Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
Performer: Borodin Quartet, Vladimir Balshin, Igor Naidin, Ruben Aharonian, Sergei Lomovsky
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Decca
Catalogue: 4834159
Release: 2018
Size: 2.07 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
String Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op. 49
01. 1. Moderato
02. 2. Moderato
03. 3. Allegro molto
04. 4. Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68
05. 1. Overture (Moderato con moto)
06. 2. Recitative & Romance (Adagio)
07. 3. Valse (Allegro)
08. 4. Theme & Variations
String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73
09. 1. Allegretto
10. 2. Moderato con moto
11. 3. Allegro non troppo
12. 4. Adagio
13. 5. Moderato
String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op. 83
14. 1. Allegretto
15. 2. Andantino
16. 3. Allegretto
17. 4. Allegretto
String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 92
18. 1. Allegro non troppo
19. 2. Andante
20. 3. Moderato
String Quartet No. 6 in G major, Op. 101
21. 1. Allegretto
22. 2. Moderato con moto
23. 3. Lento
24. 4. Allegretto
String Quartet No. 7 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 108
25. 1. Allegretto
26. 2. Lento
27. 3. Allegro
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110
28. 1. Largo
29. 2. Allegro molto
30. 3. Allegretto
31. 4. Largo
32. 5. Largo
String Quartet No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 117
33. 1. Moderato con moto
34. 2. Adagio
35. 3. Allegretto
36. 4. Adagio
37. 5. Allegro
String Quartet No. 10 in A-Flat Major, Op. 118
38. 1. Andante con moto
39. 2. Allegretto furioso
40. 3. Adagio
41. 4. Allegretto – Andante
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 122
42. 1. Introduction: Andantino
43. 2. Scherzo: Allegretto
44. 3. Recitative: Adagio
45. 4. Etude: Allegro
46. 5. Humoresque: Allegro
47. 6. Elegy: Adagio
48. 7. Finale: Moderato
String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133
49. 1. Moderato – Allegretto
50. 2. Allegretto – Adagio – Moderato – Allegretto
51. String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Minor Op. 138
String Quartet No. 14 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 142
52. 1. Allegretto
53. 2. Adagio
54. 3. Allegretto
String Quartet No. 15 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 144
55. 1. Elegy
56. 2. Serenade
57. 3. Intermezzo
58. 4. Nocturne
59. 5. Funeral March
60. 6. Epilogue
Piano Quintet In G Minor, Op. 57
61. 1. Prelude (Lento)
62. 2. Fugue (Adagio)
63. 3. Scherzo (Allegretto)
64. 4. Intermezzo (Lento – Appassionato)
65. 5. Finale (Allegretto)
66. Unfinished Quartet Movement
Two Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 36a
67. 1. Elegy
68. 2. Polka
Girl Friends Op. 41a – Preludes
69. 1. Allegretto
70. 2. Allegretto
71. 3. Allegretto moderato
72. 4. Allegretto
73. 5. Allegretto
74. 6. Andante
75. 7. Allegro
The Borodin Quartet has been graced by range of Soviet and then Russian soloists since its creation in 1945 – when it was started by Rudolf Barshai and Rostropovich. The cellist who promptly replaced Rostropovich when the latter’s career took off remained in post from 1946 to 2007, which is surely a record. During this time, while some left for “the West”, and others had health problems, of which none died, Borodin’s spirit continued to reign over the ensemble. Today, the quartet is still plugging away with its impressive international career, here is their most recent recording, produced between 2015 and 2018, it is made up of fifteen quartet compositions by Shostakovich. The Borodin Quartet has always had an excellent rapport with Shostakovich, to the point of playing all his work as it was composed. From his first string quartet piece in 1938 to the end of his life in 1974, it was in string quartet format that Shostakovich really laid his soul bare. Even the most perfidious of Communist officials were unable to find any kind of political allusion in this music… The Borodin Quartet supplement their programme with various other pieces, such as the superb Quintet with Piano and music from the film Girl Friends, made up of 23 pieces of which seven were written for string quartet (performed here), some with piano and trumpet and some with other extraordinary sonary innovations. It is an album of great beauty, and a must-buy for any Shostakovichophiles.