APRIL 2019 | 'Terra': Cuarteto Quiroga, Cobra Records, COBRA0059

APRIL 2019 | 'Terra': Cuarteto Quiroga, Cobra Records, COBRA0059

By RAY PICOT

Terra is simply a great album of outstanding string quartet music, played by musicians who are not afraid to defy convention and offer a thought provoking programme. Irrespective of whether the reader owns monographic recordings of the Bartok and Ginastera string quartets and perhaps Rodolfo Halffter’s chamber music, this collection deserves to be alongside the best of them.

Firstly something about the musicians: we recently announced that Cuarteto Quiroga were winners of Spain’s National Music Prize and appointed first quartet-in-residence in charge of the Royal Collection of decorated Stradivarius instruments at Madrid’s Royal Palace. Terra is their fifth album, the previous four covered the diverse music of Berg, Brahms, Haydn, Schoenberg, Sollima and Webern, then with pianist Javier Perianes, the Piano Quintets of their countrymen Granados and Turina. Consistently drawing outstanding critical attention for their albums and live performances, the quartet are very much in demand, clearly drawing inspiration from the extraordinary achievements of the Galician violin virtuoso, Manuel Quiroga, after whom they took their name.

My first encounter with this string quartet was when they played to a packed St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square last November as part of our Echoes Festival. They made a positive impact on the audience, who clearly appreciated the music chosen despite its wide stylistic range, from the classical to modern in the company of Arriaga, Ginastera and Cristóbal Halffter. It was evident that the musicians were equally at home in each piece, which were delivered with a blend of sensitivity and panache.

Listening to some of their previous recordings I was struck by the distinctive interpretative persona of the quartet, which goes beyond technical security (which they have by the spade), consistently offering a fresh view of the music, with refreshing attitude to programming. The latest recording likewise avoids familiar pathways, drawing together three pieces of music which span a period of nearly 60 years, between which the musicians have been able to draw connections, notwithstanding nationality and stylistic differences.

As in the previous releases, Cibrán Sierra Vázquez, the lead violinist and author of the book The String Quartet: Laboratory for an Enlightened Society, sets out in the CD booklet the theory and practice behind the music selection, in a most erudite and approachable style. In this case Terra is the title chosen to reflect the three works’ shared humanity and connection with the fertile earth and in effect, folk culture. However, these are not pieces which wear their connection to folk art on their sleeve, but rather it is subsumed within the style and ideas of the composers.

Bartok wrote several quartets before his first acknowledged one in 1909, but it was another 8 years before he completed the second, at the time of his seminal works The Wooden Prince and Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. These mature pieces had moved away from Bartok’s early romantic-nationalist style, so that the music fused a modern writing style with folk-inspired material, which informs the very structure of the music. The String Quartet No.2 was chosen by the quartet as the first in the canon of six that displays these inherent characteristics. Comprising three movements, the first has a continuously evolving sonata-form scheme, contrasted by a vigorous rondo second movement and ending with a bleak sounding finale. The Quiroga’s capture the essence of the piece with a full command of Bartok’s style and for all the rhythmic complexity of the work, they maintain superb intonation and deliver a performance of great authority.

No less complex and challenging, Ginastera’s String Quartet No.1, was written 3 years after the death of Bartok in 1948, and complements its predecessors rather than being overshadowed. Much has been said of the comparisons between Ginastera’s music and that of Bartok, and whilst these can be felt, the effect was liberating for the Argentinian rather than being derivative. In this mature work, the folk (gaucho) elements which were very much in evidence in pieces like Estancia, remain but are now absorbed into a modern idiom, which was to develop further over the next decade. Written in four movements, effectively following classical precedents, Ginastera writes idiomatically for this genre in his ‘subjective nationalism’ style, which is brilliantly realised by the Quiroga’s, who offer a vibrant reading of unforced naturalness, refusing to allow the work’s rhythmic drive to overwhelm the structure. The colourist effects are also handled well, so in short this is another performance to live with.

Rodolfo Halffter wrote his Ocho Tientos for string quartet in 1973 whilst living in Mexico, where he had lived since the end of the Civil War. His music from this time reflected the Mexican panorama but never forgot its roots, as is evident in this collection of tientos, a form which was widely explored in 16th Century Spain. These compact miniatures, which play for about 15 minutes overall, are mature works, being the composer’s third essay for the string quartet. They incorporate serial-derived harmonies but are written in an approachable style, exhibiting a strong sense of lyrical fantasy. These are richly contrasted modern pieces which are played in an unforced and eloquent manner. I found myself quickly warming to what I had hitherto considered a challenging work. Once more we are given a masterful interpretation, in what that has become my preferred choice.

To round off the collection we are treated to a couple of ‘encores’ which are cleverly connected to the overall concept of Terra. Firstly Schubert’s Drei Ländler from D374/378 and a delightful arrangement by the quartet of a Galician carol, Panxoliña para o Nadal de 1829.

So to conclude, a brilliant collection of inventive music by a string quartet on top of their game, who deserve the international acclaim they have received. I also commend their back catalogue which maintains the same level of musicianship and interesting programming.


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News News Archive Concert Reviews CD Reviews Musicology Newsletter	APRIL 2019 \| 'Terra': Cuarteto Quiroga, Cobra Records, COBRA0059 APRIL 2019 \| 'Terra': Cuarteto Quiroga, Cobra Records, COBRA0059 By RAY PICOT Terra is simply a great album of outstanding string quartet music, played by musicians who are not afraid to defy convention and offer a thought provoking programme. Irrespective of whether the reader owns monographic recordings of the Bartok and Ginastera string quartets and perhaps Rodolfo Halffter’s chamber music, this collection deserves to be alongside the best of them. Firstly something about the musicians: we recently announced that Cuarteto Quiroga were winners of Spain’s National Music Prize and appointed first quartet-in-residence in charge of the Royal Collection of decorated Stradivarius instruments at Madrid’s Royal Palace. Terra is their fifth album, the previous four covered the diverse music of Berg, Brahms, Haydn, Schoenberg, Sollima and Webern, then with pianist Javier Perianes, the Piano Quintets of their countrymen Granados and Turina. Consistently drawing outstanding critical attention for their albums and live performances, the quartet are very much in demand, clearly drawing inspiration from the extraordinary achievements of the Galician violin virtuoso, Manuel Quiroga, after whom they took their name. My first encounter with this string quartet was when they played to a packed St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square last November as part of our Echoes Festival. They made a positive impact on the audience, who clearly appreciated the music chosen despite its wide stylistic range, from the classical to modern in the company of Arriaga, Ginastera and Cristóbal Halffter. It was evident that the musicians were equally at home in each piece, which were delivered with a blend of sensitivity and panache. Listening to some of their previous recordings I was struck by the distinctive interpretative persona of the quartet, which goes beyond technical security (which they have by the spade), consistently offering a fresh view of the music, with refreshing attitude to programming. The latest recording likewise avoids familiar pathways, drawing together three pieces of music which span a period of nearly 60 years, between which the musicians have been able to draw connections, notwithstanding nationality and stylistic differences. As in the previous releases, Cibrán Sierra Vázquez, the lead violinist and author of the book The String Quartet: Laboratory for an Enlightened Society, sets out in the CD booklet the theory and practice behind the music selection, in a most erudite and approachable style. In this case Terra is the title chosen to reflect the three works’ shared humanity and connection with the fertile earth and in effect, folk culture. However, these are not pieces which wear their connection to folk art on their sleeve, but rather it is subsumed within the style and ideas of the composers. Bartok wrote several quartets before his first acknowledged one in 1909, but it was another 8 years before he completed the second, at the time of his seminal works The Wooden Prince and Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. These mature pieces had moved away from Bartok’s early romantic-nationalist style, so that the music fused a modern writing style with folk-inspired material, which informs the very structure of the music. The String Quartet No.2 was chosen by the quartet as the first in the canon of six that displays these inherent characteristics. Comprising three movements, the first has a continuously evolving sonata-form scheme, contrasted by a vigorous rondo second movement and ending with a bleak sounding finale. The Quiroga’s capture the essence of the piece with a full command of Bartok’s style and for all the rhythmic complexity of the work, they maintain superb intonation and deliver a performance of great authority. No less complex and challenging, Ginastera’s String Quartet No.1, was written 3 years after the death of Bartok in 1948, and complements its predecessors rather than being overshadowed. Much has been said of the comparisons between Ginastera’s music and that of Bartok, and whilst these can be felt, the effect was liberating for the Argentinian rather than being derivative. In this mature work, the folk (gaucho) elements which were very much in evidence in pieces like Estancia, remain but are now absorbed into a modern idiom, which was to develop further over the next decade. Written in four movements, effectively following classical precedents, Ginastera writes idiomatically for this genre in his ‘subjective nationalism’ style, which is brilliantly realised by the Quiroga’s, who offer a vibrant reading of unforced naturalness, refusing to allow the work’s rhythmic drive to overwhelm the structure. The colourist effects are also handled well, so in short this is another performance to live with. Rodolfo Halffter wrote his Ocho Tientos for string quartet in 1973 whilst living in Mexico, where he had lived since the end of the Civil War. His music from this time reflected the Mexican panorama but never forgot its roots, as is evident in this collection of tientos, a form which was widely explored in 16th Century Spain. These compact miniatures, which play for about 15 minutes overall, are mature works, being the composer’s third essay for the string quartet. They incorporate serial-derived harmonies but are written in an approachable style, exhibiting a strong sense of lyrical fantasy. These are richly contrasted modern pieces which are played in an unforced and eloquent manner. I found myself quickly warming to what I had hitherto considered a challenging work. Once more we are given a masterful interpretation, in what that has become my preferred choice. To round off the collection we are treated to a couple of ‘encores’ which are cleverly connected to the overall concept of Terra. Firstly Schubert’s Drei Ländler from D374/378 and a delightful arrangement by the quartet of a Galician carol, Panxoliña para o Nadal de 1829. So to conclude, a brilliant collection of inventive music by a string quartet on top of their game, who deserve the international acclaim they have received. I also commend their back catalogue which maintains the same level of musicianship and interesting programming. 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