Our Summer BAL 45: Bartok Quartets

[Stanfordian]

I wonder if the reviewers' expectations of their readers might be partly based on a widespread idea that "Classical" Music is "chill-out", soft-focussed, easy-listening stuff - judging by many of the "entries" in the "Classical Charts" when I saw them a few years ago.

I agree. If Classic FM is to go by from 10.00pm for many hours it seems to be calm, chill-out easy listening, relaxing classical music, nothing to frighten the horses.

[Richard Barrett]

One of the things that stops me from listening to the Bartók quartets as often as I should is knowing which one to begin with. Today I tossed a (conveniently hexahedral) die and it landed on 3. Talking of the connection between Bartók and rock music, this is from a 1997 interview with Robert Fripp (although he's said similar things at other times): "When I was 20, I worked at a hotel in a dance orchestra, playing weddings, bar-mitzvahs, dancing, cabaret. I drove home and I was also at college at the time. Then I put on the radio (Radio Luxembourg) and I heard this music. It was terrifying. I had no idea what it was. Then it kept going. Then there was this enormous whine note of strings. Then there was this colossal piano chord. I discovered later that I'd come in half-way through Sgt. Pepper, played continuously. My life was never the same again. Then there was Hendrix, more or less the same time. Can you remember where you were when you heard the opening bars of "Purple Haze"? Then there were the Bartók string quartets. My experience was of the same musicians speaking to me in different dialects. One musician speaking in different voices."

[Beef Oven!]

Just a little reminder not to restrict oneself to complete surveys of the Bartok quartets.

Indeed I don't!

[jayne lee wilson]

I agree. If Classic FM is to go by from 10.00pm for many hours it seems to be calm, chill-out easy listening, relaxing classical music, nothing to frighten the horses.

Yes, just great when you need it - preparing my late meal until Newsnight begins, and clearing up afterward...
Bartok Quartets wouldn't be quite the thing... (unless... the slow movements on a loop, now there's a thought...)

[Richard Barrett]

I just listened to nos 3 and 5. I realised that no 5 is more familiar to me than I was anticipating (so I must have heard it quite a few times one way and another) and that no 3 is less. (The Kellers, since you ask.)

[BBMmk2]

Yes, good point BBM!

I need to explain.

I listen to 2/3 of Bartok's string quartets virtually every day. I have 20 sets ranging from the Végh Quartet's goulash-sodden authenticity, to the ice-cool, razor sharp Ferrari passenger seat Emersons. I really enjoy all the different approaches. So a sunny-uplands, honorary-C major dreamily poetic set, really captures my imagination.

So I guess I'm really meaning a superficial engagement by the listener.

Thanks.

It will be interesting to hear your opinion of the Aracadia’s recording on Chandos.

[Beef Oven!]

Thanks.

It will be interesting to hear your opinion of the Aracadia’s recording on Chandos.

I'll give them a listen, but I shan't be buying a download at the moment, for two reasons. First, I bought the Mandelring DSCH complete string quartets last night on download and that will take care of my retail therapy/string quartets needs for at least 4 days. Secondly, I've been enjoying my CDs of the Chiara String Quartet's recording of the Bartók quartets, 'Bartok By Heart' (played from memory, no score) which I find capture the beauty and flow of this music, above the austerity. It kind of satisfies that other side of my BB StQt listening pleasure.

I'll download the Arcadia from iTunes or Qobuz onto my iPod Touch for later listening, this week.

A tremendous bargain at £11.40 brand new including p&p from Amazon

[BBMmk2]

Thanks Beef!

[Richard Barrett]

'Bartok By Heart' (played from memory, no score)

I wonder that they make such a selling point of this feature, as if it somehow guarantees a better performance than one where the musicians have the music in front of them... yes it's an impressive feat of memory, but why bother spending all the necessary time on it?

[Beef Oven!]

I wonder that they make such a selling point of this feature, as if it somehow guarantees a better performance than one where the musicians have the music in front of them... yes it's an impressive feat of memory, but why bother spending all the necessary time on it?

I guess they feel the experience of the music is different for both the players and the audience. The marketing reasons are straightforward, I'd say. On balance, I think they believe in what they are doing, rather than being insincere for marketing purposes.

[Richard Barrett]

I guess they feel the experience of the music is different for both the players and the audience. The marketing reasons are straightforward, I'd say. On balance, I think they believe in what they are doing, rather than being insincere for marketing purposes.

I'm sure they believe in what they're doing, although it obviously doesn't make any audible difference to the audience for a sound recording - what I was questioning was the implication that this feature is necessarily a good thing, as opposed to, well, just a thing. There's a well-known story about Georg Solti being asked why he never conducted from memory, and answering "because I can read the music".

[Beef Oven!]

I'm sure they believe in what they're doing, although it obviously doesn't make any audible difference to the audience for a sound recording - what I was questioning was the implication that this feature is necessarily a good thing, as opposed to, well, just a thing. There's a well-known story about Georg Solti being asked why he never conducted from memory, and answering "because I can read the music".

In terms of a performance, it removes an unnecessary intermediate* between the performers and audience, which could be seen as a good thing.

Regarding Solti, I wonder what Karajan might've said if he'd been asked the question, the other way around.


*If disconnect (verb)can be used as a noun, why not intermediate (adjective)?


.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Solti quotation is also attributed to Szell, Klemperer, and others. In any case - it's a different matter for stick wavers; they can forget whole pages of Music without it necessarily making any difference to what the orchestra does (the same can be true, of course, even if a conductor remembers every detail in a concert). Performers committing Music to memory (which they all do, whether or not they have Music on a stand in front of them) must feel that it ensures a significantly closer "connection" to it - the Chiaras are not the first to do this; the Kolisch Quartet also used to perform from memory - and recorded the first three Schönberg Quartets in this way (they had Music on stands for the fourth, as it had been completed only a few weeks before the recording). And, IIRC, the Rose 4tet also played from memory.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Regarding Solti, I wonder what Karajan might've said if he'd been asked the question, the other way around.

"Georg who?"

[Beef Oven!]

"Georg who?"