BaL 6.02.21 - Bartók: String Quartet No. 5.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Kate Molleson chooses her favourite recording of Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5.

Throughout his career Bartók was obsessed with folk music, attracted by the invigorating irregularity its rhythms, its modes, often so contrary to conventional scale patterns, its unorthodox harmonic inflections and deep-rooted connection to landscape and people. He spent 40 years of his life collecting, transcribing and studying the indigenous music of central Europe, including his native Hungary.

By the time of the First World War, folk music pervasively and profoundly informed Bartók’s own music and its nevertheless uncompromising modernist style and rigorous formal organisation. By 1934, the year he wrote his fifth and penultimate string quartet, Bartók’s musical style had become more approachable and this wonderful work, at once playful and profound, so full of humanity and packing a huge emotional punch, is among the great string quartets of any century.


Available versions:-

Aeolus Quartet *

Alban Berg Quartet

Alexander String Quartet *

Arcadia String Quartet

Arcanto Quartet *

Belcea Quartet *

Budapest Quartet *

Chiara String Quartet *

Emerson String Quartet

Engegard Quartet *

Euclid Quartet *

Fine Arts Quartet

Guarneri Quartet

Hagen Quartet

Heath Quartet *

Hungarian String Quartet

Jerusalem Quartet

Juilliard String Quartet *

Lindsay String Quartet *

Meta4

Mikrokosmos String Quartet *

Novak Quartett

Parker String Quartet

Pro Arte Quartet

Quatuor Diotima

Erwin Ramor, Andreas Sándor, Zoltan Thirring, Vera Nogrady *

Rubin Quartet *

Takács Quartet *

Talich Quartett

Tatrai Quartet *

Tokyo String Quartet

Vegh-Quartet

Vermeer Quartet

Vertavo String Quartet

Zehetmair Quartet *


(* download only)

[Serial_Apologist]

The problem (I've found) with different interpretations is that all the Bartok quartets benefit and suffer equally haphazardly, this bit being just what you want, that bit total hash-up, irrespective of which you go for. Deciding would involve listing the number of pros and cons. At school the Fine Arts recording was our introduction (tho' you can imagine what we re-named the band!) to my favourite of the six. I actually have all the Juilliards, still on vinyl after (?} 35 years and in excellent, well-loved condition.

[Bryn]

The problem (I've found) with different interpretations is that all the Bartok quartets benefit and suffer equally haphazardly, this bit being just what you want, that bit total hash-up, irrespective of which you go for. Deciding would involve listing the number of pros and cons. At school the Fine Arts recording was our introduction (tho' you can imagine what we re-named the band!) to my favourite of the six. I actually have all the Juilliards, still on vinyl after (?} 35 years and in excellent, well-loved condition.

All the Juilliards? The early mono, the '60s stereo and the (probably best forgotten about) digital sets?

[Bert]

All the Juilliards? The early mono, the '60s stereo and the (probably best forgotten about) digital sets?

Digital sets are pretty good, just not as good as the earlier performances.

Keller is available new from Amazon.

[verismissimo]

… Keller is available new from Amazon.

And is excellent!

[Bert]

And is excellent!

[Pulcinella]

It seems a little odd to me to choose just one of a set of six quartets for a BaL, but then, even without Andrew's contributions, 45 minutes would be nothing like long enough for a decent consideration of all available complete sets.
But given that the vast majority of the recordings listed will be part of a 2CD set of all six, it would be good to know that the others all passed muster.
As with others who have already posted, I was weaned on the three Fine Arts Quartet Saga LPs, in their distinctive bright red, green, and blue jackets. Later on, I bought the Juilliard (1963) LP box set. My first CD set was the Emersons (which won an award, as many versions seem to have done). I now have the Fine Arts and the 1963 Juilliard sets on CD too, so am not really in the market to expand further, though I'm looking forward to this BaL to hear some other versions.

[kernelbogey]

I first came across these quartets when my brother bought an LP of 5&6. I was about 15 and had begun to be excited about classical music. The Bartok was like nothing I'd ever heard. While he was away at University, and because our LP collection was still quite small, I listened to them both a few times. I don't think I ever really liked them - intrigued would be a better word - but they were a major part of my introduction to twentieth century music. I preferred 5 of the two: something darker, IIRC, about the overall work. I have no recording now of either. I have heard it only once since I was 15, recently on R3.

[Pulcinella]

There's a pretty good and simple introductory description of the quartet on Wiki:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartet_No._5_(Bartók)

On reflection, if only one of the six is to be considered, this is probably the one to go for, though none of them is particularly representative of what you might expect to hear in the others (IMHO, of course).

We have our own Summer BaL thread:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?13829-Our-Summer-BAL-45-Bartok-Quartets

And also another more quirky one:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?13836-3-Bartok-String-Quartets-to-take-for-holiday-listening&highlight=bartok+string+quartets

[BBMmk2]

This music that Bartok composed, to me sounds highly individualised. More so than any of his other works.

[visualnickmos]

.....I now have the Fine Arts and the 1963 Juilliard sets on CD too, so am not really in the market to expand further, though I'm looking forward to this BaL to hear some other versions.

You can't go wrong with the Keller Quartet. And it's an inexpensive treasure!

[Pulcinella]

You can't go wrong with the Keller Quartet. And it's an inexpensive treasure!

It's certainly tempting: I might see if I can stream their version.
I've streamed the Heath Quartet and Arcadia Quartet versions fairly recently, too.

[verismissimo]

This music that Bartok composed, to me sounds highly individualised. More so than any of his other works.

It certainly is an extraordinary work.

I first got to grips with it through the Prague City Quartet on Supraphon in the 1960s. My first two complete sets were the Hungarians (from 1962) and then the Takacs on Hungaroton from 1984. Both very special. Since that time I've acquired CD sets by the Kellers and the Hagens. And I have 5 and 6 by the Lindsays.

I've only heard the whole cycle once live - given by the Lindsays at Leamington not so long before they retired - an unforgettable experience.

[rauschwerk]

For those new to this piece, I recommend starting with the middle movement (the most accessible) and working outwards, since movements 2 & 4 are related, as are 1 & 5. The sonata form of the first movement is not too hard to follow, even though (according to Charles Rosen) it is atonal (the composer would probably have disagreed!). In this movement Bartok brings back the three main themes in reverse order and upside down. In his music of this period, understanding structure is at least as important as 'getting' the emotional content. There is an excellent structural guide in the Philharmonia/Universal study score (nla it would seem).

[Pulcinella]

For those new to this piece, I recommend starting with the middle movement (the most accessible) and working outwards, since movements 2 & 4 are related, as are 1 & 5. The sonata form of the first movement is not too hard to follow, even though (according to Charles Rosen) it is atonal (the composer would probably have disagreed!). In this movement Bartok brings back the three main themes in reverse order and upside down. In his music of this period, understanding structure is at least as important as 'getting' the emotional content. There is an excellent structural guide in the Philharmonia/Universal study score (nla it would seem).

I wonder if it is this, by Matyas Seiber?

https://www.prestomusic.com/books/products/7188191--seiber-m-string-quartets-of-bartok

I had it separately, but passed it on to a friend as it is included (unattributed!) in the complete Boosey and Hawkes set of scores that I have, though that may be a US edition, as it was bought there and says Printed in USA too. The page number count looks the same, though.
Currently (until 31 January 2021) on offer at Presto: £37.13 instead of £49.50.
Don't hesitate!

https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7461939--bartok-b-the-string-quartets-of-bela-bartok