[roll-man]

Stu,

I also love the 8th...I think it's fascinating that the opening notes are D, E flat, C & B: "the German spelling of this is DEsCH or D. SCHostakovich" (quoted from the liner notes of my cd).

The most prized possesion in my 1,131 cd collection is the EMI series of Shostakovich String quartets 1-15 performed by the Borodin String Quartet. Simply magic...greatness.

 

[DanG]

I must confess that the quartet, though not necessarily just the string quartet, is my favorite medium for music. Bartok, Beethoven, and Brahms are my favorites. The music is just so intimate -- perhaps that's why I especially love to listen to this music with headphones.

 

[Xevion]

Pop classical as in Classical Thunder (Which is a good CD IMO)

If you like the poppish style of classical, Holst's The Planets is really good, and as is Gerschwin's Rhapsody in Blue. They are also more modern pieces, and have more in common with today's music then Bach.

Also, a nifty thing about classical music is that it is often performed slightly differently. For instance, I have a CD of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra playing it, and I have some mp3s from other symphonies (Mostly 192k+ thankfully), but my favorite played one is by the London symphony orchestra. It seems to be played at a faster pace, and the transitions are done differently, also you hear an occasional different insturment being played, the brass has more bite, and while it is essentially the same piece of music, the different composers have different styles, and it truly shows. Then again, it also makes the need to purchase 3, 4, 5, 6 versions of the same piece if you really want to get to know it intimately.

 

[stuartr]

Roll-man, I definitely agree with you about the Borodin version of the quartets. I think the intensity of the performances are incredible. You can tell they are just playing through as well, no edits...one of the musicians actually coughs during the 8th quartet (I will be able to tell you who once I get my Ety's!), so you know that it is basically a live performance, even though it was in a studio. I have the Emerson's version of the 8th as well, but I don't like it nearly as much. This I think is more a testament to the Borodin quartet than a knock on the Emerson. I like the Emerson a lot -- they have played at my school several times, I have met the members and love their performances, but for Shostie, Borodin is much better.

If you are intersted in the Borodin quartet, check out the book "Stormy Applause" which is by Rostislav Dubinsky, thier violist (I think...). It is a rather interesting account of the quartet, and musical culture under Soviet totalitarianism.

Xevion: you are correct about different performances making a difference. I would not say it makes a "slight" difference though! There are pieces of music that are just slaughtered by the musicians or conductors in some recordings, but the opposite is also true -- an inspired conductor, soloist, or ensemble can bring new life into an otherwise mediocre piece. This is one reason why it is so necessary to listen to the music before you buy it. One reason I like Borders -- just grab any cd and scan it, and you are listening to each track. So cool.
And yes, part of the joy of classical music is that you need to own several recordings. For example, I love my recording of Pablo Casals playing Bach's cello suites as much as my Rostropovich version, and Casals recorded it in the 1920s! The obvious recording quality issues aside, it is a stunning performance.

 

[ai0tron]

Thats very good advice Shivohum. I used to try and listen to Mozart like I listened to other musicians. Just lay back and take it in, but then one day I understood Mozart, I thought I sensed this longing, it was so powerful yet so easily overlooked. And I have tried from then on to understand. So I think trying to understand is a very important part of listening to music, it's more than just a sonic bath, it's a creature of your thoughts and dreams.

I also like Shostakovich's string quartets but my favorite is his fourth.

 

[roll-man]

stu:

The Borodin came to San Francisco around 1994 and played all 15 string quartets over the course of a week, in 4 different venues. They played 13, 14 & 15 at San Francisco State U, in the very intimate and acoustically excellent music school recital hall. It was massive. Their internal communication was awesome. They turned off the stage lighting and played the 15th to candlelight which was pretty special. I also saw them perform Beethoven's Gross Fugue at a tiny room on the UC Berkeley campus. Must of been 40 of us at a Sunday morning (about 10:30 am) performance. They are truly masters of their craft.

Ai0tron: I have a special fondness for the 4th also. Something about the almost bagpipe sounding first movement. Majo passion going on over there. I know...we're getting off topic.

 

[fiddler]

Quote:

I also love the 8th...I think it's fascinating that the opening notes are D, E flat, C & B: "the German spelling of this is DEsCH or D. SCHostakovich" (quoted from the liner notes of my cd).

Roll-man, actually the D.SCH makes its appearance in many of his works, like his 10th symphony (which I happen to be listening to right now... I heard the D, E flat, C, B sequence moments ago

) and also in his 1st Violin Concerto (which I'm going to start playing sometime soon.. yes!!).

 

[setmenu]

A guy I used to know when listening to his favourites used
to get the score out and follow it meticulously with the performance,occasionally raising his eyebrows and comenting
on this or that component!

 

[roll-man]

fiddler re: Shost 10th Symph,

I saw the SF Symphony do the 10th with Tilson Thomas behind the wheel. I don't know that there is a longer 1st movemonent adagio... and DS described the incredible 2nd movement as "a portrait of Stalin's face"

 

[DanG]

Has anyone heard Borodin's version of the Beethoven quartets? While I really like Borodin (although for some reason Alban Berg is still my favorite

), in their performance of Beethoven, the cello keeps going out of tune! Did anyone else notice that? I can't remember which particular quartet it was, but certainly one that required some sawing at the strings.

 

[stuartr]

Dan, I have not heard the Borodin play Beethoven, but that would be weird if it keeps going out of tune. I am currently waiting for the Takacs Quartet to come out with their version. They played the whole cycle at Middlebury, and it was incredible. Emerson played some of the quartets at Middlebury too, and I have heard their recordings, which I like, but I think the Takacs was a little better. I think they have a little more sense of unity than Emerson...Emerson has such incredible solists, but I think Takacs has the best communication I have ever seen (in person anyway) of any quartet.
Anyway, that is my two bits.
Stu