Shostakovich String Quartets by Borodin Quartet on Melodiya
Felix Sieder
At a record store the other day I saw a box set of the Shostakovich's
String Quartets by the Borodin Quartet on Melodiya. I have seen the
Borodin Quartet with various recordings on other labels but never this
one. Have the Borodin Quartet recorded these works multiple times and
if so how does this set compare to their other recordings and to other
sets like the Fitzwilliams?
Thanks,
Felix Sieder
fjsi...@microimm.mcgill.ca
Diane Wilson
In article <3517c808....@news.mcgill.ca>, fjsi...@microimm.mcgill.ca
says...
> At a record store the other day I saw a box set of the Shostakovich's
> String Quartets by the Borodin Quartet on Melodiya. I have seen the
> Borodin Quartet with various recordings on other labels but never this
> one. Have the Borodin Quartet recorded these works multiple times and
> if so how does this set compare to their other recordings and to other
> sets like the Fitzwilliams?
They have recorded multiple times, but only once with a complete set with
the same personnel throughout. This is it.
This set has also been released on at least two different labels, having
previously been on EMI.
This is generally agreed to be *the* set to buy, although the Fitzwilliam
set is also excellent (so I hear; when will it be available in the US???).
Each will give you a rather different sound.
--
Diane Wilson | Marriage is really tough because
anon-...@anon.twwells.com | you have to deal with feelings
http://www.lava.net/~dewilson/ | and lawyers.
http://www.acm.org/chapters/trichi/ | --Richard Pryor
Matthew B. Tepper
Diane Wilson wrote:
>
> This is generally agreed to be *the* set to buy, although the
> Fitzwilliam set is also excellent (so I hear; when will it be
> available in the US???). Each will give you a rather different sound.
Various Tower Records stores in Los Angeles have had the Fitzwilliam for
several weeks now.
--
*My* boss just won an Oscar. What kind of week is *your* boss having?
Martin Monkman
Felix Sieder wrote:
> At a record store the other day I saw a box set of the Shostakovich's
> String Quartets by the Borodin Quartet on Melodiya. I have seen the
> Borodin Quartet with various recordings on other labels but never this
> one. Have the Borodin Quartet recorded these works multiple times and
> if so how does this set compare to their other recordings and to other
> sets like the Fitzwilliams?
>
> Thanks,
> Felix Sieder
> fjsi...@microimm.mcgill.ca
The set you saw is the same one that appeared on CD on the EMI Classics
label. If you look closely at the EMI CDs you'll see the Melodya label.
Martin
Opus47
The Borodin String Quartet on Melodiya NOW is the same as the previous release
on EMI which actually was EMI/ Melodiya.
There are also at least two other CD's which were released after the EMI
release on Virgin which I believe are just starting to be phased out. There is
one disc with the 2nd and 12th, and another with the 3rd, 7th, and 8th. Both
of these are worth having although if you get the reissue on Melodiya and
aren't a Shostakovich devotee like myself you might want to pass.
Also Teldec released in 1997 a coupling of the 1st and 15th quartets. At the
time the Gramphone reviewer (forget who) said that they should have been up for
an award for chamber music of this last year. I find this CD much less
convincing.
Back to the current Melodiya reissue it is superior in many ways to almost
every other version out there in my opinion. Especially strong are string
quartets 1-11.
The Fitzwilliam are better in the late string quartets and pretty much "own"
the 15th. But overall the Borodin's on Melodiya are extremely thoughtful
interpretations that are well executed. For the most part they don't have one
"theory" behind all of the quartets. Instead they bring out the personality in
each quartet. I prefer this treatment myself.
I remember getting some nameless group not to long ago. They played
the 8th quartet great, the 7th quartet pretty good, and a very strange 4th
quartet. To me they played the 4th quartet like the 8th with the same sort of
interpretation. Shostakovich's personality isn't like that. He can create a
lightweight piano concerto No.2 in the same year he does a big symphony like
the 11th. A string quartet from 1949 and one from 1960 should not sound the
same. Even two string quartets from 1960 or two from 1964 should not sound
the same. (end of tangent)
Just get the Borodin set on Melodiya. A great set for the most part that
probably won't be out done anytime soon.
Note I will probably get a couple of death threats from France from Beethoven
String Quartet admirer's. Them and John Wiser. IMHO the Beethoven's have no
interpretation with bad engineering. Their cycle on Consonance is missing the
5th to boot.
Fred
Shostakovich String Quartets: the never ending thread
Simon Roberts
Diane Wilson (dewi...@pobox.com) wrote:
: This is generally agreed to be *the* set to buy, although the Fitzwilliam
: set is also excellent (so I hear; when will it be available in the US???).
It's been available here as a regular domestic budget priced set for a
couple of months; I paid c. $32 for mine. The number is 455 776.
Simon
MRPERMAN
>This is generally agreed to be *the* set to buy, although the Fitzwilliam
>set is also excellent (so I hear; when will it be available in the US???).
The Fitzwilliam set has been out for several weeks in the US as a bargain,
"slimline" box.
Marc Perman