Summer With The Juilliard String Quartet

[JSngry]

The move from ,Columbia to RCA and then back is another story to tell, I would.

One thing I read is that when the JSQ moved back to the Columbia family, they were on Epic because the Budapest Quartet was Columbia's "headliner". It was only after that group disbanded the the JSQ moved from Epic to Columbia. It seems odd to me that there that strict of a heirarchy among quartets on a label that had multiple orchestras and conductors (and pianists?)  on their roster, but I claim no knowledge of that part of that business. None whatsoever.

[JSngry]

Not particularly gripped by this one, but Shubert has never really grabbed me outside of the Lieder.

Probably my "problem"...

[Chuck Nessa]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Not particularly gripped by this one, but Shubert has never really grabbed me outside of the Lieder.

Probably my "problem"...

The piano sonatas are more than special for me. Schnabel is my "go to" favorite.

[JSngry]

Bookmarked for future listening, thanks!

[kh1958]

On 6/19/2025 at 9:33 PM, JSngry said:

Not particularly gripped by this one, but Shubert has never really grabbed me outside of the Lieder.

Probably my "problem"...

I have this LP, although in a mono version.

[JSngry]

A classic cover, imo, and a fun listen to boot!

48 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

I have this LP, although in a mono version.

Their first two RCA albums were mono and have come into the digital realm sounding great in that format.

One of my earliest memories of hearing classical music was my first-grase teacher sometimes playing it in class on one of those Stone Age school record players. The music kinda barked itself out of what speaker there was, which made it compelling, if ultimately boring (for a kid).

I can imagine hearing that record like that, just barking it's way out of whatever king of speaker was around. It is a not unappealing thought!

[JSngry]

Hell yeah.

[JSngry]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

Hell yeah.

William Schuman might not have been as "consistent" or "immaculate" a composer as Copland, but I find him infinitely more "American" in character. A little slop and a little swing, in his own way. And a good amount of some nice changes too 

And Elliott Carter...quantum.

JSQ is totally in their zone here.

Hell yeah for this record. 

RCA Red Seal indeed!

[JSngry]

Per Wiki:

The Second String Quartet by American composer Elliott Carter was completed in 1959. This composition for string quartet was commissioned by the Stanley String Quartet of the University of Michigan, who decided not to play it upon seeing the score, and received its first performance in 1960 by the Juilliard String Quartet.

That's wild. Hey dude - write us a quartet. Here's the money.

You got the score, right? Cool, let's see what we got here...

Uhhhhh....never mind...

[JSngry]

A cursory A/B of the two pieces here that were recorded earlier on Columbia suggest an even higher level of command, which should not be conflated with "ease". There is nothing "easy" about this music. But in turn, that should not be conflated with "difficult to listen to". There's an inmate logic to all of this music that is just ..there. And resistance just obscures it more, the resistance to the logic is what obscures the music. It's not a problem with the music!

I've always dug Berg, but I used to  HATE Webern. No more. His music now seems like a delightful riddle that maybe is infinitely solvable. And the JSQ plays the hell out of it! These works in particular display just damn many textures they were capable of creating. A wonderful thing in and of itself!

So yeah, this is another damn good record.

But it doesn't cancel the Columbia!

Performances aside, the older record has a bit of a "thicker" sound, the RCA Living Stereo is crystal clear. So the one is like a hard rock mass coming straight at you and the other is like a dancing set of light beams.

[JSngry]

One helluva piece to make a coherent whole out of, but this is more than just coherent. It's virtually cinematic in it's aural flashbacks and episodic thought structures and overall narrative flow.

 

[B. Clugston]

On 6/23/2025 at 5:01 PM, JSngry said:

Hell yeah.

Came across this LP at a used record store the other day. Gave it a listen and the music was amazing, but vinyl was showing its age. so didn't pick up. I do have the Composers Quartet version.

[JSngry]

59 minutes ago, B. Clugston said:

Came across this LP at a used record store the other day. Gave it a listen and the music was amazing, but vinyl was showing its age. so didn't pick up. I do have the Composers Quartet version.

Bummer. But all the JSQ vinyl I have has been "well-played"  or worse. Probably a case of people either dieing or else finally dumping their LPs for CDs. These user-friendly priced box sets can only accelerate that trend!

The Carter Quartets are an amazing body of work imo. The JSQ eventually recorded 1-4 when they were still strong (and there's a set of those) and eventually did 5 as well later on when the ensemble was less strong.

The only full set that I've heard is by Arditti and it's one of those "whoa...." experiences. Pretty deep and/yet scintillating music.

[JSngry]

1 Middle, 1 Late, and no matter how long of a gap they put between them, it's still a shock when the later work begins, like it's an altogether different composer. 

So...the LP affords a listener an opportunity there. No, it forces it!!!