# Atterberg - String Quartet 3 op.39 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Atterberg's String Quartet No.3 in D Major is actually a revisiting of his first string quartet, his Op.2, which was incomplete. It originally consisted of two movements, a scherzo and a romance and was composed in 1909. He returned to it again in 1936 and added two more movements. It was then christened String Quartet No.3, Op.39. The two outer movements are Op.39, the middle movements Op.2, with a space of a quartet of a century between both. However, you'd never know it as this seems a totally cohesive quartet ("can't see the join", as Eric Morecambe would say). The quartet begins with an upbeat Allegro with a lovely, flowing melody. As the movement unfolds, a nervous foward motion takes over and the overall effect is one of pleasant energy. The second movement, a Presto with the colours of Mendelssohn, which he subtitled Scherzo, is played muted. Playful and frenetic, it seems to show an affinity with the French impressionists. The third movement, a very romantic Adagio, was subtitled Romance and this is where the quartet improves for me. The finale, Allegro deciso, is better again. Atterberg subtitled it Rondo, intending it apparently to have a dance-like feel and there's a definite nod to Schubert here, in this stronger movement. . The effect created is one of motion, a kind of restless, motoric traveling music.

That I know of, there just seems to be one available recording and that is from the *Stenhammar Quartet,* on CPO, and a fine one it is. It's closely recorded, which is not a bad thing, skilfully played and although some sniffing becomes apparent at higher volumes its not intrusive for most people.


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