Janacek String Quartets - Classical Music CDs & MP3 Downloads | Perfect for Home Listening, Study & Relaxation

This EMI "encore" release of the String Quartets 1 and 2 by Leos Janáček and performed by the Alban Berg Quartett is a budget-priced re-issue of the performances originally on Leos Janácek: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2, with the addition of the second movement of Dvorák's Op. 81 Piano Quintet, also with the Alban Berg Quartett and with Elisabeth Leonskaja on piano.These two string quartets were composed late in Janáček's life. The first string quartet, nicknamed "The Kreutzer Sonata", was inspired by Tolstoy's novella of the same name The Kreutzer Sonata, and reflected Janáček's feelings toward the married wife of an antiques dealer, Kamila Stösslová, who was much younger (at 38) than Janáček who was almost 70 at the time. "I was imagining a poor woman, tormented and run down, just like the one the Russian writer Tolstoy describes in his Kreutzer Sonata", Janáček confided in one of his letters to Kamila. Indications are that Janáček's passion for Kamila was largely one-sided and not consummated, still his obsession with her dominated much of the music he composed in his later years. The quartet is a dramatic reflection of the emotions and passions that Janáček was experiencing at the time.The second string quartet was composed in Janáček's last year, 1928, and as the nickname "Intimate Letters" also suggests, was similarly reflective of Janáček's continued love for Kamila. It is also more clearly directed at their long standing love. They had exchanged over 700 letters through the duration of their relationship.The two quartets are considered to be extremely difficult to perform, and Alban Berg Quartett's performances of both are considered to be among the best if not at the very top of most recommendations. Other performances highly rated and mentioned most often in critical reviews include - the Talich Quartett: Janacek: String Quartets 1 & 2; Schulhoff: String Quartet 1, and The kampa Quartet Janacek: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2. This is my only recording of these string quartets, and I have found them to be very satisfying although I do not have personal experience with the other recordings. Other Amazon reviewers have given these performances high marks (see the reviews for Leos Janácek: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2, for example).The addition of the second movement of Dvorák's piano quintet is presumably done to fill space on the disc, and although it is a lovely performance, by my calculation they could have possibly made room for all four movements of the quintet, since the disc still contains only 55 minutes of music even with this piece included. Still, it is a nice addition. I believe that the full performance of this quintet is included in the disc Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 / Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A major - Andante movement, Op. 81.These recordings are all taken from live performances at the Mozartsaal, Konzerthaus, in Vienna. The two quartets were recorded in 1993 and 1994, and the piano quintet was recorded in 1987.I rate this four stars because of the combination of performance quality and value. There may be performances of these quartets that are considered by music critics to be superior to these by the Alban Berg Quartett, but not presently at such a bargain price. This disc is a good choice if you want to explore these pieces, with performances that are very acceptable and enjoyable.