Heath Quartet – Bartok: Complete String Quartets (2017) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

A monument of chamber music: 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. Future plans include complete cycles of Jörg Widmann’s string quartets at Kilkenny Festival, Berlin’s Boulez Saal and Wigmore Hall, as well as numerous appearances at summer festivals in the United Kingdom and beyond. Their debut recording of Tippett’s string quartets (Wigmore Hall Live) received widespread acclaim and won the Gramophone Chamber Disk of the Year in 2016. A subsequent release on Harmonia Mundi of Tchaikovsky Quartets 1 & 3 was selected as Disk of the Week by both The Sunday Times and BBC Radio 3.

“an unqualified triumph … as a former Tippett scholar I rejoiced at the gleaming new insights provided at every twist and turn of sustained arguments … an essential set for any true music lover.” (The Strad)

“Russian interpreters have tended to dominate this repertoire in the catalogue, so it’s good to hear these outstanding young British musicians in still relatively neglected works…the Heath players pour out Tchaikovsky’s grief for his friend with a depth of tone and virtuosity – in the allegros – that matches the finest Russians on disc. A notable debut.” (Sunday Times)

Tracklist:

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)

String Quartet No. 1, Sz. 40
1 I. Lento 09:06
2 II. Allegretto. Introduzione 10:07
3 III. Allegro vivace 10:20

String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85
4 I. Prima parte. Moderato 04:45
5 II. Seconda parte. Allegro 05:34
6 III. Recapitulazione della prima parte. Moderato 02:55
7 IV. Coda. Allegro molto 02:20

String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102
8 I. Allegro 07:58
9 II. Adagio molto 05:52
10 III. Scherzo. Alla bulgarese 05:29
11 IV. Andante 04:44
12 V. Finale. Allegro vivace 07:33

String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67
13 I. Moderato 09:51
14 II. Allegro molto capriccioso 08:03
15 III. Lento 09:08

String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91
16 I. Allegro 06:15
17 II. Prestissimo, con sordino 03:12
18 III. Non troppo lento 05:53
19 IV. Allegretto pizzicato 03:01
20 V. Allegro molto 05:51

String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114
21 I. Mesto. Più mosso, pesante – Vivace 07:40
22 II. Mesto. Marcia 07:40
23 III. Mesto – Burletta. Moderato 07:16
24 IV. Mesto 06:48

Heath Quartet:
Oliver Heath, violin
Cerys Jones, violin
Gary Pomeroy, viola
Christopher Murray, cello

Download:

mqs.link_HeathQuartetBartkCmpleteStringQuartets20172496Qbuz.part1.rar
mqs.link_HeathQuartetBartkCmpleteStringQuartets20172496Qbuz.part2.rar
mqs.link_HeathQuartetBartkCmpleteStringQuartets20172496Qbuz.part3.rar