"Jerusalem Quartet" Alexander Pavlovsky - violin Sergei Bresler - violin Ori Kam - viola Kyril Zlotnikov - cello Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg 4 December 2013
As the world's worst 1st violin In a quartet I can confirm the score is rather difficult, the wonderful counter rhythms 3 against 2 and 4 create superb tensions for the player and listener and their resolution just creates the romanticism that is Brahms. So well played
A sense of the fine brush, intense fusion, counterpoint and depth, of the Borodin, no less an admirable, loving embrace of Brahms by Jerusalem. And there is nothing wrong with the applause-when/ where ever.
These guys have a completeness and equality of roles which is exceptional in string quartets. I admire their playing a lot and Brahms seems to fit them like a glove. The "awkward" third movement is particularly successful.
Magnifico quartetto, nella stessa seriosa e melanconica atmosfera del primo (in do min. op. 51 n.1) di cui riecheggia anche qualche frammento... Bellissima interpretazione del "Jerusalem Quartet", sentita, intelligente, penetrante... Bravissimi! (La prima esecuzione ebbe luogo a Berlino, il 18 ottobre 1873, con il Quartetto Joachim).
You ask, is there "less leeway for interpretation with Brahms?" I don't think so. Listen to the amazing Carlos Kleiber version of B's 2nd symphony with the Vienna and then listen to a number of others. This quartet is remarkable because they can all sink into the notes, have all the parts be clear and together, and hold the long line, which builds so much tension and interest with Brahms. That is hard to do -- very rare. Also listen to the second movement where the cello comes in (right after 20:20) --superb.
@@mancas71 there is no op 15 in beethoven quartets tho. Given that they are playing in the Marinsky theatre i guess it's way more probable that those are the numbers of orchestral stands (it's a very common thing for thecnicians to write numbers to remember where to put them for concert). I don't have russian alphabet on my phone but I assure you orchestra is written as the guy above pointed out.
+Fiona Laursen - I agree, beautiful piece & well done.. one quick question?.. what is "xdxd"? (I'm an old dude, and horribly outa' the loop, jajaja).. thanks, Rick
I reckon this is Brahms best quartet - strange perhaps that he published it as "No.2" and not No.1. The complex rhythms and harmonies, delayed resolutions, the tension in the fugato at the end of the first movement - brilliant stuff. And fiendishly difficult to play, so many string crossings in the upper parts, 4 against 3, etc etc. My amateur quartet will attempt this soon, wish us luck!!
I wonder if others have the same feeling that Brahms leaves less leeway for personal interpretation, or dictates more powerfully what mood and character his music should have, or even that good musicians naturally hit the nail on the head in the same way… so that what one listens to is not so much this or that quartet playing, but Brahms. I noticed this in performances of the piano music - rarely allowing eccentricities, unlike, say, the same pianists playing Bach. To me, this Jerusalem Quartet recording sounds good, but not in any way distinguished, which is perhaps precisely the distinction. if you see what I mean
I fully agree! Always feel like that listening GOOD PERFORMANCES of Brahms! That’s the goal of every good musician, I believe - to make the contact between the composer and listeners without being the most important part of this process:))))
Argh it‘s so unrespectful to activate advertisment between the movements and even more right in the music that the music stops. That‘s a big unrespectiveness against brahms!
When was the last time a quartet received applause after the slow movement of a quartet? And in a cultural capital like St. Petersburg? Perhaps it is the norm there, but clearly not elsewhere.
К сожалению, на концерты часто ходит необразованная публика. Нормальная образованная публика Санкт-Петербурга знает, когда хлопать. Но пришло много немузыкантов (предполагаю, из еврейской общины), которые были рады выразить свою любовь между частями.
The first movement is a massive work - quite symphonic, so I just think the audience was reflecting on the huge journey they'd been through. They needed a pause, too.
"Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg 4 December 2013" Perhaps they just liked it ?? Maybe the audience is not civilised enough, but interpretation is tremendous. I would have probably jumped all over the room by joy.
A show off string-quartett, they can play, yes, but why all this showing "Oh how I am superb"? Please watch Guarneri-Quartett 1987 - a different world and different culture - they play much better, but take it as selfunderstood, everyone in the audience understood, too, at those times, no need to "show"...