso for piano and the Midsummer Night's Dream overture, all of them truly astounding. However by age 20 he was only one precocious prodigy among a larger number who had caught up by then and went on to surpass him. There is a definite sense of development as between the quartet he wrote at age 14 (contemporary with the string symphonies, which I commend strongly to those unfamiliar with them) where the unmistakable personal idiom has not yet quite emerged and the op12/13 quartets and then the op44's and later in which it has. However it's development within a narrow range of expression, and his early death means we can never know whether he had it in him to raise his game drastically, as Wagner and Verdi so spectacularly did when older than Mendelssohn lived to be.

The Emersons have also taken it into their heads to record the octet played by themselves only. People with their amount of talent must be tempted to such brilliant but completely dotty schemes at times. There is an enthusiastic contribution to the liner-note by Eugene Drucker, and the disc will run on a pc to show the process of recording. I can confirm that it actually does this, but I have no sound-card nor any wish for one, so all I can attest is the visual aspect, and only a little of that. I must also warn that I had difficulty in getting the exit-button to obey me. As a performance it is really very good, with the finale fully up to speed as I like it, and I would never have known what nonsense they were getting up to. However something goes wrong with the recording, which is very bottom-heavy in the first movement in particular.

Otherwise the recording is excellent. The main liner-note is fine if a little lengthy. When I began to think it didn't really say a lot, that brought me back to the question - how much, really, is there to say?

Average customer rating:

Uneven quality but great value
A superb collection of Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00062FLJ2
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon

Average customer rating:

Superb!

Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Franz Joseph Haydn , Felix Mendelssohn , Ludwig van Beethoven , Johannes Brahms , Antonin Dvorak , Bedrich Smetana , Leos Janacek , Eva Bernathova , Janacek Quartet , and Smetana Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Janacek / Novak: String Quartets
Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
The 1950s Concerto Recordings
The Complete 1950s Chopin Recordings
Igor Markevitch

ASIN: B00007EB9S
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

Cd 1 Mozart: String Quartet K.387 / Haydn: String Quartet Op.33 No.3
Cd 2 Haydn: String Quartets Op.33 No.2 / Op.3 No.5 Op.76 No.2
Cd 3 Mendelssohn: Octet Op.20 With Smetana Quartet / Beethoven : String Quartet Op.59 No.2
Cd 4 Brahms: Piano Quintet Op.34 / Dvorak: Piano Quartet Op.81 With Eva Bernathova, Piano
Cd 5 Dvorak: String Quartets Opp.34 & 96
Cd 6 Dvorak: String Quartets Opp.51 No.105
Cd 7 Smetana: String Quartet No.1 / Janacek: String Quartet No.2

Customer Reviews:

Superb!.......2003-03-04

Back in "Iron Curtain" times it was by no means easy to hear Soviet-bloc artists in the U.S., and recordings really established international reputations over here. And based on available recordings it was generally conceded that the two great Czechoslovak string quartets were the Janacek and the Smetana, the former based in Moravia (Brno), the latter in Bohemia (Prague). The heyday of the Janacek Quartet was the 1950s and 1960s when these recordings were made for Deutsche Grammophon, British Decca and Westminster. About half were recorded in mono, the rest are stereo; but all are, technically speaking, very decently produced and wear their years lightly. Performance highlights for me are the Decca recordings of Dvorak and Haydn quartets; the DG recording of the Brahms piano quintet (with Eva Bernathova); and the stunning Westminster performance of the Mendelssohn Octet (where the Smetana Quartet joins in!). The great conductor Karl Bohm once declared that the Czech lands were the home of great string playing, and when you hear these recordings you sense the justness of that remark. These players produce an ineffable sweetness of sound that never cloys, and they phrase with an easy naturalness that, on every re-hearing, discloses new subtleties. No, this is not high-powered American string playing ala the Julliard Quartet; what the Janacek Quartet offers is a style and sound that is almost lost in today's internationalized musical performance world. Catch this set while you can; it's billed as a limited edition and many of the performances have been unavailable (in the U.S., at least) since the early 1960s. Space-saving soft box format and price are additional inducements, but these priceless recordings would be a bargain at twice the price DG is charging. Final note: no collection of the Janacek Quartet's work is complete without their stunning stereo recording of the two great quartets written by their namesake, currently available on a midprice Supraphon CD. Although an earlier, mono recording of the second Janacek quartet is included in the DG box, spend a little extra for the Supraphon CD just to get the Janacek Quartet's equally stunning performance of Janacek No. 1 ("Kreutzer Sonata" quartet). You won't regret the minor duplication, plus the Supraphon CD also includes a pleasant, "off the beaten path" quartet by 19th century Czech Romantic Vtislav Nowak as a substantial bonus. But for heaven's sake, don't hesitate to buy the DG collection right now!

Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik; Albinoni: Adagio; Pachelbel: Canon

Average customer rating:

Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik; Albinoni: Adagio; Pachelbel: Canon

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RO6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Serenade 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' KV525: I: Allegro
Serenade 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' KV525: II: Romanze (Andante)
Serenade 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' KV525: III: Menuetto (Allegretto)
Serenade 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' KV525: IV: Rondo (Allegro)
Adagio - Iona Brown
Scherzo
Canon
'Die schlittenfahrt'
Site No. 3, BWV. 1068: Air
Pavane, Op 50 - William Bennett
String Quntet, Op. 13 No. 5 - Streichquintett, Op. 13 No. 5 - Quintette a cordes, Op. 13 No. 5: Minuet - Menuett - Menuet
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11: Andante Cantabile
Two Elegiac Melodies Op. 34: Heart's Wounds
Two Elegiac Melodies Op. 34: The Last Spring

Average customer rating:

Wonderful playing and sound quality for a bargain price!
Gorgeous. Deeply ...
Gorgeous. Deeply satisfying interpretations.

Classical Favorites

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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25 Mozart Favorites
25 Classical Favorites
25 Romantic Classics
25 Beethoven Favorites

ASIN: B00000IOMD
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

Serenade In G Major, K.525 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik': I. Allegro
Serenade In G Major, K.525 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik': II. Romanze (Andante)
Serenade In G Major, K.525 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik': III. Menuetto (Allegretto)
Serenade In G Major, K.525 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik': IV. Rondo (Allegro)
Adagio In G Minor
Octet In E-Flat Major, Op.20: Scherzo In D Major
Canon In D Major
German Dance No. 3 K. 605: German Dance No. 3 K.605
Suite No. 3 In D Major: Air
Pavane
String Quintet In E Major, Op.13 No.5: Minuet
String Quartet No.1 In D Major, Op.11: Andante Cantabile
2 Elegiac Melodies, Op.34: Heart's Wounds
2 Elegiac Melodies, Op.34: The Last Spring

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful playing and sound quality for a bargain price! .......2005-04-15

Neville Marriner's version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is one of my favorites of all time of Mozart's famous work. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is just superb, not only for Mozart but also for Albinoni's Adagio, Pachebel's Canon in D, Faure's Pavane, and Tchaikovsky's Andante Cantabile (e.g. these are my favorites on this CD). These pieces are played with exactly the right tempo and with such grace by ASMF. (I have another recording of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Von Karajan and BPO who play the piece way too fast.)

This CD offers wonderful musicianship and excellent sound quality for a bargain price. What more can you ask for? I've given many copies of this CD for friends who love classical music; they all loved this CD. I'm sure you'll love it too.

Gorgeous. Deeply ..........2000-04-18

Indeed I too had that marvelous Angel LP cited by Music Fan in Chicago. The superbly played Beethoven Contradances are, alas, also omitted on the CD reissue. However, what's left is terrific. (BTW, if you want Marriner's Beethoven dances, look to Philips Duo series.)

Gorgeous. Deeply satisfying interpretations........1999-08-07

I purchased a collection similar to this one several years ago; at the time, the recording was on the Angel label. I bought it after hearing Marriner's interpretation of Pachelbel's Canon on one of Chicago's classical music stations. I thought then that it was one of the most gloriously beautiful pieces of music I'd ever heard; I still do. The entire collection is a gem. Only one thing would have made it perfect: the inclusion of Handel's Menuet from Berenice (included on my first album).

Average customer rating:

Get what you pay for

Mendelssohn: Musique de chambre
Mendelssohn , Tortelier , Meyer , Cherubini Quartet , Andre Previn , and Kyung Wha Chung
Manufacturer: EMI Classics Imports
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Get what you pay for.......2006-08-01

First the good news: This package offers a large number of wonderful works in nice performances at a bargain price.

Now the bad news: In order to cram so much onto 5 disks, the producers do two things that many listeners will find unacceptable. (1) They split works; not only onto separate disks, but into separate cases! (The first case has 3 disks, including the start of the third quartet; the second case has 2 disks, including the finish of the third quartet. The first cases disks also split the first trio onto two disks.) (2) There is no more time (silence) given between numbers than there is between movements -- in one case there may not even be a full second. (Since Mendelssohn wrote wonderful movements but had unique ideas about assembling them -- with what other composers would call finales used in third, second, even first movements -- this can be particularly confusing.) Also the sound quality is only acceptable.

I wanted a lot of Mendelssohn chamber music for little money, and I got that with this purchase. But the problems have proved too great, and I'm now replacing these disks with ones that have better laid out. Which makes the original purchase no bargain at all.

Average customer rating:

Viva! I Solisti Italiani

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000034NV
Release Date: 1993-08-27

Tracks:

Con in E 'La Primavera' Op.8 No.1 RV269, F.I-22: Allegro
Con in E 'La Primavera' Op.8 No.1 RV269, F.I-22: Largo
Con in E 'La Primavera' Op.8 No.1 RV269, F.I-22: Allegro. Danza pastorale
Con in f 'L'lnverno' Op.8 No.4 Rv297, F.I-25: Allegro
Con in f 'L'lnverno' Op.8 No.4 Rv297, F.I-25: Largo e cantabile
Con in f 'L'lnverno' Op.8 No.4 Rv297, F.I-25: Allegro
Allegro-from Con in D
Moderato-from Son for Strs No.1 in G
Larghetto-from Str Qt No.5 in e - I Solisti Italiani I
Adagio-from Con in d for Ob, Strs & Bc
Allegro-from Con in b for 4 vns, Vc, Stirs & Bcp.3 No.10 RV580, F.I-1
Presto-from Octet in E-flat for 4 vns, 2 va & Vc - I Solisti Italiani I
Canon for 3 vns & Bc
Largo. Pastorale ad libitum-Con grosso in g [Fatto per la notte de natale]('Christmas Con') Op.6
Musette. Larghetto-Con groso in g Op.6 No.6, HWV324

Average customer rating:

Unique and Well Played

Tails of the City

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RRW
Release Date: 1991-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Unique and Well Played.......2003-06-22

"Tails of the City," featuring the San Francisco Saxophone Quartet, is a very nice CD for one to add to their "eclectic classical collection." All the pieces are arrangements of well-known classical works, the standouts on this recording being the Air from Orchestral Ste. 3 (Bach), Adagio (Albinoni), and the Quartet, Op. 16, #6 (Bach). The most endearing characteristic about this CD is that the performaces are superb. All the works are well-suited to their arrangements for saxophone quartet, the ensemble plays with a very sweet sound, with precise articulation, and with a very high level of musicianship.

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; Pachelbel: Canon

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Collection

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; Pachelbel: Canon

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Collection.......2001-11-13

Let me start off by saying that although the price is rock-bottom, the quality of the performance is definitely not. The performance of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) is alone worth getting the album, but this cd delivers a superb blend of baroque and classical pieces.

This features some fine performances of relaxing and romantic melodies. Albinoni's Adagio is hauntingly plaintive, and of course the Canon is divine. I like the tempo Marriner takes with the Canon, not rushing it, as many ensembles do, but not missing the "pulse" of the piece either. I have only heard one recording I like better, but it is a totally different arrangement. The version on this album is more accurate. This is by far one of the best recordings of the Canon in a sea of mediocre examples of this unfortunately overplayed masterwork.

Bach's Air is also a great example for other ensembles to follow. This piece defintely has a heartbeat, and the Academy does not ignore the very real life that it possesses. For those that say Baroque music is bland and lacks any passion, one should look to the performances of the Albinoni and Bach and realize that subtlety is sometimes more divine than the outright blaring of trumpets.

The rest of the album contains some fine melodies that are pleasantly surprising. The Boccherini, Tchaikovsky and Grieg are excellent music for just lying around doing nothing. They do not require the attention that Mahler or Beethoven do, but still manage to delight the listener. For such a collection as this, I am surprised EMI has not promoted this album under a more expensive branch of recordings. I would suggest you purchase it now before EMI realizes just how good this album is and decides to charge what it's worth.

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 3; Octet
Average customer rating:

Happy, happy music

great sound, but...

Excellent performances

Energetic, intelligent, exciting

Energetic, intelligent, exciting

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 3; Octet

Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000AFJK
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3 In D Major, Op. 44 No. 1: Molto Allegro vivace
String Quartet No. 3 In D Major, Op. 44 No. 1: Menuetto. Un poco Allegro
String Quartet No. 3 In D Major, Op. 44 No. 1: Andante espressivo, ma con moto
String Quartet No. 3 In D Major, Op. 44 No. 1: Presto con brio
Octet In E-flat Major For Strings, Op. 20: Allegro moderato ma con fuoco
Octet In E-flat Major For Strings, Op. 20: Andante
Octet In E-flat Major For Strings, Op. 20: Scherzo. Allegro leggierissimo
Octet In E-flat Major For Strings, Op. 20: Presto

Amazon.com essential recording

Here is Mendelssohn at his most dazzling and exuberant. The Octet, written at the incredible age of 16, combines a youthful, carefree attitude with astonishing technical mastery and expressive variety; the quartet, written 13 years later, frames two serene, wistful movements with two bursts of sunshine. The playing is fabulous. The corner movements of the Quartet are brilliant but never hectic, the middle ones lovely and expressive; the Guarneri's beauty of tone and transparency of texture are fully on display. In the Octet, the eight players, resisting the usual temptation of trying to make every voice important, weave a wonderfully clear tapestry of lines; take-overs are seamless, phrasing and expression unanimous. The individual and collective sound shimmers and glows; a sense of rapport and mutual enjoyment warms the heart. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Happy, happy music.......2000-12-04

Music to make you dance for sheer joy. The performances are out of this world.

great sound, but..........2000-08-31

I must say the Guarneri Quartet continues to blow me away I hear them. For that reason this recording of Mendelssohn's 3rd Quartet sizzles. Maybe part of it is due to the fabled power of the Guarneri's instruments, but the string attacks and blend they get as a group are amazing! The disappointment for me comes from the Octet- (started by the precocious Mendelssohn at age 15). If i had not heard the Cleveland Quartet Recording first, I probably would rate this one higher, but there is a lack of nuance and tempi in certain places which the Guarneri roll over. I realize these are subjective and personal interpretations, but when you hear a recording of the Octet which brings you to a certain emotional height, other recordings seem to disappoint. The Guarneri recording gets a thumbs up for programming it w/ the 3rd Quartet, but if you want to hear BOTH of Mendelssohn's Octets get the Cleveland Quartet recording!

Excellent performances.......2000-05-18

I have heard this record 3 times, twice on the same day.

The octet is a great work and shows the genius of Mendelssohn. Performance is excellent

I heard on tuesday the Orion Strin Quartet in NYC performing the Beethoven string quartets. The recording makes justice to their ability

Highly recomended

Energetic, intelligent, exciting.......1998-10-30

From the exuberant first measures to the celebratory finale, the quartet flies to new heights of joy. The Guarneri demonstrates once more their technical excellence and intelligent interpretation and, doubtless, the close communication that results from their long collaboration. The octet, performed with the Orion quartet, is exciting and fulfilling; each voice is heard and the interplay is stimulating. Highly recommended.

Energetic, intelligent, exciting.......1998-10-30

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