String Quartets 3 Op 73 7 Op 108 12 Op 133

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No 3, in F Major, Op. 73
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Berlin Philharmonia Quartet

2. String Quartet No 7, in F sharp Minor, Op. 108
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Berlin Philharmonia Quartet

3. String Quartet No 12, in D flat major, Op. 133
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Berlin Philharmonia Quartet

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: V. Moderato - Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: II. Andantino - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No .5 In B flat Major, Op. 92: I. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: II. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: III. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: III. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op. 101: IV. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 zIn F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: II. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: III. Allegro - Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: I. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: II. Allegro molto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: IV. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: V. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: I. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: II. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: V. Allegro - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: I. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: II. Allegretto furioso - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: III. Adagio - - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: IV. Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Introduction: Andantino - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: II. Scherzo: Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: III. Recitative: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: IV. Etude: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: V. Humoresque: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: VI. Elegy: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Finale: Moderato - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major, Op. 133: II. Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo - Dmitri Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: I. Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: II. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: III. Allegretto - Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: I. Elegy. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: II. Serenade. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: III. Intermezzo. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: IV. Nocturne. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: V. Funeral March. Adagio molto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: VI. Epilogue. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich

Amazon.com

The Fitzwilliam Quartet is English by birth but shows a lot of Russian soul in these works, which were recorded in consultation with the composer. Their technique is flawless, their immersion in the music total, their interaction with one another and with the music spontaneous and intense. Priced competitively with the Borodin Quartet, they do not have any added attraction to match the Piano Quintet in that set, but this close-up stereo recording is significantly better. Highlights of the set include the relaxed, folk-flavored No. 1; the tense, autobiographical No. 8, which recalls the terrors of World War II, quotes a lot of Shostakovich's earlier works, and mourns for the "victims of fascism and war"; the contrasts of quiet beauty and fierce intensity in No. 10; and the bold structure of No. 15, Shostakovich's last quartet, in which he looks at death, steadily and without blinking. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Hum a little Shostakovich.......2007-02-19

I enjoyed these performances and would have purchased this album, but there is a persistent hum on some of these CDs and, once noticed, it became impossible for me not to notice it.

Not just a bargain--a must-have.......2007-02-05

There are perhaps several complete Shostakovich cycles one would like to own for these amazing pieces, and this is one of them. Not every single quartet is perfect, but that is to be expected. What these players excel in is an emotional depth that is perhaps left behind in the sheer brilliance of the Emerson SQ's playing.

Their tempi are excellent: fast when necessary, and painfully slow where Shostakovich asks for it. Perhaps my favorite point of their playing is the articulation, which is broader than most recordings I hear. Typically, they only play short when asked to in the score, and I think this sounds better than, for instance, if the opening of the Fifth Quartet, a work of enormous gravity and passion, is taken lightly.

Get this one. Highly recommended.

lusterless.......2006-11-05

The only qualm I have with this set is that the String Quartet No. 9 is a lusterless endeavor when compared to other renditions. The intensity and suffering just isnt there.

Rating this bargain set against the Emersons at full price.......2006-03-09

For many buyers the choice for a complete cycle of the Shostakovich quartets will come down to three: the Borodin, Emerson, and Fitzwilliam quartets. I own the latter two and can offer a comparison.

Fitzwilliam: This set, made between 1975-77 in a church in Surrey, has the advantage of price. Although the 15 quartets are spread out over 6 CDs as compared to 5 for the Emersons, Decca offers this cycle at roughly half the cost of the DG cycle (it's much cheaper than that, even, on the used market). The performances eschew Russian soul, grit, and emotional extremes such as one hears from the Borodin Quartet. The Fitzwilliam Quartet sounds soulful but stops short of impassioned. As much as it is possible, they make this music friendly and easy to listen to without sacrificing all of its bite and sarcasm. They are not a virtuoso group (English critics actually praise them for this lack, as if the Emersons' technical mastery was a sign of glibness), so individual solo lines, of which there are many in these quartets, sound medium well played, not dazzling. Decca's sound as transferred to CD can be a bit shrill and congested but is certainly good enough. One large missing ingredient is tonal variation--the Fitzwilliam doesn't search out the peculiar tonalities that are implied in Shostakovich's string writing, which can be eerie, ghostly, brutal, and caustic by turns.

Emerson: Recorded in Aspen at intervals between 1994 and 1999, these are live performances from the music festival and are thus not ideal sonically. What's most lacking is solidity and body. Even so, the recorded sound is considerably more detailed than in the Fitzwilliam set, or any other of the four I listened to. When this cycle was first issued in 1999 it swept the field for good reason. The Emersons are head and shoulders above any other quartet for sheer virtuosity in this music. Not that virtuosity is required very often, but the many solo lines are rendered with exquisite technique, and the Emersons pay very close attention to changes in tonality. As a result, these performances are more varied and interesting to listen to than any competitor that I sampled (including the Fitzwilliam, Brodsky, Borodin, St. Petersburg, and Shostakovich quartets on various labels).

The drawbacks are price (it's hard to find even a used set for under $70) and the prevalent accusation, from some quarters, that the Emersons lack Russian soul--they are supposedly too cool, detached, and efficient. Yet this charge can be turned around to say that the Emersons make Shostakovich sound more modern by removing a layer of sentiment. It's really up to the listener to decide, yet I found that cool detachment is not prevalent here--not by any means--and the reviewer below who thinks that the tempos are uniformly too fast is not aware of the field; the Emersons are not extreme in their allegros, at least not very often, and when they play a movement for virtuosic speed, it's almost alwaays to good effect.

I bbught this set because I heard the Emersons play Shostakovich in concert on two occasions, and I was deeply struck by how much better these quartets sound when they are given superlative musicianship. I am not one to believe that Shostakovich was a great master of quartet writing compared to Bartok, Schoenberg, and Janacek among moderns. But he found an idiom, often spare and therefore one-dimenisonal, that is easy to absorb. The Emersons go a step further and give that spare idiom all kinds of shading and colors that often make it sound better than it is.

In sum, I did what many collectors befoe me have done. I gave away the Fitzwilliam set, which was a good stop gap for many years, and relish the Emerson set as a great achievement, especially for a non-Russian ensemble.

A triumph of creativity over censorship.......2006-01-22

It is extremely difficult for a westerner, living in today's modern democracies, to have the full grasp of the extent of censorship and control of the Stalinist regime. During most of his creative life, Shostakovich was under surveillance, and some of his works were publicly censored by the self-intitled followers of the "Socialist Realism". The tension of censorship is reflected in his body of symphonies. The uneveness and limitations of some of his symphonies are a reflection of his limitations under Stalin. His string quartets, however, are mostly free from these limitations. For one, it is extremely difficult to establish what is "socialist realism" in a string quartet. Since Shostakovich was not a follower of serialism, he could afford to translate into the string quartet medium most of his tortured inner self. These quartets are filled with humanism. They are not easy listening in the sense of Hadyn and Mozart. They are rather deep, touching pieces, like the late Beethoven, Schummann, or Bartok. These recordings by the Fitzwilliam Quartet have an immense authority at a reasonable price. Lovers of string quartet cannot afford to be without the entire Shostakovich set, and anynone buying this collection will enjoy a lifetime of rewarding listening.

Average customer rating:

5 stars for what is there.
A very nice partial cycle
A little less of a good thing

Shostakovich: String Quartets 1-13
Dmitry Shostakovich , and Borodin Quartet
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Borodin: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 3, 14 & 15

ASIN: B00008WQB4
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

I Moderato
II Moderato
III Allegro Molto
IV Allegro
I Allegretto
II Moderato Con Moto
III Allegro Non Troppo
IV Adagio
V Moderato
I Moderato
II Allegro-Adagio-Moderato-Adagio-Moderato-Allegretto

Tracks:

I Allegretto
II Andantino
III Allegretto
IV Allegretto
I Allegretto Non Troppo
II Andante
III Moderato-Allegretto
I Allegretto
II Moderato Con Moto
III Lento
IV Lento- Allegretto

Tracks:

I Allegretto
II Lento
III Allegro-Allegretto
I Largo
II Allegro Molto
III Allegretto
IV Largo
V Largo
I Moderato Con Moto
II Adagio
III Allegretto
IV Adagio
V Allegro Molto
I Introduction. Andantino
II Scherzo Allegretto
III Recitative. Adagio
IV Etude. Allegro
V Humoresque. Allegro
VI Elegy. Adagio
VII Finale. Moderato

Tracks:

I Overture. Moderato Con Moto
II Recitative And Romance. Adagio
III Waltz. Allegro
IV Theme With Variations. Adagio
I Adante
II Allegretto Furioso
III Adagio
IV Allegretto
Adagio-Doppio Movimento-Tempo Primo

Customer Reviews:

5 stars for what is there........2004-03-08

This is an excellent transfer of the recordings I remember from the Seraphim set of the 70's -- and more inclusive, since I believe that set stopped at #11.

As suggested in another post, I augmented this set with the Glinka and Beethoven Quartets recordings of #s 14 & 15 on the Praga label -- equally impressive performances; a fine recording.

It is hard to choose between this earlier set, and the later set, which includes all the quartets, plus the Quintet with Richter (and a really lumbering account of the scherzo; it could almost be a 'lost' fragment by Bruckner). Frankly, at this level of musicianship and personal identification with the composer, it might be a matter of shelf space! The BMG box is pretty hefty,
enclosing perhaps seven separate jewel cases. This chandos set, plus the Praga of the last two quartets, and a recording of the quintet take up the space of @ 4 1/2 jewel cases.

Unfortunately, living in a Manhattan appartment does make one think twice about shelf space. But this is a trivial matter; the performance and recording are what really count. All the more reason to appreciate this current, compact issue of excellent recordings.

A very nice partial cycle.......2003-12-25

Since there seems to be some confusion as to what these recordings are, let's make a few things clear. This is the Borodin's first stereo go-round of the quartets, recorded for Melodiya in the late 60s and early 70s. It is not the same as the well-known EMI box set which was recorded in the 80s and keeps bouncing in and out of circulation. These performances have never been available on CD before.
Of course the last two quartets didn't exist at the time of these recordings, but they were set down by the slightly reconfigured Borodins soon thereafter and it is too bad those documents have been orphaned as they would have made the most logical compliment to this not quite complete set.
As to the performances themselves, they are classic, comparable to the later EMI versions but heard in a warmer acoustic, which has the effect of making the music seem a little less edgy, too.
One hopes that some of the other masterful cycles of this music by groups such as the Beethoven, Tanayev and Shostakovich Quartets will return to the catalog. The Borodins are great, but not the last or only word on the subject.

A little less of a good thing.......2003-10-27

The Borodin Quartet made their first Shostakovich cycle for Melodiya in 1967-71. Soon after the 14th and 15th quartets were written in 1973 and 74, they were recorded, too, but never integrated into any of the incarnations of this set, last seen in the US on Angel's budget Melodiya/Seraphim label. It is a shame they could not have been included here.

The performances are comparable to the 1980s Melodiya traversal now available on EMI, which is to say they are pretty great though perhaps a shade less intense, an impression abetted by the sound, which is warmer and more spacious than in the later set. But, of course, that one gives you all 15 Quartets and the Piano Quintet with Richter.

Average customer rating:

Musical Must Have
Powerful, sometimes devastating
a shame!
Could not be a better 8th
Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?

Complete String Quartets
Dmitry Shostakovich , and Emerson String Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Shostakovich/Tchaikovsky: Piano Trios
Bela Bartok: The 6 String Quartets - Emerson String Quartet
Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets
Béla Bartók: The 6 String Quartets - Takács Quartet

ASIN: B00003XAGO
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 1. Moderato
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 2. Moderato
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 3. Allegro molto
Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 4. Allegro
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 1. Overture: Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 2. Recitative And Romance: Adagio
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 3. Waltz: Allegro
Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 4. Theme With Variations: Adagio - Moderato con moto - Allegretto - Piu mosso - Allegro non troppo - Allegro - Adagio
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 2. Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 3. Allegro non troppo
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 4. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 5. Moderato - Adagio

Tracks:

Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 2. Andante
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 4. Allegretto
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 1. Allegro non troppo - attacca:
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 2. Andante - Andantino - Andante - Andantino - Andante - attacca:
Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 3. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 1. Allegretto
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 2. Moderato con moto
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 3. Lento - attacca:
Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 4. Lento - Allegretto - Andante - Lento

Tracks:

Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 1. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 2. Lento - attacca:
Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 3. Allegro - Allegretto - Andante - Lento
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 1. Largo - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 2. Allegro molto - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 4. Largo - attacca:
Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 5. Largo
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 1. Moderato con moto - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 2. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 4. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 5. Allegro
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 1. Andante
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 2. Allegretto furioso
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 3. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 4. Allegretto - Andante

Tracks:

'Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District', Op. 29: Adagio (Elegy) For String Quartet
'The Age Of Gold', Op. 22: Allegretto (Polka) For String Quartet
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 1. Introduction: Andantino - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 2. Scherzo: Allegretto - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 3. Recitative: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 4. Etude: Allegro - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 5. Humoresque: Allegro - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 6. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 7. Finale: Moderato - Meno mosso - Moderato
Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 1. Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato
Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 2. Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Adagio - Moderato - Allegretto
Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo

Tracks:

Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 1. Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto
Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 2. Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 3. Allegretto - Poco meno mosso - Adagio
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 1. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 2. Serenade: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 3. Intermezzo: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 4. Nocturne: Adagio - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 5. Funeral March: Adagio molto - attacca:
Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 6. Epilogue: Adagio - Adagio molto

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Can an American string quartet grasp the power of Shostakovich's 15 string quartets? By the sounds of this incredible cycle, the answer is a resounding Yes! Capturing every nuance of Shostakovich's emotionally gripping, sometimes humorous, often angst-filled compositions, the Emersons deliver very likely the finest performances of these works available. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Musical Must Have.......2007-06-01

These are wonderfully performed and spectacularly produced CDs. Other reviewers have commented about the applause. It does not detract from the listening experience. In fact, I feel that it adds to the live quality that these discs have. The energy and freshness of a live performance shine in each quartet. And, it has the sound quality of a studio recording. The sound is balanced and intimate. I cannot say enough about how fantastic this set is.

Powerful, sometimes devastating.......2006-11-10

This would be a bargain at almost any price, and the depth of emotional intensity that the Emerson brings to a live performance -- I saw them on a sticky evening at Ravinia in summer 2006, playing the last three quartets -- is evident in this stunning studio collection. In addition to the climactic quartets, don't miss the Eighth. Happy 100th birthday, Dmitri.

a shame!.......2006-09-25

These guys used to be decent players, but their playing have gotten worse over the years. They have no understanding of Shostakovich's music, but then again who does? These extraordinary works deserve extraordinary interpretations and nobody has yet offered definitve performances yet. Meanwhile, Fitwilliam and Debussy quartet offer very good performance of some of these works.

Could not be a better 8th.......2006-06-25

Just saw the Emerson do the 8th at the Amelia Island chamber music summer program. It is not possible that there is a better performance of this work. Moving beyond belief.

Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?.......2006-03-09

For many buyers the choice for a complete cycle of the Shostakovich quartets will come down to three: the Borodin, Emerson, and Fitzwilliam quartets. I own the latter two and can offer a comparison.

Fitzwilliam: This set, made between 1975-77 in a church in Surrey, has the advantage of price. Although the 15 quartets are spread out over 6 CDs as compared to 5 for the Emersons, Decca offers this cycle at roughly half the cost of the DG cycle (it's even cheaper on the used market). The performances eschew Russian soul, grit, and emotional extremes such as one hears from the Borodin Quartet. The Fitzwilliam Quartet sounds soulful but stops short of impassioned. As much as it is possible, they make this music friendly and easy to listen to without sacrificing all of its bite and sarcasm. They are not a virtuoso group (English critics actually praise them for this lack, as if the Emersons' technical mastery was a sign of glibness), so individual solo lines, of which there are many in these quartets, sound medium well played, not dazzling. Decca's sound as transfered to CD can be a bit shrill and congested but is certainly good enough. One large missing ingredient is tonal variation--the Fitzwilliam doesn't search out the peculiar tonalities that are implied in Shostakovich's string writing, which can be eerie, ghostly, brutal, and caustic by turns.

Emerson: Recorded in Aspen at intervals between 1994 and 1999, these are live performances from the music festival and are thus not ideal sonically. What's sometimes lacking is solidity and warmth. Even so, the recorded sound is considerably more detailed than in the Fitzwilliam set, or any other of the four I listened to. When this cycle was first issued in 1999 it swept the field for good reason. The Emersons are head and shoulders above any other quartet for sheer virtuosity in this music. Not that virtuosity is required very often, but the many solo lines are rendered with exquisite technique, and the Emersons pay very close attention to changes in tonality. As a result, these performances are more varied and interesting to listen to than any competitor that I sampled (including the Fitzwilliam, Brodsky, Borodin, St. Petersburg, and Shostakovich quartets on various labels).

The drawbacks are price (it's hard to find even a used set for under $70) and the prevalent accusation, from some quarters, that the Emersons lack Russian soul--they are supposedly too cool, detached, and efficient. Yet this charge can be turned around to say that the Emersons make Shostakovich sound more modern by removing a layer of sentiment. It's really up to the listener to decide, yet I found that cool detachment is not prevalent here--not by any means--and the reviewer below who thinks that the tempos are uniformly too fast is not aware of the field; the Emersons are not extreme in their allegros, at least not very often, and when they paly a movement for virtuosic speed, it's almost alwaays to good effect.

I bbught this set because I heard the Emersons play Shostakovich in concert on two occasions, and I was deeply struck by how much better these quartets sound when they are given superlative musicianship. I am not one to believe that Shostakovich was a great master of quartet writing, not compared to Bartok, Schoenberg, and Janacek among moderns. But he found an idiom, often spare and therefore one-dimenisonal, that is easy to absorb. The Emersons go a step further and give that idiom all kinds of shading and colors that often make it sound better than it is.

In sum, I did what many collectors befoe me have done. I gave away the Fitzwilliam set, which was a good stop gap for many years, and relish the Emerson set as a great achievement, especially for a non-Russian ensemble.

Shostakovich: String Quartets Complete (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Affordable modern Digital Shostakovich...
Very Good Shostakovich Cycle
Shostakovich on a Shoestring

Shostakovich: String Quartets Complete (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Customer Reviews:

Affordable modern Digital Shostakovich..........2007-04-03

and worth every penny and more.
Everyone lucky enough to have picked up a copy of the Borodin Quartets cycle when it was list price, will already have all the Shostakovich String Quartets they'll ever need.
The Rubio Quartet doesn't carry the emotional depth or angst of The Borodin's in this music, but NO ONE else does either.
But this performance DOES belong at the Top of a short list of modern Digital recordings.
Beautifully played, with wonderful warm tone and the requisite fire when appropriate.
Their phrasing is impeccable and the unified ensemble sound is as good as it gets.
If there was ever a complaint about The Borodin Quartet's recording it would be the sound quality.
While it is still Excellent sound, it is a bit dry and maybe a slight bit compressed at the bottom end.
And CDs have made many advances since the Early 80s when it was recorded by (Russian) Meloydia.
On the other hand this Rubio recording on Brilliant Classics is just that-BRILLIANT-.
Wide open to allow air between each note creating a greater transparency and clarity than almost all the competition.
The sound is SUPERB.
So, unless you are willing to lay out $75+ for the Borodin cycle, that's if you can find it, this is an affordable alternative and would still be at a higher price.
If the Borodin's had never recorded this cycle, I dare say The Rubio performance would make a top first choice.
This is the best "bargain" out there.
And we're talking FIVE, 60+ minute CDs.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Very Good Shostakovich Cycle.......2006-03-17

I want to thank the other reviewer for leading me to this set; cash-strapped teenager maybe, but he knows quality when he hears it! The Rubio Quartet is Flemish and its full, warm sound (very handsomely recorded on these ridiculously inexpensive CDs)is a joy to hear .... and very recognizable to anyone who's heard marvelous Dutch/Belgian/Flemish string players like Anner Bylsma. The Rubio may not provide the kind of idiomatic Slavic 'grit' you hear on classic Shostakovich recordings by the Beethoven and Borodin quartets, but their performances are fully competitive with everybody else (including those by younger Russian ensembles like the St. Petersburg Quartet). According to the excellent liner notes, the Rubio recordings were made 'live' in a Flanders church over a few months in 2002. A small audience was present at each recital/session, but I heard almost no audience noise at all: the performances are so good the listeners must have been nearly mesmerized! Competition in this price range comes from classic 1970s British recordings by the Fitzwilliam Quartet, now available in a bargain box from Decca. The Fitzwilliam performances are certainly marvelous, but the Rubio's are just as accomplished and insightful and are also better recorded. One more word about the liner notes: I've rarely seen such detailed and insightful notes -- each quartet is discussed separately -- included with 'bargain box' sets. This is a first-rate production all around. If you don't know the Shostakovich quartets, it's just about a perfect introduction. And even if you do own other recordings this Brilliant Classics set is such a great bargain you just shouldn't pass it up.

Shostakovich on a Shoestring.......2004-09-12

As a teenage conneseiur of classical music, I can't exactly dish out the money that some other recordings of the complete Shostakovich String Quartets cost. This is the best you can get for the money, and worth much more! The sound quality is fantastic, and I find little wrong with the CDs. While I prefer the Kronos Quartet's phrasing (particularly on the 8th string quartet), the Rubio's mellower sound is a nice alternative, and adds a contrast to the otherwise pessimistic music of Dmitri Shostakovich. Named in honor of the late instrument maker Rubio, they all play on his instruments. In part due to this continuity of instrument, and part due to their extraordinary musicality, the recordings have a very unified sound. This is a great find!

Dmitri Shostakovich: The String Quartets

Average customer rating:

Amazing authentic performance!
Another dissenter from orthodoxy
Best overall set to have
fairly icky

Dmitri Shostakovich: The String Quartets

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

String Quartet No.1In C Major, Op. 49: Moderato
String Quartet No.1In C Major, Op. 49: Moderato
String Quartet No.1In C Major, Op. 49: Allegro molto
String Quartet No.1In C Major, Op. 49: Allegro
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op. 68: Overture: Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op. 68: Recitativo & Romance: Adagio
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op. 68: Valse
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op. 68: Tema con variazioni: Adagio - Allegretto - Piu mosso - Allegro non troppo - Allegro - Adagio

Tracks:

String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op 73: Alleggretto
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op 73: Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op 73: Allegro non troppo
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op 73: Adagio
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op 73: Moderato
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op. 83: Allegretto
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op. 83: Andantino
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op. 83: Allegretto
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op. 83: Allegretto

Tracks:

String Quartet No.5 In B Flat Major, Op, 92: Allegro non troppo
String Quartet No.5 In B Flat Major, Op, 92: Andante
String Quartet No.5 In B Flat Major, Op, 92: Moderato
String Quartet No.6 In G Major,Op, 101: Allegretto
String Quartet No.6 In G Major,Op, 101: Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.6 In G Major,Op, 101: Lento
String Quartet No.6 In G Major,Op, 101: Lento : Allegretto
String Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: Allegretto
String Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: Lento
String Quartet No.7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Allegro molto
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Allegretto
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op. 110: Largo
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: Adagio
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: Allegretto
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: Adagio
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: Allegro
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: Andante
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: Allegretto furioso
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: Adagio
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: Allegretto

Tracks:

String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Introduction
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Scherzo
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Recitativo
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Etude
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Humoresque
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Elegy
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op. 122: Finale
String Quartet No.12 In D Flat Major, Op. 138: Moderato
String Quartet No.12 In D Flat Major, Op. 138: Allegretto
String Quartet No.13 In B Flat Minor, Op, 138: Adagio

Tracks:

String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Major, Op. 142: Allegretto
String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Major, Op. 142: Adagio
String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Major, Op. 142: Allegretto
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Elegy: Adagio
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Serenade: Adagio
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Intermezzo: Adagio
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Nocturne: Adagio
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Funeral march: Adagio molto
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor, Op. 144: Epilogue: Adagio

Customer Reviews:

Amazing authentic performance!.......2007-01-08

Not many recordings of this quality out there. Good CD quality as well...

Another dissenter from orthodoxy.......2003-11-14

This was the first set I picked up; later I got the 2nd Borodin and the Emerson sets. This one is my favorite. I listen to a lot of swing, jazz, roots music, some cult-figure rock acts, and miscellaneous goofy music. I'm not a classical purist by any stretch.

I like this quartet's tempos, a lot. The blend of the instruments is also really nice. While a Stereophile magazine review called this set "slick," I don't really hear it--I'm moved when I hear this set. I would call the playing sometimes stark, often gutsy, with plenty of beauty and humor (where appropriate).

I guess I like this performance because I'm not always thinking about the fact that I'm listening to a work in the string quartet genre, with three centuries of tradition hovering nearby. I just hear the uniqueness of Shostakovich, which can be audacious, modern, and funny, like the music of Raymond Scott, like "Hot Rats," like Eric Dolphy, and the Pixies.

I'm not trying to argue that this set is definitive, or that other well-reviewed sets get it wrong. But I've seen very little mention of it, favorably or otherwise, in Shostakovich-cycle comparisons, and I've gotten a great deal of enjoyment from it.

Too bad for the Brodsky Quartet that Time-Warner has virtually priced this set out of the market. How can it hope to compete with the bargain-priced 2nd Borodin set on BMG, which seems to be universally hailed as the benchmark. The curious who don't want to buy the premium-priced Emerson (which has gotten so much favorable attention), and who are unsure about the other choices, are not going to go out on limb for this one. I think the audience and the artists would benefit if this were priced to compete with the Borodin

Best overall set to have.......2002-06-18

Buying the Shostakovich quartets can be tricky. Of the four sets I've had, this one by the Brodsky Quartet is the one I've kept, (along with the Borodin cycle) as a reference to these stellar works. The Brodskys play with precision and passion. Tempi choices are spot-on, unlike the Emerson's new recording, which are plain too fast. The acoustic is detailed, yet with appropiate warmth. A great set. I wish I had tried it first before buying the Fitzwilliam and Emerson sets. I could have saved myself a lot of money and frustration. After all is said and done, I'm glad to have it. It's essential music.

fairly icky.......2002-05-24

This is a string quartet that has made itself famous by wearing designer clothes on stage instead of the traditional concert outfits. And that's about all they have going for them. The tempi are generally slow, the color is generally plain and bland and unchanging, the recording quality is fairly dry - in short, there's not much of a reason to buy this CD set, especially when you take into account the price that frequently varies, but is almost always about twice the cost of the Fitzwilliam quartet, certainly one of the finest groups to record the Shostakovich quartets. Also check out the Borodin and St. Petersburg Quartet recordings for some really thick, Russian interpretations, or grab Emerson for a fiery live sound.
This one just isn't worth it.

Shostakovitch: The Complete String Quartets (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

I agree...
Manhattan SQ plays Shostakovich:Top-notch, musical, intense
These recordings are truly amazing - there are none better

Shostakovitch: The Complete String Quartets (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000000839
Release Date: 1994-01-28

Tracks:

Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Moderato
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Moderato
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Allegro Molto
Str Qt No.1 in C, Op.49: Allegro
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Ov-Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Recitative & Romance-Adagio
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Dance-Allegro
Str Qt No.2 in A, Op.68: Theme & Vars-Adagio
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Allegretto
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73:Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Allegro Non Troppo
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Adagio
Str Qt No.3 in F, Op.73: Moderato

Tracks:

Str Qt No.4 in D, Op.83: Allegretto
Str Qt No.4 in D, Op.83: Andantino
Str Qt No.4 in D, Op.83: Allegretto
Str Qt No.4 in D, Op.83: Allegretto
Str Qt No.5 in B flat, Op.92: Allegro Non Troppo
Str Qt No.5 in B flat, Op.92: Andante
Str Qt No.5 in B flat, Op.92: Moderato

Tracks:

Str Qt No.6 in G, Op.101: Allegretto
Str Qt No.6 in G, Op.101: Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.6 in G, Op.101: Lento
Str Qt No.6 in G, Op.101: Allegretto
Str Qt No.7 in f#, Op.108: Allegretto
Str Qt No.7 in f#, Op.108: Lento
Str Qt No.7 in f#, Op.108: Allegro-Allegretto
Str Qt No.8 in c, Op.110: Largo
Str Qt No.8 in c, Op.110: Allegro Molto
Str Qt No.8 in c, Op.110: Allegretto
Str Qt No.8 in c, Op.110: Largo
Str Qt No.8 in c, Op.110: Largo

Tracks:

Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Moderato Con Moto
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Adagio
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Allegretto
SStr Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Adagio
Str Qt No.9 in E flat, Op.117: Allegro
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Andante
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Allegretto Furioso
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Adagio
Str Qt No.10 in A flat, Op.118: Allegretto

Tracks:

Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Intro-Andantino
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Scherzo-Allegretto
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Recitative-Adagio
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Etude-Allegro
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Humoresque-Allegro
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Elegy-Adagio
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Finale-Moderato
Str Qt No.12 in D-Flat, Op.133: Moderato
Str Qt No.11 in f, Op.122: Allegretto
Str Qt No.13 in b-Flat, Op.138:Adagio-Doppio Movimento-Tempo Primo-Poco Meno Mosso-Tempo Primo

Tracks:

Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Allegretto
Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Adagio
Str Qt No.14 in F#, Op.142: Allegretto
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Elegy-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Serenade-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Intermezzo-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Nocturne-Adagio
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Funeral March-Adagio Molto
Str Qt No.15 in e flat, Op.144: Epilogue-Adagio

Customer Reviews:

I agree..........2004-03-08

... completely with drd's essay and with the recommendation by Music Fan. These are sadly underated performances. I would not part with the first Borodin set, available on Chandos, nor with the recordings of 14 and 15 by the Glinka and Beethoven Quartets I bought to 'complete' the incomplete Borodin set. But that does not diminish my enthusiasm for these recordings.

I do prefer this Manhattan set to the second Borodin edition, released here on BMG, but currently not available. The sound of the Manhattan set is perhaps the best available -- including the recent Emerson set -- and I have come to admire and cherish the performances projected by that vibrant, living sound. It has been said that the Borodin capture more of the ethnic elements in the music -- the strains of gypsy violins, of Jewish folk music and klezmer, ehoes from Tashkent -- whatever.

How can a quartet named Manhattan NOT be in tune with ethnic diversity in music? At any rate, my admittedly western ears, hear an ensemple digging into what is on the page, and using all they have learned from research and conversation with other emsembles -- including members of the Borodin Quartet. The Manhattan Quartet did not take this project lightly, these performances reveal a devotion to the music equal to any other ensemble, abetted with sonics that rival those accorded the Takaks Quartet in their stunning Bartok set.

Highly recommended.

Manhattan SQ plays Shostakovich:Top-notch, musical, intense.......2003-08-24

It has taken some time in a new millenium to begin to be able to see Shostakovich' music more clearly overall, since none of these 15 string quartets is particularly easy to play, let alone to program in live concerts. It used to be that hearing one was something of a genuine rarity, outside Russia itself, where groups like the legendary Beethoven Quartet, or the earlier Borodin Quartet, were known for their advocacy of ... and devotion to ... Dimitri Shostakovich. Of course, to play these quartets in the Russia/USSR of their days was something of a dangerous stand to take. Shostakovich went in and out of political favor, especially with Joseph Stalin at the helm; yet DS kept writing music. By the turn of the century, more and more subsequent generations of chamber quartet string players had studied and performed these works. It is common now to admit that all of these fifteen string quartets by Shostakovich are among the very greatest to have been written in the twentieth century. Right up there, are these intense, yet quirky, gems of string writing. Some critics readily rank them at the same level of humanity of vision and technical innovation as the six famous string quartets by that other great Slav, Bela Bartok. Like the Bartok, these quartets are not for easy listening, or for background music use. Instead, each narrates something less than obvious, yet something profoundly human .... all connoting that there are bad things going bump in the night, all very much of a piece with in the horrendous cultural achievements which have accompanied the shining scientific advances of their century: giant world wars, crushing world poverty, complicated environmental degradation, famines, genocidal death campaigns, and nuclear or biological warfare. Still, those Shostakovich performances which only go for the nightmare brilliance that occurs in this music .... like the unremittingly fierce renderings of the Emerson String Quartet ... have always left me put off from the music and somewhat exhausted. Other recordings, like the cycle done by the Fitzwilliam, achieve great elegance and polish, yet somehow seem to end up by putting a scrim between me and the music's narratives. Happily, this cycle by the Manhattan String Quartet manages to stand, right at the powerful intersection of all those other approaches. The whole cycle just lets Shostakovich be himself. No player in the Manhattan needs to take a back seat to anybody else when it comes to polish, accurate intonation, or elegance of attack or of phrasing. But, also, the Manhattan Quartet can be fierce, burning with dark, fevered heats; edgy with lightening flashes when the music goes there .... but just not all the time, all the way through. Stretches of nostalgia, of energy or respose emerge like the lyrical or jaunty episodes of daily life that they no doubt were, before Shostakovich wrote them into this music. The Manhattan balances inhabit and express alive, changing moments along those continuums of interpretation where other players have staked out more extreme, and therefore to me more mannered, positions. Even more important, the Manhattan players manage through tone, phrasing, and their own varied internal balances ... to suggest that even when things are going well at the moment, some anguish or terror is still waiting in the darkness, just over there, not necessarily very far off. Happiness does not make us safe, Shostakovich seems to be saying. Neither does our tenuous safety arise from lots of other good things which we ordinarily assess as the good side of life that makes the bad side bearable. Thus, from their position astride, and amid the dynamic cores of such complex musical balancing and musical integration; I would argue that the Manhattan Quartet manage to allow those intangible spiritual dimensions which possibly unfold in the music to emerge intact. What are we to do? How can we continue to live? Acknowledging and expressing all the other, what is this, my life? These are questions that it would seem frame the very human life that Shostakovich knew and named, musically. Well, it will surprise no reader by now: I am ready to nominate this particular cycle of the fifteen quartets for Top Prizes. Also helpful to the unacquainted is the fact that the fifteen are recorded straight through in their order. You start with the first, and end with the fifteenth, having traveled through each one. Thus, you can begin to sense the immense size of the journey the composer has taken, in all. Highly recommended, then: Fifteen Stars, shining bright in the forest of the night. Like William Blake's poetry, Shostakovich is hardly ever as obvious or simple as some passing moments may appear. Like Blake, Shostakovich only glows with greater and greater humanity of suffering heart, the better acquainted you get. If you buy them, you will listen. If you listen, you will understand.

These recordings are truly amazing - there are none better.......1999-01-08

I have listened to many versions of these masterpieces and these recordings, for me, best capture the emotional power and breathtaking beauty of the music. This man wrote such music!! The players are fully in control at all times, take extraordinary risks and succeed each time, and have a rare ability to convey on a very personal level the intense human dimension of these works. Listening to the Manhattans play Shostakovich is an exciting, sometimes harrowing and always rewarding experience. There are 15 of these pieces and they are all great. This series of recordings allows the listener to transverse the cycle in order, although it might be dangerous to listen to too many in a row! They are quite intense.

Dmitri Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Expletives of awe
The one to get...
Polished, authoritative
Quintessential Recordings of a Seminal Quartet Cycle
Quite Simply the Best Boxed Set Ever

Dmitri Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets (Box Set)
Dmitry Shostakovich , Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter , and Borodin Quartet
Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

String Quartet No.1 In C Major, Op.49: I: Moderato
String Quartet No.1 In C Major, Op.49: II: Moderato
String Quartet No.1 In C Major, Op.49: III: Allegro molto
String Quartet No.1 In C Major, Op.49: IV: Allegro
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op.68: I: Overture (Moderato con moto)
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op.68: II: Recitative and Romance (Adagio)
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op.68: III: Waltz (Allegro)
String Quartet No.2 In A Major, Op.68: IV: Theme with Variations (Adagio)
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: I: Allegretto
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: II: Andantino
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: III: Allegretto
String Quartet No.4 In D Major, Op.83: IV: Allegretto

Tracks:

String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op.73: I. Allegretto
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op.73: II. Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op.73: III. Allegro non troppo
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op.73: IV. Adagio
String Quartet No.3 In F Major, Op.73: V. Moderato
Two Pieces For String Octet, Op.11: I. Prelude in D Minor (Adagio)
Two Pieces For String Octet, Op.11: II. Scherzo in G Minor (Allegro molto)
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op.57: I. Prelude (Lento)
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op.57: II. Fugue (Adagio)
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op.57: III. Scherzo (Allegretto)
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op.57: IV. Intermezzo (Lento)
Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op.57: V. Finale (Allegretto)

Tracks:

String Quartet No.5 in B flat Major, Op.92: I. Allegro non troppo
String Quartet No.5 in B flat Major, Op.92: II. Andante
String Quartet No.5 in B flat Major, Op.92: III. Moderato
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op.101: I. Allegretto
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op.101: II. Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op.101: III. Lento
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op.101: IV. Lento- Allegretto
String Quartet No.7 in F sharp Minor, Op.108: I. Alegretto
String Quartet No.7 in F sharp Minor, Op.108: II. Lento
String Quartet No.7 in F sharp Minor, Op.108: III. Alegro

Tracks:

String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op.110: I: Largo
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op.110: II: Allegro molto
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op.110: III: Allegretto
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op.110: IV: Largo
String Quartet No.8 In C Minor, Op.110: V: Largo
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major Op.117: I: Moderato con moto
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major Op.117: II: Adagio
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major Op.117: III: Allegretto
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major Op.117: IV: Adagio
String Quartet No.9 In E Flat Major Op.117: V: Allegro
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op.118: 1: Andante
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op.118: II: Allegretto furioso
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op.118: III: Adagio
String Quartet No.10 In A Flat Major, Op.118: IV: Allegretto

Tracks:

String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: I. Introduction (Andintino) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: II. Scherzo (Allegretto) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: III. Recitative (Adagio) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: IV. Etude (Allegro) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: V. Humoresque (Allegro) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: VI. Elegy (Adagio) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.11 In F Minor, Op.122: VII. Conclusion (Moderato) - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.12 In D Flat Major, Op.133: I. Moderato - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.12 In D Flat Major, Op.133: II. Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No.13 In B Flat Minor, Op.138: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Minor: I. Allegretto
String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Minor: II. Adagio
String Quartet No.14 In F Sharp Minor: III. Allegretto
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: I. Elegy (Adagio)
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: II. Serenade (Adagio)
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: III. Intermezzo (Adagio)
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: IV. Nocturne- Adagio
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: V. Funeral March (Adagio molto)
String Quartet No.15 In E Flat Minor: VI. Epilogue (Adagio)

Amazon.com essential recording

Rarely do we come across as intimate and wide-angled a set as this collection of Dmitri Shostakovich's 15 string quartets, all of them played by the Russian Borodin Quartet. Recorded in Moscow between 1978 and 1983, the quartets are excellently reproduced in digital sound by Sviatoslav Richter, who maintains just enough shadow from the old Melodiya vinyl's audio vérité to make the music breathe passionately. Of course, it's the Borodins who really amp up the musical breath, whether in their near-giddy reading of the third quartet's first movement or in the 14th's complex, stoutly metaphysical somberness. These recordings will likely always remain the standard for Shostakovich's chamber repertoire because the Borodins were so focused on the Russian quartet literature and so little of anything they played by one composer approached the immediate, mature fullness of Shostakovich's quartets from the first to the last. And they played the music with unflagging intensity. Over the six CDs, it's a fascinating exercise to hear the development of compositional elements between the first (1935) and 15th (1974, the year before his death) quartets. Variations on the passacaglia technique, for example, permeate the music, allowing telescopic focus on Shostakovich's careful mediation of the dialogue between constancy and change, flying motifs from violin to viola to cello and back even as it appeared little fundamental groundwork had changed. Polyphony, dissonance, and aching resonance find a home in the music, showing Shostakovich's Catholic reach--and surely the impetus for his long-standing troubled relationship with Soviet politics. --Andrew Bartlett

Amazon.com

Dmitri Shostakovich's 15 string quartets are second in quality only to Bartók's magnificent half-dozen among the sets produced in this form by 20th-century composers. But outside of Russia, they were ignored or disparaged for a long time, dismissed as "not really chamber music" and criticized for technical "weaknesses," largely because they did not follow the standard patterns invented and developed in Vienna. The Borodin Quartet, Russian colleagues and friends of Shostakovich (though not as closely associated with him as the Beethoven Quartet), lived with the music for years before this, their second complete recording. They play with power and elegance, and the attractively priced set has a substantial bonus: a magnificent performance, with pianist Sviatoslav Richter, of the Quintet in G minor, Op. 57, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century chamber music. The sound is variable and never outstanding by current digital standards. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Expletives of awe.......2007-03-15

Although I haven't heard the 2nd and 3rd quartets from this cycle (my local library lacks these two), it's safe to say that this set has an emotional depth and feeling for the music that can't be matched by the Emerson or Fitzwilliam SQ. I hate saying that, because the latter two are both excellent in their own way (the Fitzwilliam SQ certainly doesn't lack soul, and the Emerson especially shines when the music calls for violence and fireworks), but there is something about the Borodin complete set that seems to capture this music perfectly and gets the subtleties just right.

A couple of examples: the very eerie beginning of the second movement of the 15th - the Borodin SQ is right on the money with how it seems the music should sound. One instrument picks up from the other perfectly. The second example is the wild conclusion of the 12th. This is music that seems to be lashing out against something in a life or death struggle (against the old Soviet system, perhaps?), and the Borodin SQ jumps on it with a ferocity that brings a smile to my face. It's as if the Borodin SQ were playing the music for the first time, but having the fantastic luck of nailing every note exactly as it should be played.

For now this set is barely available, and for $99 at that. I did some research on the Internet, however, and it appears that Melodiya (the Russian label that released this originally, apparently in partnership with EMI) has re-issued this set complete with new packaging. It appears to have been released abroad, but not in the U.S. yet. When this set reappears in the states, I'm definately buying it.

I discovered this music recently out of curiosity. Now I'm hooked. If music from the 20th Century is a little bit too biting or obscure for your tastes (if pressed, I'd have to say that I enjoy chamber music from the Romantic Era most of all), I think that these quartets will be a pleasant surprise. They are definately modern, but they retain enough elements of music of the past to make them very accessible.

The one to get..........2005-01-07

This set brilliantly portrays the genius of these 15 Quartets better than any other. Technically and artistically powerful, moving performances.

The Fitzwilliam Quartet cycle is a close second.

Polished, authoritative.......2004-08-23

There now exist several recordings of the complete Shostakovich string quartets. Some of them are very fine ones: the Emersons, the Fitzwilliams, the Beethovens, and the Borodins to name a few. While each of these collections of interpretations has their strengths, the Borodin Quartet delivers probably the most satisfying and definitive renditions. In what are otherwise fine cycles, the Fitzwilliam Quartet tends to sound jagged and shrieking at times, and the Emerson Quartet offers much perfection and less character. With the Borodins the irony and dark humor comes into play the best, and in the more tranquil moments (like the final movement of the third) the timbres created are breathtaking. In fact, the Borodins seem to succeed better than anyone in illutrsating the gamut of emotions the quartets offer. No doubt older members of the quartet's personal contact with Shostakovich as well as training in Shostakovich's Russia helped develop this ability. The quartets of Shostakovich radiate mystery and depth. To date it seems to me that the Borodins achieve this the best.

Quintessential Recordings of a Seminal Quartet Cycle.......2002-11-01

The 15 Shostakovitch Quartets are almost the mirror image of the 15 Symphonies. While the Symphonies are big public statements, albeit statements filled with many private meanings, the quartets are intensely private. Listening the the entire cycle is like reading a locked diary. You feel as if you are listening in on Shostakovitch's private thoughts. And while the symphonies are primarily works of his early years (the first ten were written before the early fifties) the most of the quartets were written later in his career, the last ten date from about 1950 onward.

These are wide ranging works, from the almost Haydnesque 1st quartet through the almost serial 13th quartet, and onward to the intensely elegaic 15th quartet, composed of 7 slow movements. The early quartets are mostly written in Shostakovitch's middle style as reflected in the 5th symphony. The music is clear and very tonal, as most works of Shostakovitch's Soviet Realist style would be. But they reveal underlying secrets in the occasional dissonances and dark moments. And starting with the 6th quartet the music begins to transition into the composer's late style. These works are more enigmatic. The musical language is more chromatic...based on the same synthetic scales that inspired Scriabin and Messiaen...and much more dissonant than the earlier quartets. Shostakovitch is much more experimental, stretching his language and formal structures. Also, there seems to be crytic messages in the music based on numerical symbolism, hidden letter messages, and references to the composer's other music.

These performances are definative. The Borodin Quartet, along with the Beethoven Quartet, have the best pedigree with these works, having worked personally with the composer, and actually premiering some of these works. This boxed set is a beautifully remastered version of the original Meloydia recordings. Where the Meloydia pressings were muddy and boxy, this remastering sounds spacious, like they would sound in a concert hall. And the emotional content of the playing is stunning. If you can get it, this is the recording to have of these seminal pieces. Get them now!

Quite Simply the Best Boxed Set Ever.......2001-07-02

Sure there are other good recordings by other quartets of the complete String Quartets of Dmitri Shostakovich -- for double (or triple!) the price. But not only are the Borodin Quartet recordings cheap, they are the best. The Borodins give an unshakably consistent reading of every quartet (and Shostakovich fires no blanks!). They even throw in the Piano Quintet and the two String Octet movements. Each performance is among the best ever recorded and some ARE the best ever recorded, especially the immensely convincing and coherent readings of the middle-late dodecaphonic quartets (12, 13) and the late 'introverted' quartets (14, 15). Even the over-recorded 8th quartet sounds amazingly fresh here. I can't recommend this set enough. You won't regret the purchase for a nanosecond.

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