DSCH 13 Shostakovich CD Reviews

The String Quartets
Emerson String Quartet: Eugene Drucker (violin), Philip Setzer (violin), Lawrence Dutton (viola), David Finckel (cello).
Disc 1: String Quartets No. 1 in C major, op. 49[a]; No. 2 in A major, op. 68[a]; No. 3 in F major, op. 73[a]
Disc 2: String Quartets No. 4 in D major, op. 83[a]; No. 5 in Bb major, op. 92[a]; No. 6 in G major, op. 101[b]
Disc 3: String Quartets No. 7 in F# minor, op. 108[b]; No. 8 in C minor, op. 110[b]; No. 9 in Eb major, op. 117[b]; No. 10 in Ab major, op. 118[b]
Disc 4: Two Pieces for String Quartet, Sans op. D: Elegy and Polka[b]; String Quartets No. 11 in F minor, op. 122[c]; No. 12 in Db major, op. 133[c]; No. 13 in Bb minor, op. 138[c]
Disc 5: String Quartets No. 14 in F# major, op. 142[c]; No. 15 in Eb minor, op. 144[c].
Deutsche Grammophon 289 463 284-2. DDD. 5 disc set; TT 75:26+76:57+77:56+68:32+60:38.
Recorded live Harris Concert Hall, Aspen, Colorado, June - July 1999[a]; July 1998[b]; July - August 1994[c].

Reissued as Deutsche Grammophon 475-7407

Much anticipated, this set does not disappoint. Do not be dissuaded by the "live" recording. An opening statement tells us that the Emerson String Quartet consider the audience to play an active role in performances of Shostakovich's quartets, so that they felt it was "natural and even essential to include the public in the recording process." The live audience was asked to be as quiet as possible during taping, a request that was obviously respected, for these recordings are every bit as clean as a studio production. In the bargain, we acquire the palpable electricity that a concert generates.

The Emersons' First Quartet is a study in nostalgia, with affectionately lilting accents on the violins, the whole tinged with a thin film of sadness that is more wistful than tragic. Dynamic balance among the four musicians is exquisitely judged, and the volume level is modulated to best serve the overall argument; take, for instance, the notably restrained entry into the third movement. Tempos also chosen thoughtfully, as in the central section of the same movement, where the Emersons adopt a relaxed, bouncing pace. These decisions help to increase the impact of the finale, which takes on a more energetic demeanour.

In the Second and Third Quartets, the Emersons provide the psychological frissons that I found to be absent from the St. Petersburgs' versions. Some idea of the greater sense of excitement on Deutsche Grammophon can be gained from the timings of the first movement of the Second, which the Emersons whip through in 7:57, as compared with 8:44 for the St. Petersburgs. The Recitative is far more tense and otherworldly, and the Romance more captivating, thanks to the leaner sound the Emersons invest them with.

Indeed, the Emersons' sound is not as plush as one might predict of an American quartet, but having witnessed their ample richness in other repertoire, both in concert and on disc, I can attest to the fact that this is a conscious decision attuned to the composer.

And what dividends this pays in the imploring voice of the first violin in the last movement of the Second Quartet and the Adagio of the Third. Similarly, the cold sound of the Emersons makes the mechanical motifs in the Third Quartet's second movement sound, though not quite menacing, at least pitiless. And there is menace aplenty in its Allegro non troppo, with snarling strokes of the cello.

If the Emersons' handling of the opening of the Fourth Quartet doesn't give you goosebumps, you're probably dead. This sets the stage for a thoroughly challenging tour through this quartet. In contrast to the St. Petersburgs' sweeping Andantino, the second movement is genuinely shattering in the Emersons' reading. The third movement actually takes half a minute longer on DG than on Hyperion, a substantial difference given its short overall duration, becoming more introspective. Here the finale is similarly philosophical, with peremptory delivery of the climax, keeping the focus on the rambling discourse.

A highly individualistic Fifth Quartet arises from the Emersons' legato playing - it's very much "connect the dots" in the first movement. The convoluted middle movement is tentative and subdued, and as with the Recitative of the Second Quartet, the Emersons create the sensation of nothingness that I imagine one would obtain by being immersed in a sensory deprivation tank. Actually, "Being and Nothingness" would be a fitting title to the Emersons' conception of the last movement, which sounds almost unbearably preoccupied with existence itself. The close of the movement is truly transcendent, the Emersons slowly spiriting us away from earthly concerns.

As I wrote above, the St. Petersburgs' performance of Quartet No. 6 is very fine, and the Emersons' advantage is not so great here. This DG set arranges the quartets in order of opus number, so the Sixth Quartet arrives as a welcome relief after the existential angst of the Fifth. Even so, the Emersons' cool, spare tone never allows one to relax fully. Some listeners may prefer the more driving rhythm of the St. Petersburgs, but after repeated auditions I give the nod to the more intellectual approach of the Emersons.

Quartet No. 7 is a virtual symphony in under a dozen minutes, and the Emersons' unusually harried traversal of the first movement sets up the seriousness of their view of this quixotic little piece. One cannot evade the tunnelling eyes in the middle movement, where again the Emersons are successful at depicting an emotional void, nor the blistering passage through the Allegro section of the third.

Shostakovich Quartet, String Quartets Nos. 6, 8, 9

The Eighth Quartet isn't quite what one would expect based on the overall tone of the other works in this set. The opening movement is not as harrowing as it could be; rather, it reminds one of the yearning recollection in Strauss' Death and Transfiguration. The second movement, however, is truly terrifying in its brutal onslaught and skeletal tones. String sound is very watery in the third movement, but tension is not maintained throughout to the optimal degree. Similarly, although the hammer blows of the following Largo are more fateful than they sound in the St. Petersburgs' performance, they still fail to chill the blood as they do in the Shostakovich Quartet's hands.

What the Emersons do create here, however, is the very real impression of weeping in the cascading DSCH motifs of the last movement. I find that Lawrence Dutton overdoes his mini-crescendo at Fig. 72+5/3:06, spoiling the leave-taking mood somewhat, but this is a minor point. Overall, this Eighth comes across as a thinner and less devastating work than it can be, although one could argue that it does a better job of conveying the sheer exhaustion that Shostakovich undoubtedly felt while composing it.

As excellent as all of these readings are, the clear standout is No. 9, despite - or maybe because of - the fact that this quartet is certainly no popular favourite. This performance elevates it beyond its apparently diffuse structure. The Emersons' approach is to repeatedly allow tension to build then partially recede before ramping up again, each time retaining more and more stress. Stasis in the third and fourth movements, with their bizarre pluckings and growls, yields the swirling morass out of which the finale resolves its unidirectional form, heading inexorably to a genuinely triumphant close, one of the few real victories that Shostakovich seems to have written for himself. And what a hard-won victory it is! You'll appreciate the audience's thunderous reaction, which gives you permission to erupt with a few Bravos of your own.

Ten years ago I heard the Emerson Quartet deliver the Tenth in concert, an experience that left a lasting impression and that I described in the newsletter of the old Shostakovich Society, DSCH XVII. The current interpretation is a little cooler in the bracketing movements than I remember the one I heard being, but overall it's no less moving, with insatiable fury in the second movement, and inconsolable grief in the third. The pizzicato work in the finale is especially impressive. Presumably because the disc was pushing 78 minutes, the performance ends abruptly, shorn of audience reaction.

Inclusion of the Two Pieces for String Quartet allows the Emersons to depart from the sound world of the quartets proper. The first piece is a setting of Katerina's aria, "The foal runs after the filly" from Lady Macbeth, and is played with aching beauty. In contrast, the second piece is the rollicking Polka from The Golden Age, which demonstrates that the Emersons have quite the sense of humour.

Quartet No. 11, a world in a thimble, receives yet another brilliantly judged interpretation, with a subdued Introduction and the bouncing theme of the second movement tightly strait-jacketed, so that the eruption of the Recitative must have stopped the hearts of any in the audience who were new to the quartet. The scurrying motifs of the Etude and the decidedly unfunny Humoresque are whipped off at dizzying tempos, and the Elegy clearly laments whatever transpired during those two movements. As intended, the closing movement fizzles out without resolving anything.

Following that, the opening of the Twelfth Quartet is welcome commiseration. The Emersons overlay their voices cleanly in this movement, but one is more likely to be too moved by their emotion-laden delivery to notice technique. Technique is more conspicuous in the abstract second movement, in which success depends more on painting moods with the disparate musical pigments, rather than outlining a plot. The strength of the audience's reaction is a measure of how well the Emersons achieve this goal.

The Emersons supply a ghoulish Thirteenth Quartet without resorting to exaggeration. This performance vies with the Ninth as "best of set". Hearing it, one can only agree with annotator Paul Epstein that the quartet "reflects, in part, the world of pain and drugs in which [it] was written." Tempos are ideal, and the players rarely raise their voices above a hoarse whisper. This recital is a truly traumatic experience.

The last two quartets come from the same mould as the other performances, with supreme sensitivity to dynamic balance and tempo, and a steadfast refusal to overplay. The final movement of the Fourteenth is especially noteworthy for the sense of inevitability one gets from this interpretation … while listening, it's hard to envision it being played any other way. The Fifteenth Quartet is very much the last word, and the Emersons sustain its sense of leave-taking throughout. A more fitting end to this remarkable set is unimaginable.

These performances are so outstanding that the release would be desirable if the CDs came in a greasy paper bag, but Deutsche Grammophon cleverly package all five in a multi-mount jewel case that occupies no more shelf space than a typical two-CD set. DG also provide a generous 40-page article by long-time Emerson Quartet annotator Paul Epstein, interspersing relevant quotes from relevant Russians with mini-chapters on different socio-political and musical aspects related to the quartets.

One of the most telling comments I can make about this set is that it is possible to listen to the entire six hours at a sitting without once losing interest. As much as I revere the Fitzwilliam, Borodin and Shostakovich Quartet cycles, the Emersons' set now becomes the obvious first recommendation. If you can manage only one CD purchase this year, this is it.

W. Mark Roberts
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