Weinberg Vol. 3: String Quartets 4,16

As with the previous volumes in their survey of the quartets of Weinberg, the Arcadia Quartet have selected a pair of works from contrasting stylistic periods of the composer’s output. The Fourth Quartet was composed in 1945, shortly after Weinberg had moved to Moscow. The Quartet presents an abstract, psychologically universal picture – a testimony both to the composer’s artistic maturity and to the affinity that Weinberg had discovered with Shostakovich.

The Sixteenth Quartet was composed between 1 January and 15 February 1981. It carries a dedication to Weinberg’s sister, Ester, who had perished following the Nazi invasion of Poland and would have been sixty that year. Typical of his later compositional style, the writing is more muscular, harmonically complex, and intense.

Mieczysław Weinberg String Quartets no. 4, 16 released by Chandos Records (2023). 

To order, stream or download: https://lnk.to/Weinberg3TW

Chimeo reviews Weinberg: String Quartets, Volume 3
“The Arcadia Quartet take us through different emotions with lovely textural colour and a technical adroitness that is quite outstanding, especially their bowing skill. Each of the players display exceptional musicianship and agility creating gravity and substance producing commanding performances.”
by Andrew Palmer, Chimeo, UK, April 2, 2023
https://chimeo.com/article/Classical-Music-Weinberg-String-Quartets-Volume-3

5 star review from De Standaard
“Doorduwend op de dissonanties zoekt Arcadia de grenzen van zuiverheid en van het tonaal toelaatbare op, bijvoorbeeld aan het snerpende begin van het ‘Allegro-andantino’ van het Zestiende strijkkwartet. Vijf sterren, ze krijgen wat ze verdienen.” [Pushing on the dissonances, Arcadia explores the boundaries of purity and tonally permissible, for example at the piercing beginning of the Sixteenth String Quartet’s ‘Allegro-andantino’. Five stars, they get what they deserve. GoogleTranslate]
by De Standaard, Belgium [Deze Arcadia is een tientje], April 4, 2023
https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230404_97689676