Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY
String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11
String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, OP. 22
New Haydn Quartet, Budapest
- Janos Horvath, Peter Sarosi,(violins) Gyorgy Porzolt,(viola) and Gabor
Magyar (cello)
recorded 2-5/10/95, in the Unitarian Church Budapest. DDD
Naxos 8.550847
[66.35]
Crotchet
Amazon
UK
This disc is labelled Volume 1, in what presumably be a two Volume Set, and
it is part of a number of Naxos String Quartet series which taken as a whole
gives the impecunious collector a chance to build up a very good collection
of chamber music at a competitive price.
String Quartet No. 1 is the Quartet with "that" slow movement - based upon
an old Russian folksong. The movement became so popular in its original form
(this quartet) and also the various arrangements made of it for various
instruments, that Tchaikovsky began to regret that he had written it. It
was finished in 1871 for a concert at the Moscow Conservatory on
28th March dedicated to Tchaikovsky's works. There is a classically
written first movement of a gently lyrical nature which has been likened
to Schubert. There then follows the lovely slow movement, which is known
and loved the world over. A scherzo and trio follows which contrasts the
slow movement, and the quartet is rounded off by the finale which is written
in semi-sonata form, displaying Tchaikovsky's skill in writing in classical
mode.
String Quartet No. 2 was completed some three years after and although less
popular than its predecessor is still a significant example of Tchaikovsky
at work in the chamber field. It was dedicated to Grand Duke Konstantin
Nikolayevich, President of the Russian Musical Society. It was severely
criticised by Anton Rubenstein at a private hearing. Tchaikovsky revised
it and the first public performance was given in Moscow on the
22nd March 1874. This quartet has not had the popularity of its
predecessor, but that makes it no less of a work for that.
The performances of both are very good as is the recording, made in a church
acoustic, but with microphones placed close enough so as not to have the
sound affected by the long reverberation time.
The four players play very well together and all parts within these two quartets
are able to be heard clearly and effectively. I therefore have no qualms
whatsoever about recommending this disc, and indeed I am looking forward
to hearing the next in this series.
The only slight problem I had with the issue was when I compared it with
the same works played by the Borodin Quartet on Melodiya. Here one senses
that this quartet is playing quite a different work, as there are more romantic
touches throughout. The recording is inferior on the earlier performance,
as well as it being more expensive, and so "you pays your money and you takes
your choice". The Naxos performance is for those who like a straight presentation
of the score, well recorded, and very good it is too.
Reviewer
John Phillips
