TCHAIKOVSKY: COMPLETE MUSIC FOR STRING QUARTET - SHOSTAKOVICH QUARTET (2 CDS)

Tchaikovsky: Complete Music for String Quartet

Shostakovich Quartet

(Andrei Sishlov – violin 1, Andrei Balashov vln.2 on [1, 6]
Alexander Semyannikov – violin 2 on [2-7] Alexander Galkovsky – viola,
Alexander Korchagin – cello) Kirim Belotsvetov: viola II on [7]
Alexander Kovalyov: cello II on [7]; Harp: Emilia Moskvitina [1]

“the Shostakovich Quartet is notable for their powerful playing and their ability to get deeply into the emotions of a work” (MusicWeb, 2008)

“the Shostakovich Quartet are masterly…the early pieces dating from Composer’s student days….are of interest as is anything that the master penned…” (c) Penguin Guide

“Third Quartet is a difficult work to play… a very intense piece, intricately constructed and extending quartet textures further than (he) ever had before. The Shostakovich Quartet understand the music well, not only setting intelligent tempos and phrasing with warmth and flexibility, but grasping the very elaborate harmonic structures” (Gramophone)

Disc One: (75:28)

Five Early Pieces
[1] No.1 in D major 1:08
[2] No.2 in Bb major 1:31
[3] No.3 in E major 1:17
[4] No.4 in E minor 2:56
[5] No.5 in G major 1:50

String Quartet No.1 in D major, Op.11
[6] Moderato e semplice 10:33
[7] Andante cantabile 6:36
[8] Scherzo: Allegro non tanto 3:33
[9] Finale: Allegro giusto 9:32

String Quartet No.2 in F major, Op.22
[10] Adagio – Moderato assai 12:10
[11] Scherzo: Allegro giusto 5:43
[12] Andante ma non tanto 11:59
[13] Finale: Allegro con moto 6:33

Disc Two (66:08)
[1] Adagio molto for string quartet & harp 5:36

String Quartet No.3 in E flat minor, Op.30
[2] I. Andante sostenuto – Allegro moderato 16:06
[3] II. Allegretto vivo e scherzando 3:53
[4] III. Andante funebre e doloroso ma con moto 10:19
[5] IV. Finale. Allegro non troppo e risoluto 5:45

[6] String Quartet in Bb major 13:27

[7] Adagio Cantabile e con moto
from Souvenir de Florence 10:59