Tchaikovsky: String Quartets, Vol. 1

by Dudok Quartet Amsterdam

Overview

Tchaikovsky's first two string quartets are early works, respectively, from 1871 and 1874, and they remain somewhat neglected on recordings. To tease out the characteristic Tchaikovsky in them from the basic classical forms takes some engagement, which the Dudok Quartet of Amsterdam provides. This group traces its lineage to the Danel Quartet, one of the few Western European groups to have studied in Moscow (with the Borodin Quartet), and here it offers passionate Russian readings of the two works, plus a beautiful cello-heavy transcription of an aria from Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin. The gutsy mood (so to speak) is enhanced by aspects of historical performance practice that the group has studied for its application to Tchaikovsky. The notes by David Faber state: "The Dudoks increasingly explore performance styles that predate the 20th century. They read 18th- and 19th-century performance accounts and treatises, on how to interpret bowings and tempo indications and use portamento, and take lessons from violinist Shunske Sato. Encouraged by bow maker Luis Emilio Rodríguez Carrington, who makes special bows for them for the music of Haydn and Mozart, they attune their instrumental setup to unwound gut strings." It would have been nice to hear a bit more detail about what exactly that "setup" was on this particular album, but the instrumentalists strike a wonderfully smoky tone in the beautiful Andante melody of the String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 22, and they catch the way the rather thorny opening movement of that quartet resolves itself in lyricism. A strong interpretation of these works that are still quite open to new ones. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	05/03/2024
Label:	Rubicon
UPC:	5065002228659
Rank:	74438

Tracks

1. String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11~Moderato e semplice
2. String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11~Andante cantabile
3. String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11~Scherzo: Allegro non tanto e con fuoco - Trio
4. String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11~Finale: Allegro giusto - Allegro vivace
5. String Quartet No. 2 in F Op. 22~Adagio - Moderato assai, quasi andantino
6. String Quartet No. 2 in F Op. 22~Scherzo. Allegro giusto
7. String Quartet No. 2 in F Op. 22~Andante ma non tanto
8. String Quartet No. 2 in F Op. 22~Finale: Allegro con moto
9. Eugene Onegin~Lensky's Aria

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dudok Quartet Amsterdam   Primary Artist,String Quartet

Technical Credits

Pim Van Der Lee   Assistant Engineer
David Faber   Liner Notes,Arranger
Guido Tichelman   Editing,Engineer,Producer,Mastering
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation
Paul Mitchell   Cover Design
Christiane Frobenius   Liner Note Translation
Matthew Cosgrove   Executive Producer
Theodor Commichau   Liner Note Translation
Floris Scheplitz   Cover Photo
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky   Composer