way into Bartók's quartets?

Hi Tagalie, don´t you like Bartok´s 5th quartet? There are sounds in the slow movement that have haunted me all my life, absolutely unlike anything I´ve heard, although I do agree the third and fourth are better overall. As for advice it is hard for me to give any, as Bartok´s middle quartets made an instant appeal to me, with their mix of brutal energy, strange ways of playing the instruments, and that night music. Speaking of which I forgot to say that the Lento of Still´s Third Symphony is a real find, it has that mix of uncertain major minor harmonies that creates an otherworldly feeling that I love, sincere thanks. 

Hey there Dubrob! Isn't that Still a haunting work? Not great music perhaps, but a distinctive voice that strikes a strange chord.

I don't dislike any of the Bartok quartets. It's just that none of them have hit me as hard as 3 and 4. And I still haven't found a set that matches my memory of the Fine Arts performances.

The way a piece of music can lie dormant for us for years, then suddenly and for some unknown reason hit us like a ton of bricks, has always fascinated me. It's a good reason to keep giving the occasional listen to stuff we don't really like.

I had the chance to spend time at the 1955 Edinburgh Festival and booked for three quartet recitals including Beethoven's three Razumowsky quartets, which I knew.   The Hungarian Quartet coupled each of them with one of the last three Bartok quartets, which I didn't know.  I was almost completely ignorant of Bartok at the time, and he was still regarded as very highbrow indeed.  In the first two concerts the Razumowsky came first, and I could make absolutely nothing of the Bartok Fourth Quartet, though I remember the glissandi particularly.   Next day, the Fifth and the second Razumowsky appeared to have something in common - energy and contemplative repose in each.   The third concert began with Bartok's Sixth Quartet, which struck home straight away,  and the final Beethoven was the perfect conclusion to the series.   The only thing I recall about the presentation was that the notes were by Colin Mason, and the only thing I remember about them was what he wrote about Beethoven's F major quartet.   As it happened I didn't hear the Fourth Quartet afterwards half as often as the other two, even before I got 5 and 6 on disc, but  I soon got to know them fairly well.   I suspect that one way in might still be to listen to the later quartets along with Beethoven,  and this might also work with the First Quartet, which is overtly (late) Beethovenian anyway.  With the Second, the very Bartokian middle ostinato movement is easy enough to come to grips with.   None of the published guides to the Third seems to work, but I do recall a broadcast by Anthony Hopkins in the late fifties (and not even on the Third Programme )that talked it through simply in a way the current Radio Three Sunday afternoon analysis programmes just don't try to, which opened most of the doors.   I was probably lucky I heard  the Hungarian Quartet.   Bartok had written his violin concerto for the leader, Szekely, and in their early days Sandor Vegh had been a member.  On the other hand, neither of their recorded Beethoven cycles recaptures what I remember hearing then.   I don't actually know their DG Bartok cycle, but the 78s they made of Nos 5 and 6, which I got for a shilling a disc, were constant companions for many years.   Listening a movement at a time, I think, was the thing to do.

I have recently played around with some of the Bartok quartet posts on u-Tube and it's astonishing how varied performances are, though Bartok tried more or less to lay down precise guidelines for tempi at least.   The Vermeer I found very disappointing when I bought the Naxos set a year or two back,  but I've always liked the Juilliard set from the sixties. which doesn't, even in the fourth quartet, come across all that aggressively.   I'm a bit wary of speed for speed's sake, and of overdoing the violence - these are very carefully worked out pieces, and they refer to violence rather than enact it for its own sake.  Bartok's own piano playing wasn't in any way violent, and there was nothing wrong with his technique.    And even reels are danced with an underlying couthy decorum, however wild the tunes may sound.  Might not that be the way with Romanian and Hungarian folk dances too?

Hello all.  It's nice to read your stories about how you came to know the quartets and your experiences listening to different recordings of them.: :)

Dubrob, I'm so sorry that you've had to leave most of your music behind! :(  I'm hoping that this is a very temporary separation for you? [And as a side note:  re Tommy Peoples and the Bothy Band, you have fine taste there sir! :) ("sir" I think?).  But yes, whilst I appreciate fast, I too do not believe in "fast for fast's sake".  My favourite performances (of be it folk, classical, or whatever other kind of music) are those in which the performers have that ever elusive "it" and know when to slow down or speed up, when to pause, ....have the ability to grab you and hook you...and now I'm going to give up trying to describe this in words! :lol:

Peter, sounds like that you found a good way into them! :)  Good commentaries/notes can really help one to appreciate new works.  I'm rather envious of your concert history! :)  Good for you.

Sometimes, I think, that one just needs to be in the right mood to hear something different and appreciate it, othertimes I think maybe that ones exposure to (and enjoyment of) other music which is maybe somehow or another related to the music in question can help.  Or maybe the stars are just aligned correctly? ;)  For instance, whilst exploring more cello music, I read about Kodaly's concerto, asked a friend about it (which he heartedly recommended), bought a copy of it, and played it.  Could not get into it!  Found it more jarring and irritating than anything else and set it aside for many months.

Then went back to it; I was blown away by it!  You could have knocked me over with a feather (after lifting my jaw back up). :D  I am so glad that I gave it another chance!  It would have been my loss.

Thank you also for the piano concerto thoughts....I'd been leaning towards the Bavouzet cd (for starters anyway) and I found them on sale.  Think that I might then try the G. Anda recording at a later date.

Warm wishes,

Petra

p.s.  I wish that one could see the whole posting history of this thread; it would be helpful for recalling peoples' comments, their names, etc. in terms of responding better!  Could this become a reality o' "G. gurus of all things computer-related"? :D Please?

Hello Dubrob,

Yes, of course, my goof with regards to the Kodaly Cello Sonata! Thank you. The recording that I have is with Jiri Barta (cello) and Jan Cech (piano) on Supraphon.  It also has Kodaly's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op.4 and Vitezslav Novak's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op.68 which I also enjoy (though I love Kodaly's solo cello piece! :)).  And, ooooh!  A new piece to explore! I don't recall having heard a work before by Kodaly for cello and violin.  I'll do some double-checking in a bit [already took a quick look]...another reason to finish ripping my cds or spending some time trying to get ahold of a different system for cataloging them.

So, tell me (at the risk of vering--temporarily so--off course here, so whose recording(s) do you like of that work? I'd love to hear about it! :)

Best wishes,

Petra

p.s.  Almost forgot to add this....ask your local librarian too (if you haven't already) about inter-library loan.  *Most libraries have some sort of regional set up whereby they can share books and cds with other "local" libraries.  Also ask them how to search and access the database that includes this area (if you haven't already).  My guess is that it will be free for you to request these cds.  If you want to go outside of that area (like out-of-state), there may be a fee.  This can be particularly helpful if you have a small local library.  Note:  also make sure that under the description it says "cd" and not "lp" unless you have managed to acquire one of those already since your move! :D

*Aren't libraries wonderful!  One can explore all kinds of music and books for free! :)  At least in the US....not certain from which country you are currently writing!