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The string quartet was of central importance to Bartók throughout his career. His six quartets were written (between 1907 and
1939) at crucial turning points in the composer's creative development. From the elegiac tone of Quartet no.1 (reflecting an
unhappy love affair) to the sadness and wry parody of no.6, composed on the eve of World War II, by way of the mirror forms
and atmospheric 'night music' of nos.4 and 5, they represent perhaps the biggest interpretative challenge in the genre
alongside the Beethoven quartets. A challenge triumphantly met here by the Heath Quartet.
CD 1
Bela Bartók
String Quartet No. 1, Sz.40
1 I. Lento 9'06
2 II. Allegretto. Introduzione 10'07
3 III. Allegro vivace 10'20
String Quartet No. 3, Sz.85
4 I. Prima parte: Moderato 4'45
5 II. Seconda parte: Allegro 5'34
6 III. Recapitulazione della prima parte: Moderato 2'55
7 IV. Coda: Allegro molto 2'20
String Quartet No. 5, Sz.102
8 I. Allegro 7'58
9 II. Adagio molto 5'52
10 III. Scherzo: Alla bulgarese 5'29
11 IV. Andante 4'44
12 V. Finale: Allegro vivace 7'33
CD 2
String Quartet No. 2, Sz.67
1 I. Moderato 9'51
2 II. Allegro molto capriccioso 8'03
3 III. Lento 9'08
String Quartet No. 4, Sz.91
4 I. Allegro 6'15
5 II. Prestissimo, con sordino 3'12
6 III. Non troppo lento 5'53
7 IV. Allegretto pizzicato 3'01
8 V. Allegro molto 5'51
String Quartet No. 6, Sz.114
9 I. Mesto. Piu mosso, pesante - Vivace 7'40
10 II. Mesto. Marcia 7'40
11 III. Mesto. Burletta: Moderato 7'16
12 IV. Mesto 6'48 |
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