BaL 29.09.12 Janacek's 2 string quartets

[Bryn]

From the Allmusic review:

"...the second called "Intimate Letters" after the supremely sensual missives the composer wrote a young married mother with whom he was smitten, are truly, deeply, profoundly sensual works, and the Brodsky tears into the music like sailors on shore leave."

Nice simile.

Ah, so you know their recording.

I was not tempted, having been disappointed by their Shostakovich and Beethoven Op 18s.

[Thropplenoggin]

Ah, so you know their recording.

I was not tempted, having been disappointed by their Shostakovich and Beethoven Op 18s.

No, Bryn, not a CD I own. I was just amused by the metaphor the reviewer weaves like a leitmotif through the review, even finishing with mentions of climax!

[verismissimo]

Looking forward to this BAL. Good idea IMO to do the two quartets together, since they are nearly always offered together.

And I'm in the market! But I might simply replace my ancient Janacek Quartet Supraphon LP with a shiny new CD.

[LeMartinPecheur]

No rush to the bookies with betting slips outstretched now that the result is confirmed?

Very interesting programme I thought. The Pavel Haas and the Mandelring sounded really good but I was very pleased that the 1960s Janacek 4tet was right there on the run-in. I love it - see #18 above

[LeMartinPecheur]

A general thought stemming from today's BaL. It is clearly impossible these days for every recording that was in the critic's starting pile to get a mention on the programme, even to record that it fell at the first fence But today that left me wondering whether the Dantes and the Gabrielis were there on the starting line or not.

Is it worth suggesting that the R3 website lists 'runners and riders' after the programme, and also for the continuing value of the results? Knowing who was in the stalls becomes even more important perhaps when looking at archived results months or even years after the broadcast, so that we can work out which later recordings weren't in contention (were still foals??).

If so, how do we do it? Anyone chummy with Andrew McGregor??

EDIT Oooops, seem to have introduced starting stalls into National Hunt races

[verismissimo]

Good idea IMO to do the two quartets together, since they are nearly always offered together.

Except, of course, in the case of the recommended Haas Quartet, which is on two separate CDs.

[Flay]

Except, of course, in the case of the recommended Haas Quartet, which is on two separate CDs.

I had put my money on them!

You could alwayd download from iTunes at 79p per "song" (i.e. movement)

[agingjb]

I'd add to the questions about other versions whether the Alban Berg Quartet recording was dismissed - I didn't hear the whole program.

[salymap]

I missed the program as I had a phone call. I have an LP with the Janacek Quartet playing Smetana 1 and Janacek 2 quartets.[no.2]

It's Heliodor number 89 524 and I've had it since 1967. was it mentioned?

[LeMartinPecheur]

I missed the program as I had a phone call. I have an LP with the Janacek Quartet playing Smetana 1 and Janacek 2 quartets.[no.2]

It's Heliodor number 89 524 and I've had it since 1967. was it mentioned?

salymap: I'm no expert on the Janacek Quartet's discography but a mid-1960s Supraphon coupling by them of both of J's quartets did very well and really only got pulled up close to the line by virtue of its harsh(?), thin(?), scrawny(?) sound quality - I can't remember the particular adjective used but that was the rough sense.

Their performances, even including some smallish departures from the score which, we were told, they may have picked up from coaching by the Moravian 4tet who had performed for Janacek himself, got very great praise, with which I'd concur. These performances were how I discovered these quartets - see above.

I think Heliodor were quite good at recoupling works off different LPs - sometimes mixing completely different orchestras and conductors on the same LP IIRC. Perhaps that's how they got recordings licensed - no direct competition with price advantage over the original issue?

Whether it's exactly the same performance or not, I think our critic today would tell you to keep the disc!

[salymap]

Thanks for that LMP

[Bryn]

If anyone is prepared to put up with amazon.co.uk mp3 downloads, you can get the Pavel Haas Quartet's Janáček quartets without those by Haas for just £5.52 (8 x 69p).

[Barbirollians]

If anyone is prepared to put up with amazon.co.uk mp3 downloads, you can get the Pavel Haas Quartet's Janáček quartets without those by Haas for just £5.52 (8 x 69p).

The Haas quartets are fine works IMO .

[Bryn]

The Haas quartets are fine works IMO .

Indeed, but for those who want only the Janacek, the amazon.co.uk download route might be attractive at the price.

[Flay]

I'm listening to the Pavel Hass playing the Kreutzer just now.

I think that first phrase of the work is vitally important. It sets the scene for the whole work, and they do it the best of any I have heard. It suggests (to me anyway) tension, aggression and isolation.