# Novak - String Quartet 1 op.22 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Novak's 1st String Quartet was composed in 1899 and it won the Czech Chamber Music Society Prize in 1900. Supposedly influenced by Novák's travels it is said to contain melodies and rhythms of the regions he visited during his travels. The opening Allegro moderato, for example, was inspired by the landscape of Eastern Moravia and this is reflected in the calm beauty of the violin but there's a melanchololy there too (was he homesick?). Novák later explained that the melody was a way of "recreating the hailing calls of the hill shepherds with their flocks" but whatever the case this is a fine movement. The second movement (Scherzo, Allegro commodo) , is a relaxed, cheerful, witty peasant dance, whilst the Andante-Allegro finale was inspired by many of the folk tunes of Slovakia that Novak heard as he travelled. It's a strange movement, with its shifting tempi and Slavic folk themes but it works extremely well in this context. This is another fine Novak String Quartet and, for me, his finest. 
That I know of there's only ever been two recordings of this quartet, over the years. The first was a 1963 recording by the Novak Quartet, on Supraphon (paired with the Smetana Quartet's Suk op.11), that has been out of print for years. I've never heard that recording (hint hint)  But fortunately the *Suk Quartet *recorded a 1974 ADD traversal (which I knew nothing about until a few weeks ago) that is still available on download only from the Czech site linked below (but be prepared to do some heavy retagging as there's little info apart from track titles - in Czech). Thank you to TC member BBSVK for helping me get hold of it. Much appreciated. As to the recording, well fortunately it's a cracker. Thea bucolic music suits the Suk's early style to a T and the analogue sound (really?) is crystal clear with a glorious, deep, immediate, punchy cello sound. If you've never heard a Novak quartet this is definitely the best place to start and if you enjoy the quartets of Smetana and Suk then you'll love this fine quartet (and the 2nd quartet that's paired with it). Hugely recommended.






Hudba Vítězslav Novák: Smyčcové kvartety č. 1 a č. 2 — Radiotéka


Vítězslav Novák: Smyčcový kvartet č. 1 G dur, op. 22 (1899) Sukovo kvarteto (1974) Vítězslav Novák: Smyčcový kvartet č. 2 D dur, op. 35 (1905) Pražákovo kvarteto (1984)




www.radioteka.cz


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