Octo_Russ

Tchaikovsky - String Quartet 1 [Franz Schubert Quartett]

A little known ensemble on the Nimbus label, this is a nice double disc set, and it's good to have another version of these String Quartets other than the Borodin Quartet on Teldec [8th May 2010], Tchaikovsky's Quartets are still a fairly closed book for me, i think he was underestimated in this medium, the Second String Quartet is really quite a gem, and it was good to listen to the less famous bits of the First String Quartet today, it really does have depth to it.

The Franz Schubert Quartett were formed in 1974, they are from Austria, and they recorded these discs in 1993, the front cover is excellent, a tight cropped group shot, with musical instruments in hand, a nice bay window in the background, really well done. depth to it.

This was quite a revelation, the first movement was tremendous, however it was the famous second movement that really moved me, and this time not primarily because of the famous tune, rather for other things going on, of course the opening of the famous tune is simple, very religious like plainchant, there's a nice central section, where the First Violin [Florian Zwiauer] sings away [2:06+], and the Cellist [Vincent Stadlmair] plays pizzicato bass notes, basically keeping a beat, but also encouraging intensity as he plucks louder and softer in waves, i love the way the music shifts focus by changing key i suppose [3:02+], it's a great little moment, the opening tune comes back [3:43+], but this time all the three lower strings play straight, i believe without rubato, it gives an eerie robotic uniformity to the tune [3:43-4:03], so when they restate the tune sweetly with rubato [4:03+], it's all the more pronounced, a great idea from Tchaikovsky, the middle section returns, but this time only the First Violin plays the tune, all the rest play synchronised pizzicato [5:20+], a lovely deep and meaningful movement, one of Tchaikovsky's greatest creations.

Here's the Borodin Quartet playing the beautiful Andante Cantabile on YouTube.