# Cherubini - String Quartet 3 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Born in Florence, Italy, Cherubini studied at two Italian conservatories before moving to Paris in 1788, where he lived for the rest of his life. Known for his earlier operas, Cherubini turned to writing religious and instrumental music later in life and was director of the Paris Conservatory from 1822 until he died (he was viewed as a 'French' national treasure and was awarded the Legion d'honneur). He was highly thought of by Beethoven who considered Cherubini the "greatest living composer" and the feeling was mutual, regarding each other's music, even though Cherubini didn't care much for Beethoven as a person ("rude" and "brusque" were two adjectives Cherubini used to friends). Similarly, Cherubini's quartets were much admired by others. Mendelssohn enjoyed and studied these works intently, Schumann liked them so much that he had them performed in his living room and Brahms edited them for publication. Cherubini, himself, studied Beethoven's Middle and Late Quartets intently and clearly adored them judging by his Third String Quartet which is quintessentially a Beethoven quartet with very operatic overtones.
The 3rd Quartet was composed in 1834, when the composer was 73, and is in four movements. As a side note it should be said that all but the first of Cherubini's quartets were written in the last 10 years of his life, when he had stopped operas. The 1st movement, Allegro commodo, begins with a solitary violin being answered by the cello. Soon, the rhythmic Beethovian main theme kicks in and its a especially enjoyable one. There's a sweet Italian melody in there with Cherubini's trademark, unusual rhythms and emotional language that give the piece a very Mediterranean feel for me (I love listening to this quartet when I holiday in Spain). The 2nd movement, Larghetto is very operatic and quite lovely . The bel canto melody is accompanied sumptuously here. In the 3rd movement, a fugal Scherzo, allegro, Beethoven's Late Quartets are pretty close to the surface again and I love that syncopated main theme led by the viola and cello. There's a fine polonaise in there too and the ending of the movement is witty, cleverly written and quirky. The finale, Allegro risoluto, has an operatic melody bustling with flourishes from the first violin and has a sense of powerful struggle to round out this glorious and under-appreciated classic. If you are a fan of Beethoven's later quartets or those of Schumann and especially Mendelssohn (Felix was a huge admirer of these quartets and it shows) then this is definitely a quartet you need to hear and I struggle to understand its neglect. There are no single recordings of this quartet (that I know of) that aren't part of a cycle but the 4 ensembles who have recorded all six have made impressive recordings of which I'll expand on below.

Recommended

Hausmusik - this fine English-based quartet performed on period instruments and have a compact and softer-edged sound in this clear 90s recording. There's plenty of mystery in their 2nd movement, intonation is perfect but perhaps others have more drive and punch in noisier moments.

*Well recommended

Melos* - from the first complete cycle (originally on DG and later Brilliant Classics) the Melos recording is in good, stereo, analogue sound. They shape phrases well but theres a certain coolness, especially in the 2nd movement and perhaps the Melos don't find the warmth that others do in the finale, either. However, this still sounds good almost 50 years later.

*Even better

Quartetto David* - the David may be a little noisier in the breathing department but their playing is full, highly involved and very lively. The resonant recording occasionally clouds a few moments but the BIS sound is also a plus here as it wraps this performance in a warm glow that makes it even more appealing. This is my current first choice.

*Savinio* - although the sound is very close and lean there's lots of clarity and this performance has lots of immediacy. The Savinio are especially expressive and can turn on the power impressively too. The strong cello sound catches the ear immediately. Whether you prefer this or the David performance (or even the other two) will come down to which acoustic you prefer as these are top-quality, highly committed accounts. Whichever you choose you need to own at least one set just for the 1st and 3rd quartets, alone.


----------

