# What is it about Hispanic String Quartets?



## Selby

Last summer was the summer of the "quatuor à cordes," the French String Quartet. I devoured SQs by Debussy, Koechlin, Ropartz, Cras, Durosoir, Milhaud, Chausson, Franck, Faure, Magnard, Ravel, d'Indy, Gounod, Dutilleux, Saint-Saens, and Bonnal. It was one of the most enjoyable times of musical discovery in my adult life.

I want to declare this summer the summer of the "quarteto de cuerda," the Hispanic String Quartet. I would like to include any composer from the Portugal, Spain, and Central or South America.

Hispanic was the best term I could come up with as a broad collection of cultures influenced by the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. If there is a more appropriate word I would be happy to use it. I know in the US the usage of Hispanic, Latino, or Mexican-American, Peruvian-American, etc. can be a very touchy subject. I hope not to get too bogged down by semantics.

These are the recording I have thus far:

*Manuel Ponce* [1882-1948] -1 SQ/ 4 miniatures for SQ, Cuarteto Latinoamericano performing
*Alberto Ginastera* [1916-1983] - 3 SQs, Enso Quartet with Lucy Shelton performing
*Heitor Villa-Lobos* [1887-1959] - 17 SQs, Quarteto Latinoamericano performing
*Juan Crisostomo Arriaga* [1806-1826] - 3 SQs, Rasoumovsky Quartet performing
*Silvestre Revueltas* [1899-1940] - 4 SQs, Quarteto Latinoamericano performing
*Francisco Mignone* [1897-1986] - 2 SQs/ Barcarola, 3 songs, and 2 essays for SQ, Quarteto Latinoamericano performing

Where should I go?

I want fire and passion. I want the sexy SQs. Do they exist?

Essentially, I want the SQ cycles I imagine Manuel de Falla or Enrique Granados would have composed, but never did.

What do other have/like/recommend?


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## joen_cph

In the main, I probably only have Ginastera, Villa-Lobos and Arriaga, and they are a wonderful bunch.

I´d be interested in hearing those by Chavez, though (4). Actually, it turns out that the 3rd is on you-t 



 Apparently, there are also those by the Portuguese Braga Santos (very old excerpt)


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## Mandryka

If you like Xenakis, you may like the quartet called Liturgia Fractal by Alberto Posadas






Or there's the Piazzolla CD from Cuarteto Casals? Cuarteto Casals have also recorded Vistas al mar by Eduardo Toldrá -- I would like to hear it but haven't (I believe it's interspersed with poems by Joan Maragall)


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## Morimur

*Osvaldo Golijov: Yiddishbbuk (Todd Palmer / St. Lawrence String Quartet)*

Chamber works by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov.

View attachment 39219


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## ptr

Do Mauricio Kagel count as Hispanic? He was born in Argentina, even if he lived most of his life in Germany, his quartets a exellent.

I have Ginastera, Arriaga and Revueltas as mentioned above, all are fine to excellent, I find Villa-Lobos kind of uneven (like most of his music). Haven't heard Ponce or Mignone's quartets!

I also have a CD with the Arditti Quartet playing Spanish String Quartets, but the only memorable quartet on there is Christobal Halftter's third.

/ptr


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## Alypius

Mitchell,

You're far ahead of me on this quest. You and I have been following similar tracks, but I'm well behind you. In recent years, I have been pursuing the string quartets (and other works) of many of those same French composers you mentioned (and am still doing so). I've just begun to explore some of the Latin American composers you've listed. But a suggested strategy: The Cuarteto Latinoamericano have made a career of performing and recording Latin American composers, and a good part of your own discography includes their work. You might simply continue following them wherever they lead. Two of their recent discs are of the string quartets of Eddie Mora and of Mario Lavista. Here's a YouTube of them performing Mora's String Quartet #3 (2009).






And here's one from their performance of the (complete) string quartets of the contemporary Mexican composer Mario Lavista (b. 1943) -- but this is not very spirited; more experimental, more reminiscent of some of the Norgard I've been listening to.






And here's a live performance of his String Quartet #3 ("Musica para mi vecino"). Sound uneven, but you get a good feel for the piece:


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## Selby

Lope de Aguirre said:


> Chamber works by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov.
> 
> View attachment 39219


I totally forgot that Golijov is Argentinean. Great record.


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## Selby

ptr said:


> Haven't heard Ponce or Mignone's quartets!


ptr,

I'm really enjoying the Mignone recording, out of my list is the the closest I've gotten to that "en feugo" feel I'm looking for. The Ponce has great moments but I'm not sold yet.


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## Quartetfore

Mitchell, great list of French Composers! I have spent time with all of those that you mention, though not in the concentrated way that you have. I like to "spread the wealth".


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## PetrB

Perhaps both off point and 'out of category,' but whether by him or as arranged by others, I would include that well-known composer who studied with Ginastera and Boulanger, Astor Piazolla 

Gidon Kremer & (I believe) the Kamerata Baltica


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## Selby

I didn't know that Chavez wrote an SQs. I have an album of his chamber works that I think very highly of, so I'm going to continue my journey with him.

Just bought:









I'll report back after I've spent some time with it.


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## dbcrow

Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, mostly known for his guitar pieces, wrote four really good string quartets in a highly modern idiom. Check out the Havana String Quartet recording on Zoho.


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## jurianbai

I see that Arriage is on your list, so Classical era string quartet should be interesting for you as well.

For Spanish composers I immediately remind of these:

Joseph Teixidor (1752-1811), recorded by Cambini quartet
Manuel Canales (1747-1786), also by Cambini quartet , 2 volumes

Gaetano Brunetti (1744-1798) - Italian, but spend most of his active time in Madrid
and if we can include Luigi Boccherini , also Italiano who connected with Spanish music, produced lot of string quartets and quintets.

and how about Conlon Nancarrow, he spend most of time in Mexico. His three string quartets are interesting to tackle.

For something modern as Villa-Lobos, how about Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt. I never remember somebody mentioned his name! Chillean composer


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## science

It's a very minor technical point, but "Hispanic" doesn't include Brazil! Doesn't matter much, everyone knows what you mean, but just in case you ever meet a Brazilian...


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## Duron

Maybe you can be interested in these string quartets by Cayetano Brunetti (1744-1798) (he lived in Madrid since he was a child. He is one of the most important Spanish composers of the second half of XVIIIth century):

http://www.elargonauta.com/partitur...dedicados-al-duque-de-alba/979-0-801266-89-7/

Ars Hispana Project usually publishes Spanish string quartets: http://arshispana.com/publications/publications1b.htm


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## worov

Rodolfo Halffter (uncle of Cristobal Halffter) composed some string quartets. They have been recorded by Cuarteto Latinoamericano :


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## revdrdave

And, of course, music for string quartet by my favorite Hispanic composer, Joaquin Turina...


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## Heliogabo

Mexican's Silvestre Revueltas string quartets are one of his most personals and special works. it´s not "sexy". Just wonderful music of 20th century.
By the way, Villalobos is not "hispanic", more exactly one should call this tread: "cuartetos latinoamericanos"


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