Quartets by Koechlin, Honegger & Stravinsky.
Charles Koechlin (1867-1951) – First String Quartet, in D major, opus 51 (1913)
1. Allegro moderato, 2. Scherzo. Allegro scherzando non troppo–Vivace.
3. Andante quasi adagio, 4. Finale. Allegro con moto.
Performed by: Ardeo Quartet.
Album: Ar Ré-Sé.
Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) – First String Quartet (1917)
1. Appassionato, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro: Adagio.
Performed by: Ludwig Quartet.
Album: Timpani.
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) – Concertino for String Quartet (1920).
Performed by: Alban Berg Quartet.
Album: Warner Classics.
An important loner was Charles Koechlin, son of an Alsatian industrialist. Much of his chamber music until after the First World War is friendly and equable. Like Koechlin, Honegger also composed three string quartets. However, the tone is completely different from that of Koechlin. Thus, Honegger’s First String Quartet is flamboyant and emphatically expressive. In contrast, Igor Stravinsky’s Concertino for string quartet is a concise exercise in Baroque concert technique, including a cadenza for the first violin and repetitive figures.
