Looking for String Quartets/Concertos to Show Off on My System

[Jerjo]

I'm looking for some small classical pieces to play on my system. Right now I have the Hagen Quartet doing Beethoven (127/132) and the Emerson Quartet tackling Shostakovich (which Diane will point out is played too fast). No big brawling symphonies by full orchestras and nothing cheesy like The Piano Guys, just superior recordings of classic small pieces by small ensembles.

[walt]

Check out the Arditti Quartet doing Ligeti's String Quartets 1 and 2(and other works) on a Sony cd.

[mogrooves]

Looking for String Quartets/Concertos

Julia Wolfe's My Beautiful Scream, a string quartet concerto, combines both.

[rcarlberg]

String quartets, really? In my experience they're not that hard to reproduce.

Best string recordings I know of are: the Delos recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (bonus: nice harpsichord!), Handel's Water Music (same combination), Tchaikovsky's Serenade for String Orchestra (Titov conducting the St. Petersburg Conservatory, on Infinity Digital is a good one) or Lutoslawski's Trauermusik for String Orchestra or Overture for String Orchestra (Gruber/Hamburg).

But for showing off a stereo much more demanding fare is Saint Saens Organ Symphony, or Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, or Firebird Suite, Billy The Kid, Grand Canyon Suite, The Planets, something like that. IMO.

[Adrian]

http://www.amazon.com/Bart%C3%B3k-Th.../dp/B0000042GU

The Takács Quartet performing all of Bartók's string quartets.

[rcarlberg]

I'm looking for some small classical pieces to play on my system.

Have you thought about the contrabassoon?

[Reid]

I own all of these and can recommend them without reservations.

Shostakovich-Complete Trios and Sonatas by Kalechstein Laredo Robinson Trio

Janacek/Szymanowski Quartets by The Schoenberg Quartet on Chandos

Poulenc Chamber Music by Ensemble Wein Berlin on DG

Penderecki Sextet/Clarinet Quartet on Naxos

Takemitsu Chamber Music on Naxos

[Jerjo]

String quartets, really? In my experience they're not that hard to reproduce.


---But for showing off a stereo much more demanding fare is Saint Saens Organ Symphony, or Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, or Firebird Suite, Billy The Kid, Grand Canyon Suite, The Planets, something like that. IMO.

Sometimes it's all about the spaces in between. I've got Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky on vinyl for a classical blitzkrieg.

[rcarlberg]

Sometimes it's all about the spaces in between.

Agree. That's why something like Joni Mitchell's "Blue" is useful -- much more "space."

[davis]

I recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Kenned...doors+concerto

http://www.amazon.com/Kashmir-Sympho...BH1ZBBDFEJ5J6Z

http://www.amazon.com/Plays-The-Musi...BH1ZBBDFEJ5J6Z


...etcetera

[mogrooves]

Have you thought about the contrabassoon?

Michael Gordon - Rushes, music for seven bassoons.

[Wounded Land]

I can recommend a recording of Schubert's String Quartets 10 & 15 as recorded by Cuarteta Casals. It's on Harmonia Mundi and is the best recorded string quartet album I own.

http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Strin...uarteto+casals

[R_burke]

Kronos Quartet - especially the the professor johnson reference recording
http://www.amazon.com/Formation-Kron...nce+recordings