Shostakovich: The Complete String Quartets

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Shostakovich's 15 string quartets run the gamut from the sunny innocence of the First (a contemporary of the famous Fifth Symphony), to the gloom and doom of the 15th (six slow movements--five adagios and a funeral march--no kidding). There are no early works here. Every one of them reflects the composer in his prime, and to that extent (and absent the socialist realist angle pursued by some of the symphonies) they comprise his finest group of purely instrumental works. In fact, along with the quartets of Bart&ocaute;k and Jan´cek, they represent the finest 20th-century contributions to the genre. These performances, by a Russian quartet named for the composer, are as good as the name would lead you to expect. --David Hurwitz

Shostakovich: The Complete String Quartets, Music, Dmitry Shostakovich, Alexander Galkovsky, Alexander Korchagin, Sergei Pishchugin, Andrei Shishlov, Shostakovich Quartet, Box Sets (Audio Only), Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical
Complete String Quartets
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • 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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Similar Items:
  1. Shostakovich/Tchaikovsky: Piano Trios
  2. Bela Bartok: The 6 String Quartets - Emerson String Quartet
  3. Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet
  4. Beethoven: The String Quartets
  5. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

ASIN: B00003XAGO
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

  1. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 1. Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto
  2. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 2. Adagio - attacca:
  3. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 3. Allegretto - Poco meno mosso - Adagio
  4. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 1. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
  5. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 2. Serenade: Adagio - attacca:
  6. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 3. Intermezzo: Adagio - attacca:
  7. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 4. Nocturne: Adagio - attacca:
  8. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 5. Funeral March: Adagio molto - attacca:
  9. 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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

1 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000092Q5V
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

4 out of 5 stars 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 (Complete), Vol. 4
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great music, performaces, and recording
  • First rate recording - excellent musicianship and sound
 Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 4

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2

ASIN: B00000141J
Release Date: 1996-04-23

Tracks:

  1. String Quartet No. 2 In A Major, Op. 68: Overture: Moderato con moto
  2. String Quartet No. 2 In A Major, Op. 68: Recitativo And Romance: Adagio
  3. String Quartet No. 2 In A Major, Op. 68: Valse: Allegro
  4. String Quartet No. 2 In A Major, Op. 68: Theme With Variations: Adagio-Moderato con moto
  5. String Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major, Op. 133: Moderato - Allegretto
  6. String Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major, Op. 133: Allegretto

Amazon.com

Shostakovich's orchestral and instrumental works often blend traditional classical with Baroque musical forms. The second quartet has four movements like a traditional symphony or string quartet, but the forms of those movements are all closely related to the Baroque dance suite: there's an impressive overture, followed by an operatic recitative and romance, a lively waltz, and a final theme and variations. Quartet No. 12, by contrast, is in two large movements, a short opening in moderate tempo, and a huge finale nearly 20 minutes long. It's a much darker piece than the Second Quartet, though both are very well played and recorded as part of this fine survey of all the Shostakovich Quartets. Budget price, too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great music, performaces, and recording.......2006-03-07

This is a 5-star CD. Two of the composer's best quartets in beautiful performances with excellent recording quality. The Eder Quartet's Shostakovich series is terrific!

5 out of 5 stars First rate recording - excellent musicianship and sound.......1999-11-16

This recording is the new benchmark. The Eder Quartet can hold its head high against any comer s- especially at this price. Fresh and vital recording.
Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2

    Manufacturer: Naxos
    ProductGroup: Music
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    ASIN: B00000141H
    Release Date: 1995-03-21

    Tracks:

    1. String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
    2. String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Allegro molto
    3. String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Allegretto
    4. String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
    5. String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
    6. String Quartet No. 1 In C Major, Op. 49: Moderato
    7. String Quartet No. 1 In C Major, Op. 49: Moderato
    8. String Quartet No. 1 In C Major, Op. 49: Allegro molto
    9. String Quartet No. 1 In C Major, Op. 49: Allegro
    10. String Quartet No. 9 In Eb Minor, Op. 117: Moderatio con moto
    11. String Quartet No. 9 In Eb Minor, Op. 117: Adagio
    12. String Quartet No. 9 In Eb Minor, Op. 117: Allegretto
    13. String Quartet No. 9 In Eb Minor, Op. 117: Adagio
    14. String Quartet No. 9 In Eb Minor, Op. 117: Allegro

    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. 6
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Eder perfect again
    		 Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 6

    Manufacturer: Naxos
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    ASIN: B000009CJC
    Release Date: 1998-01-01

    Tracks:

    1. Andante
    2. Allegretto Furioso
    3. Adagio
    4. Allegretto
    5. Introduction: Andantino
    6. Scherzo: Allegretto
    7. Recitative; Adagio
    8. Etude: Allegro
    9. Humoresque: Allegro
    10. Elegy: Adagio
    11. Finale: Moderato
    12. Adagio

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Eder perfect again.......2000-07-09

    Naxos may be a budget label, but many of their recordings would be worth owning at any price. This is one of them. Of Shostakovich's fifteen String Quartets, the No.11 is perhaps the most immediately appealing, in spite of the composer's advanced age and poor health. The Eders give it all the the Slavic warmth and lyricism that lesser ensembles might miss.

    The quartet No.13, on the other hand, is given the jagged cynicism that it calls for. The Eders always seem to find and project the right mood of every movement in every Quartet, without ever resorting to cheap showmanship or empty emotional hamming.

    The recorded sound and engineering is up to Naxos' usual high standards--warm, lush, and immediate, without the phony over-brightness that many other labels seem given to.
    Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Yes
    		 Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1

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    2. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2
    3. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 6
    4. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 4
    5. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3

    ASIN: B00000141G
    Release Date: 1994-10-04

    Tracks:

    1. Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: Allegretto
    2. Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: Andantino
    3. Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: Allegretto
    4. Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: Allegretto
    5. Quartet No.6 In G Major, Op.101: Allegretto
    6. Quartet No.6 In G Major, Op.101: Moderato con moto
    7. Quartet No.6 In G Major, Op.101: Lento
    8. Quartet No.6 In G Major, Op.101: Lento - Allegretto
    9. Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op.108: Allegretto
    10. Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op.108: Lento
    11. Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op.108: Allegro

    Amazon.com

    The Fourth Quartet is one of the greatest in a very great cycle of works. Its melodic fabric is permeated by the soulful strains of the Jewish music so beloved of the composer--in his memoirs Shostakovich says that what he found so attractive about it was its ability to express suffering in terms of dance rhythms. This tactic--turning the "optimism by decree" socialist realist aesthetic into an essay in tragic irony--was perhaps the most important single component of Shostakovich's musical personality. The Seventh Quartet is, by contrast, the shortest of all these quartets, and is a touching tribute to the composer's wife, while the Sixth has an almost classical poise. Great music, fine performances, budget price. --David Hurwitz

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Yes.......2000-06-24

    With all due respect, I must question the fundamental nature of Tristan Jakob-Hoff's review of this disc. Although terrible music cannot be turned into good music through an effective performance without ceasing to be the same piece of music, a review of these in my opinion very good quartets should not concentrate too much on the quality of the music as it exists in the score.

    This disc was my introduction to Shostakovich's quartets, and although the music itself has been overshadowed by his later quartets, they are still wonderful works that are certainly given a just treatment in this recording. It may not be the last word in Shostakovich recordings, but if I am to continue the precedent of seemingly recording entirely on the basis of the music, a 5 star rating is surely justified.
    Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 5
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Shostakovich's Last Quartets
    • The grim spectre of death, hurray!
    		 Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 5

    Manufacturer: Naxos
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 6
    2. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 4
    3. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1
    4. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2
    5. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3

    ASIN: B0000060C2
    Release Date: 1998-05-12

    Tracks:

    1. Allegretto
    2. Adagio -
    3. Allegretto
    4. Elegy: Adagio -
    5. Serenade: Adagio -
    6. Intermezzo: Adagio -
    7. Nocturne: Adagio -
    8. Funeral March: Adagio Molto -
    9. Epilogue: Adagio - Adagio molto

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Shostakovich's Last Quartets.......2006-10-25

    A great deal of the music of Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) was composed under the spectre of communism and the fear of political pressure. But in his chamber music and in his last works, Shostakovich reached an intensity and poignancy of personal expression that few composers can surpass. This is particulary true of Shostakovich's final two string quartets, composed in 1973 and 1974. Impending death, melancholy, and reflection were reflected in these two works. Shostakovich's two final quartets are included on this CD beautifully played by the Eder quartet as part of its recording of the complete cycle of Shostakovich's fifteen string quartets on Naxos.

    Shostakovich's 14th and 15th quartets are both spare in texture and tightly constructed. They include intricate part-leading and long solo laments especially for the lower voices of the ensemble, the cello and viola. Themes are integrated and repeated across movements and, although the works are tonal in character, Shostakovich shows the influence of Schoenberg and his school in his use of twelve-tone themes. Most importantly, this is melancholy, death-haunted music leavened with passages of serenity.

    I first heard the final string quartet no. 15 in E flat minor, in a performance by the Julliard String Quartet at the Library of Congress in 1975. This was surely one of the earliest American performances of the work, and the memory of that evening has remained with me. The quartet is highly unusual in form consisting of six slow movements. It is deeply pensive and the work of a composer who was facing death. The work opens with a lengthy movement titled "Elegy" which features each of the four voices entering in turn in music of sad, intense intimacy. There are long, poignant solo passages at the heart of each of the succeeding movements, particularly at their beginnings. The cello sings a 12 tone theme in the second movement, marked seranade, while the first violin has an anguished, angular running solo in the brief intermezzo. The centerpiece of the work is the Funeral March, the fifth movement, with its characteristic rhythmic structure and its melancholy deep-voiced solos. The final movement, marked "Epilogue" recapitulates much of the earlier music in the quartet, especially the funeral march, and brings the work to melancholy closure.

    Shostakovich's 14th quartet in F sharp minor is of a more conventional three-movement structure with alternating fast and slow movements. This quartet too features lengthy spare solo lines and duets for the cello and the viola. The opening movement of this work has an angular, anguished character that is largely absent from the melancholy of the final quartet.
    But in the middle of the slow movement of the 14th quartet, Shostakovich attains a moment of peace and serenity in the voice of the cello. The finale to the quartet I found ambiguous in character. It opens with the plaintive character of the opening movement but works gradually into a slow, peaceful close with recollections of the theme of the middle movement.

    Shostakovich's final quartet has not faded for me since the time I heard the music when it was new, long ago. I found the 14th quartet more difficult to approach but also rewarding. This CD will appeal to listeners who want to explore some of the 20th century's finest efforts in the genre of the string quartet.

    Robin Friedman

    4 out of 5 stars The grim spectre of death, hurray!.......2000-06-24

    Outside of complete Shostakovich quartet sets (which are themselves in surprisingly great supply these days), there works are not recorded very often compared to the earlier ones. The reason for this is hard to know- I find them to be quite close to the level of the late Beethoven quartets, though of course having an entirely different emotional impact.

    One cause of their unjust neglect may be their lack of a typically 'quartettish' nature. The textures are very lean, often employing just one or two instruments, this probably being a reflection on both Shostakovich's mood at the time and the poor condition of his hands. 'Skeletal' is a word that fits both the mood and texture of these quartets. Although this could be a sign of laziness in the case of a lesser composer, one can easily feel that Shostakovich would have written them in exactly the same way even if his hands were not so thoroughly crippled.

    For those who are looking for an introduction to Shostakovich's darkest works or angsty music in general, this is a good place to start. The price is obviously right, the liner notes are satisfactory (though when owning the complete Shostakovich quartets and symphonies on 17 CDs, it does get tiresome to read the same many-paged biography of Shostakovich in each set of liner notes), the recording quality is very high, and the quartet capture the mood of these works very well, not making any effort to smooth out these works that only cease to be brutal when they are lamenting.
    Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Good #5 ; underplayed #3
    • Continued Excellence
    		 Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3

    Manufacturer: Naxos
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 4
    2. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2
    3. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 5
    4. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1
    5. Shostakovich: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 6

    ASIN: B00000141I
    Release Date: 1996-01-23

    Tracks:

    1. String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73: Allegretto
    2. String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73: Moderato con moto
    3. String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73: Allegro non troppo
    4. String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73: Adagio
    5. String Quartet No. 3 in F, Op. 73: Moderato
    6. String Quartet No. 5 in B Flat, Op. 92: Allegro non troppo
    7. String Quartet No. 5 in B Flat, Op. 92: Andante
    8. String Quartet No. 5 in B Flat, Op. 92: Moderato - Allegretto

    Amazon.com

    The Third Quartet is a very large, impressive work in five movements that begins with one of those innocent-sounding dance tunes of which Shostakovich was a master--the type of theme that immediately loses its musical virginity, and spends the rest of the movement trying to recapture its freshness and simplicity. The Fifth Quartet--widely considered to be one of the finest in the set--has three large movements, each almost exactly 10 minutes in length. It's a superbly balanced and eloquently argued piece of chamber music. These quartets really reward serious listening, and this excellent series allows you to take the plunge at a very modest price. --David Hurwitz

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Good #5 ; underplayed #3.......2007-03-17

    This is the only disc in the Eder Quartet's Shostakovich series that earned neither a Peguin three star nor a BBC five star rating. The Eder Quartet plays nicely but both a wider range of dynamics and sharper attacks are needed for Shostakovich's #3. The Fitzwilliam Quartet provides an instructive comparison. I have no such reservations about the Eder's performance of #5.

    5 out of 5 stars Continued Excellence.......2001-07-16

    This is the first recording of Shostakovich's string quartets I've ever heard, and it remains one of my favorites. The quality of the music and the performances were enough that it immediately drew me into this music I knew nothing about, enough to make it seem familiar. Even though I've heard no other recording of these quartets, it's not hard to determine that these are first rate, with flawless performances doubled by their strong conviction that occasionally takes away the breath.
    Shostakovich: The Complete String Quartets
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Shostakovich: The Complete String Quartets

      Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000CETZF0
      Release Date: 2006-02-14

      Tracks:

      1. Overture
      2. Recitative And Romance
      3. Waltz
      4. Theme And Variations
      5. Allegretto
      6. Moderato Con Moto
      7. Allegro Non Troppo
      8. Adagio -
      9. Moderato

      Tracks:

      1. Allegretto
      2. Andantino
      3. Allegretto -
      4. Allegretto
      5. Allegretto
      6. Moderato Con Moto
      7. Lento -
      8. Lento - Allegretto
      9. Largo
      10. Allegro Molto -
      11. Allegretto -
      12. Largo -
      13. Largo

      Tracks:

      1. Allegro Non Troppo
      2. Andante
      3. Moderato - Allegretto
      4. Allegretto -
      5. Lento -
      6. Allegro
      7. Moderato Con Moto -
      8. Adagio -
      9. Allegretto -
      10. Adagio -
      11. Allegro

      Tracks:

      1. Moderato -
      2. Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto
      3. Allegretto -
      4. Adagio -
      5. Allegretto
      6. Andante -
      7. Allegretto Furioso -
      8. Adagio (Passacaglia) -
      9. Allegretto - Andante

      Tracks:

      1. Introduction: Andantino -
      2. Scherzo: Allegretto -
      3. Recitative: Adagio -
      4. Etude: Allegro -
      5. Humoresque: Adagio -
      6. Elegy: Adagio -
      7. Finale: Moderato
      8. Adagio - Doppio Movimento - Tempo Primo
      9. Elegy: Adagio -
      10. Serenade: Adagio -
      11. Intermezzo: Adagio -
      12. Nocturne: Adagio -
      13. Funeral March: Molto Adagio -
      14. Epilogue: Adagio

      Tracks:

      1. Andante
      2. Allegro Non Troppo
      3. Largo
      4. Allegretto
      5. Moderato
      6. Moderato
      7. Allegro Molto
      8. Allegro
      9. Prelude
      10. Fugue
      11. Scherzo
      12. Intermezzo
      13. Finale
      Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1 [Hybrid SACD]
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1 [Hybrid SACD]

        Manufacturer: Audite
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by ShostakovichAll Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000GDH928
        Release Date: 2006-07-18

        Amazon.com

        Composers have always entrusted their most intimate personal feelings to the string quartet, but Shostakovich went further: he used them to encode what he could not express openly. Increasingly bleak and despondent, his 15 quartets represent a diary of his ever more desperate, tormented existence. The three recorded here already show this development. All have eerie, shadowy Scherzo-movements, though the first quartet, written in 1938 still free of political pressure, is "spring-like" and optimistic. The second quartet, written in 1944, is more obsessive, with wilder contrasts and mood-swings; the fourth goes from pastoral calm to agonized shrieks, from lyrical melancholy to violent outbursts; its four movements all die away in hopeless desolation. Though written in 1949, Shostakovich withheld its premiere (like that of the first violin concerto, from which it quotes a theme) until after Stalin's death in 1953. The performances are most excellent. The Mandelring Quartet - the siblings Sebastian, Nanette and Bernhard Schmidt and violist Roland Glassl - plays with truly fraternal unanimity and a warm, beautiful tone of extraordinary homogeneity. The texture is rich but absolutely clear, the balance is good, though in the first quartet the melodic line is unduly favored. And the players' response to the music is strong and personal. They make the lyrical sections leisurely and deeply expressive, but are not afraid to sound rough in the abrasive ones. Contrasts of speed and dynamics are stark but not excessive, with remarkably poised, natural tempo changes; rhythms are firm and decisive, the spooky Scherzos are dances of death. This record is a valuable contribution to the Shostakovich celebrations. --Edith Eisler

        Track Listings:

        1. Silken Rags
        2. So Much Beauty
        3. Spanish & South American Guitar Works
        4. Spiral Passages
        5. Steve Reich: Six Pianos; Terry Riley: In C
        6. Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
        7. Tears of Stone [Soundtrack]
        8. Teatro Imaginario
        9. The Fairy Queen (complete)
        10. The G.F. Handel Flute Sonatas

        Track Listings

        track listings

        Track Listings

        How I Saved the World [Original recording remastered]

        Orchestral Works by Villa-Lobos, Antill & Ginastera [SACD] [SACD]

        Sings And Plays

        Just Among Friends

        The Black House

        Sex Down [Explicit Lyrics]

        Sexbomb [CD-single] [Import]

        Popular Russian Songs

        Show (CD & DVD) [Limited Edition]

        On the Alamo

        Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo

        Ready Steady Adam West

        Seal IV [Import]

        Lord Do It

        Chet for Lovers