Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) – String Quartet no. 1, opus 37 (1917)
- Lento assai – Allegro moderato, 2. Andantino semplice, in modo d’una canzone – Adagio dolcissimo – Lento assai molto espressivo, 3. Vivace – Scherzando alle Burlesca – Vivace ma non troppo
Performed by: Carmina Quartet
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) – String Quartet no. 2, opus 56 (1927)
- Moderato, dolce e tranquillo, 2. Vivace, scherzando, 3. Lento
Performed by: Carmina Quartet
Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) – String Quartet no. 3 (1925)
- Allegro ma non troppo, 2. Scherzo, 3. Lento, 4 Finale, rondo
Performed by: Silesian String Quartet
The most important Polish composer in the first half of the 20th century was undoubtedly Karol Szymanowski. In his two string quartets from 1917 and 1929, he strove to develop a Polish idiom in a modern sound culture, in a way analogous to Bartók in Hungary in the same years. The First String Quartet, opus 37, was written in the summer preceding the October Revolution and is characterised by an extreme of nuances. A bit like the late Beethoven quartets.
The Second String Quartet is more sharply structured and has a first movement that begins no less fairy-tale-like than his ballet Harnasie, which he worked on at the same time. The second and third movements of this quartet contain elements of folk music from the Tatra mountains.
The Polish Alexandre Tansman left for Paris at the end of 1919, where he stayed until his death in 1986. His concise Third String Quartet from 1925 is more of a French quartet than Martinů’s First Quartet from almost the same period.
