# Summer of the String Quartet



## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Hi gang! I plan a series of blog posts in July and August on String Quartets and I wanted to get some suggestions. Let's make this a poll of your favorites in the following categories:

1 - Favorite String Quartet, period
2 - Favorite "Spanish" string quartet - from a Spanish composer of of Spanish inspiration
3 - Favorite "French" string quartet - from a french composer of of french inspiration
4 - Favorite Mozart string quartet
5 - Favorite Austrian string quartet
6 - Favorite "Italian" string quartet - - from an Italian composer of of Italian inspiration

Pls make sure we can find complete performances "in the open" on the internet.

The floor is yours!


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

1 - Dvorak SQ #12 (aka the "American")
2 - I need to think about that one
3 - Debussy (he only wrote one)
4 - SQ #14 (K387)
5 - If Beethoven counts as Austrian (Holy Roman Empire) then Op 18 #4. It he doesn't then Haydn Op 33 #2 (aka the "Joke")
6 - not familiar enough with Italian SQ to give a good answer


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

1. Beethoven: String Quartet in C# minor Op. 131 
2. I'm not sure if I'm familiar with any 
3. Debussy: String Quartet
4. Not familiar enough to make a judgement 
5. Excluding my No. 1... Schubert: String Quartet #15
6. Not familiar with any. 

I'm curious about your questioning... why no mention of Slavic, Russian, or even English or American quartets? All of those have contributed more to the genre then the Spanish or Italian.


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

1. Shostakovich No. 8
2. Haven't heard any
3. Ravel: String Quartet
4. Mozart No. 19
5. Beethoven No. 14
6. Verdi: String Quartet

I agree with Nix, there are especially a lot of great Russian string quartets.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

1) Ravel: String Quartet
2) I dunno
3) Ravel : String Quartet
4) Not sure
5) Schubert #14
6) Don't know


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

best poLL so far... 



itywltmt said:


> 1 - Favorite String Quartet, period
> 2 - Favorite "Spanish" string quartet - from a Spanish composer of of Spanish inspiration
> 3 - Favorite "French" string quartet - from a french composer of of french inspiration
> 4 - Favorite Mozart string quartet
> ...


1. Schubert Death and Maiden
2. also haven't heard much, but I think Boccherini and Arriaga can go in, but can't remember exactly
3. Debussy
4. No.17 The Hunt in Bb
5. Mendelssohn no.4 in Em
6. Verdi's

if you can change no.2 to RUSSIAN it will be perfect. also Fav Beethoven as well.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Nix said:


> I'm curious about your questioning... why no mention of Slavic, Russian, or even English or American quartets? All of those have contributed more to the genre then the Spanish or Italian.


Good Question

I don't want to give away my entire "blog plan" for July and August, but I can say thjis much: I will have a parallel series of podcasts on my Blogspot blog starting July 15 on the theme of "holidays", and I will be making some montages about the countries I mentioned.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

jurianbai said:


> best poLL so far...
> 
> 1. Schubert Death and Maiden
> 2. also haven't heard much, but I think Boccherini and Arriaga can go in, but can't remember exactly
> ...


Boccherini's "Guitar quintets" wouldn't fit the narrow definition of "String Quartet" I had in mind. If I broadened the topic to "string chamber works", then that would work, and Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence" would also fit under Italy. I might have to think about that...

BTW: If you like the Hunt quartet, check out my Father's Day montage:
http://itywltmt.blogspot.com/2011/06/montage-10-fathers-day.html

with a complete performance of the Hunt and the Trout quintet.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

While Fandago can surely fit into Spanish influenced chamber work, what I had in mind on Boccherini string quartet with Spanish fell is this: String Quartet in G La Tiranna G223 Op.44 no.4. Here a blog with complete CD recomendation: http://silentstring.blogspot.com/2010/03/ala-contra-bass.html


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## haydnfan (Apr 13, 2011)

itywltmt said:


> Hi gang! I plan a series of blog posts in July and August on String Quartets and I wanted to get some suggestions. Let's make this a poll of your favorites in the following categories:
> 
> 1 - Favorite String Quartet, period
> 2 - Favorite "Spanish" string quartet - from a Spanish composer of of Spanish inspiration
> ...


1. Beethoven Op 135
2. ?
3. Faure
4. Hoffmeister KV 499
5. Haydn, Op 76 #6 (he might be technically Croatian at the time he really was simply a resident of the Habsburg Empire and thus Austrian)
6. Bazzini's String Quartet #1 perhaps?


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

Trout said:


> 5. Beethoven No. 14


Beethoven was in Vienna, Austria for quite some time, but I'm not sure if that qualifies him as Austrian.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

The Summer of the String Quartet begins:
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/251-summer-string-quartet-part.html

Still open to suggestions!


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

About Spanish SQ, you have of course the 3 by Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (the Spanish "Mozart"). And I can recommended 2 SQ by Jesús Guridi and those of Manuel Blancafort.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Haha, everyone is saying "uh..." for #2, but honestly for me, I can't even say anything for #1. Although I may like Ravel's String Quartet.


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

For #2 I'm very curious about this: http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/breton-string-quartet-in-D.htm


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

Haha! I forgot about this. I've a Marco Polo with this SQ and his piano trio. I like the SQ very much.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

that Spanish composer recomendations are new to me. And out of curiosity, Fernando Sor, Spanish famous for guitarist, did a string quartet, three of them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Fernando_Sor#Chamber_music


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

Odnoposoff said:


> Haha! I forgot about this. I've a Marco Polo with this SQ and his piano trio. I like the SQ very much.


You mean this?


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

That is. And I found hidden in my collection 2 SQ by a romantic and unknown Spaniard called Conrado del Campo.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

jurianbai said:


> that Spanish composer recomendations are new to me. And out of curiosity, Fernando Sor, Spanish famous for guitarist, did a string quartet, three of them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Fernando_Sor#Chamber_music


Very interesting. His guitar compositions are brilliant. I'd be quite interested to hear those SQ's.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Second installment:
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/257-summer-string-quartet-part.html


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Third installment:
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/262-summer-string-quartet-part.html


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

actually you should also check this thread... for some non "mainstream" string quartet repertoire, but I like it that you compiled the mix of basic and unusual repertoire in your blog.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

jurianbai said:


> actually you should also check this thread... non "mainstream" string quartet repertoire, but I like it that you compiled the mix of basic and unusual repertoire in your blog.


Thanks for the link - I haven't been spending much time in the "solo and chamber" area...

Thanks again for your kind words... I just hope people don't get sick of six weeks of String Quartets! Don't despair, however, I have a few surprises in store once I'm done with this series!


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Part 4
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/275-summer-string-quartet-part.html


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Part five
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/280-summer-string-quartet-part.html


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

The final installment:
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/298-summer-string-quartet-part.html


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

I think I'm rather late but my favorite String Quartet is Schumann's String Quartet Op. 41 No. 1.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Klavierspieler said:


> I think I'm rather late but my favorite String Quartet is Schumann's String Quartet Op. 41 No. 1.


hm, interesting. Why is that?


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

itywltmt said:


> Hi gang! I plan a series of blog posts in July and August on String Quartets and I wanted to get some suggestions. Let's make this a poll of your favorites in the following categories:


Oops...I'm a bit late coming to this ...



> 1 - Favorite String Quartet, period


err...you mean, favourite period? Or favourite all time string quartet?

I think my favourite string quartet (sadly to be so conventional!) is the Schubert D887, No. XV [Prazak Quartet digital recording version] tied jointly with the Szymanowski String Quartet No.1 [Varsovia Quartet]

Favourite period is 1910 - 1945 (death of King Edward VII - out with the old lol! Before the economic hardships of the postwar era led to cutting back on crotchets and semiquavers.



> 2 - Favorite "Spanish" string quartet - from a Spanish composer of of Spanish inspiration


As opposed to a Spanish composer whose inspiration derives from New Zealand? 

I don't know very many Spanish ones, although the modern Catalan and Basque composers are interesting. If you include Latin America, it would be one of Villas-Lobos, or Ginastera's for me. Probably Ginastera No.1 [Cuarteto Latinoamericano]



> 3 - Favorite "French" string quartet - from a french composer of of french inspiration


Ok...I think I understand now. You mean no Belgians lol.

Dutilleux - Ainsi La Nuit (Arditti Quartet version)
or Debussy's most famous one (Quartetto Italiano). The other one didn't make it :/



> 4 - Favorite Mozart string quartet


I don't like Mozart. But if I must, then it's K421 (Vlach Quartet LP recording version - modern ones sux±!)



> 5 - Favorite Austrian string quartet


They're all greek to me 



> 6 - Favorite "Italian" string quartet - - from an Italian composer of of Italian inspiration


Hmm. This will have to be Malipiero's No. VII or No. III. Probably No. VII ,recording by the Orpheus Quartet. Generally I don't listen to happy go lucky music, so the rest of his string cycle was a bit of a dead end for me. I haven't found satisfactory recordings of Jankek's string quartets.

PS - what happened to the Belgians? Jongen really needs representation!


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

1. Like Head case, I am going to go for Schubert D. 887.
2. One of Villa Lobos's quartets, possibly No. 5
3. Ravel
4. Dissonance
5. Schubert D. 887, followed by Beethoven's Razumovskies
6. None

What about Soviets and Hungarians?


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

> What about Soviets and Hungarians?


Yeah - Brits & Puerto Ricans too!

PS - I heard the Ravel being played live twice this year! It is ravishingly timeless.


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## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

1 Beethven Op 127
2?
3 Ropartz #3
4 K.499 (Hofmeister)
5 Korngold #2
6 Sgambati


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## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

To add to my post. A little off the beaten track, but its nice to add some new names.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

Oww... this is a thread from last year summer, time passed.

Britten string quartet, Rutland Boughton are wonderful Brits string quartet , perfect for this summer.


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