Our Summer BAL No 46: Webern's String Quartet music

[verismissimo]

This should get the board rocking.

I've had the Quartetto Italiano on LP for years and the Lasalles on CD more recently. Both really fine IMO.

What might add to my joy in this wonderful music?

[Bryn]

Let's not forget the Arditti Quartet, though only via download or "used" at the moment, it appears.

Not much taken with the Emerson Quartet in the DGG Webern box.

[wenotsoira]

This should get the board rocking.

I've had the Quartetto Italiano on LP for years and the Lasalles on CD more recently. Both really fine IMO.

What might add to my joy in this wonderful music?

The Artis Quartet are pretty good.

[Roehre]

This should get the board rocking.

I've had the Quartetto Italiano on LP for years and the Lasalles on CD more recently. Both really fine IMO.

What might add to my joy in this wonderful music?

Both sets are treasured LPs/CDs on my shelves since the 1970s and are wunderful recordings and interpretations.
Neither of them is complete, LaSalle even less so than the Italians.

The Artis quartet's recordings are very good too, IMO a bit more showing Webern's development from a quite romantic interpretation of the two 1905 quartets M.78 and M.79 to the rather analytical but nevertheless compelling String quartet opus 28. This CD also has got the 1906 Rondo for string quartet (M.118) as well as the String trio opus 20 and a string trio movement M.278 (1925).

The one work lacking in this collection is the original 3 pieces for string quartet two of which eventually became part of the bagatelles opus 9 , but with the movement for quartet and soprano "Schmerz, immer Blick nach oben" M.179. missing - the only completed work with string quartet of Webern's not included.


The Emerson's in the DGG Boulez Complete Webern is literally complete here, but I am not fully convinced by both performance and recording. Nevertheless I am happy to have the Emersons in my collection too.

Unless you fancy the complete Webern (which enables you to listen to all of these pieces in their chronological context, definitely strongly recommended if you like to hear Webern developing especially the aphorisic style between the pieces opus 7 and the orchestral pieces opus 10) , I'd strongly recommend the NIMBUS Artis CD.

The Schönberg quartet also recorded the lot - but these Chandos recordings (part of a complete 2VS survey) are marred by intonational irregularities

[either the Italians or the Artis CD is always accompanying me staying in the Alps - describing them perfectly]

[visualnickmos]

The Arditti Quartet is indeed, excellent - wonderfully recorded. Also 'up there' is the Juilliard Quartet on that Sony box set of 'everything wot he composed'

Webern - light years ahead of his time IMVHO

[Roehre]

The Arditti Quartet is indeed, excellent - wonderfully recorded. Also 'up there' is the Juilliard Quartet on that Sony box set of 'everything wot he composed'

Only the opus-numbered works, that is.
It is remarkable that the original 1978 4LP set was "Volume 1 of a 2 Volume set" (according to the bottom line at the last page of the accompanying book).
Though I like the Juilliards generally, these recordings -apart from representing only opp.5, 9 and 28- would not be my personal first choice - too much of a course in musical analysis in my view.

Webern - light years ahead of his time IMVHO

[verismissimo]

Only the opus-numbered works, that is...
Though I like the Juilliards generally, these recordings -apart from representing only opp.5, 9 and 28- would not be my personal first choice - too much of a course in musical analysis in my view.

I totally forgot that I have this set (and totally agree with Roehre's assessment of the Juilliards in it).

Perhaps on reflection three Webern quartets 'sets' is enough for one lifetime.

[CallMePaul]

The Neues Leipziger Streichquartett on MDG offers, in addition to the 3 published works, the 1905 quartet, the Langsamer Satz of the same year and a Rondo from 1906, plus the Piano Quintet from 1907. I have a suspicion that there may be more short early pieces, but Kathryn Bailey's biography has very little to say about his unpublished works. She is, however, very good about his life and his relationship with the Nazis. Earlier biographers, especially Moldenhauer, found it difficult to reconcile Webern's ambiguous attitude towards National Socialism with their view of the composer.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Neues Leipziger Streichquartett on MDG offers, in addition to the 3 published works, the 1905 quartet, the Langsamer Satz of the same year and a Rondo from 1906, plus the Piano Quintet from 1907. I have a suspicion that there may be more short early pieces, but Kathryn Bailey's biography has very little to say about his unpublished works. She is, however, very good about his life and his relationship with the Nazis.

You don't happen to have a day job writing the "links" for the One Show, do you, CMP?

Earlier biographers, especially Moldenhauer, found it difficult to reconcile Webern's ambiguous attitude towards National Socialism with their view of the composer.

"Especially"? What makes you think this?

Moldenhauer is however very good in providing information about Webern's unpublished works, so your "suspicion" concerning the NLS4tet disc could be confirmed there.
(And with a quick flick of a secondary dominant, we're back on topic.)

[Roehre]

.....
Moldenhauer is however very good in providing information about Webern's unpublished works, so your "suspicion" concerning the NLS4tet disc could be confirmed there.
...

And lists all of them.
CallMePaul, have seen a copy of the Moldenhauer biography (or perhaps read it, either in the American, the English or the German version)?

Webern was simply a nationalist (and a quite narrowly minded bourgeois man in general on top of that), and stood for the Fatherland.

That's what happens to people who feel that their country is humiliated: they are delighted that someone stands up to correct that. Unfortunately it were the Nazis who did so.

Eventually he paid a high prize for being Austrian/German: his son Peter killed during the last months of the war and Webern himself shot by a trigger happy American trooper some 70 years ago these days (September 15th 1945).