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Ligeti: Metamorphosis / Quatuor Diotima
PENTATONE

Ligeti: Metamorphosis / Quatuor Diotima

$19.99

Details

Composer
Gyorgy Ligeti
Artist
Quatuor Diotima
Format
CD
Label
PENTATONE
Released
Mar 03, 2023
Catalog #
PTC5187061
UPC
8717306260619

About

Quatuor Diotima makes its Pentatone debut with a recording of Györgi Ligeti’s string quartets. While the second quartet from 1968 is an avant-garde classic, the first from 1953-54, “Metamorphoses nocturnes”, is often nicknamed Bartók’s seventh quartet, pointing out the continuity between these two Hungarian master composers. Despite moments of nostalgia, it already possesses the ferocious, adventurous nature of the later quartet. In-between these two iconoclast works, the Andante and Allegretto from 1950 offers an intimate moment of repose. The members of Diotima long postponed recording Ligeti’s string quartets, intimidated by their significance in music history and the demands they place on the players, but now the time has come to pursue this fascinating project and share it with the world. The quartet is fascinated by the cinematic qualities of Ligeti’s music and its use in films, including Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey. The album cover pays homage to that iconic movie. Quatuor Diotima is one the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world today, and has worked in close collaboration with several of the greatest composers of the late twentieth century. Reflected in the mirror of today’s music, the quartet projects a new light onto the masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries.

REVIEW:

These two works, the 2nd following 15 years on from the 1st, are not so far apart as a casual listen might indicate, and the edgy performances of the Quatuor Diotima emphasize the continuity. The String Quartet No. 1 consists of a dozen short movements that, in their economy, suggest that something other than semi-traditional melodic material is happening here, and the Quatuor Diotima gives sharp, clipped performances that bring out the modernity of the work. The Second Quartet requires hair-trigger concentration from the players and the ability to make extremely quiet sounds at the top of the instruments’ registers. The Quatuor Diotima’s performance in the various insect-like sounds in the work is nonpareil. A truly excellent Ligeti recording that penetrates deeply into the composer’s essence.

-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)

Tracklist 19 tracks

  1. 1 Allegro grazioso - 01:28
    Track
    1
    Title
    Allegro grazioso -
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  2. 2 Vivace, capriccioso - 01:51
    Track
    2
    Title
    Vivace, capriccioso -
    Duration
    01:51
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  3. 3 Adagio, mesto - 02:13
    Track
    3
    Title
    Adagio, mesto -
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  4. 4 Presto - 01:08
    Track
    4
    Title
    Presto -
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  5. 5 Prestissimo - 01:24
    Track
    5
    Title
    Prestissimo -
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  6. 6 Andante tranquillo - 03:12
    Track
    6
    Title
    Andante tranquillo -
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  7. 7 Tempo di valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso - 00:52
    Track
    7
    Title
    Tempo di valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso -
    Duration
    00:52
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  8. 8 Subito prestissimo - 01:31
    Track
    8
    Title
    Subito prestissimo -
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  9. 9 Allegretto, un poco gioviale - 00:52
    Track
    9
    Title
    Allegretto, un poco gioviale -
    Duration
    00:52
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  10. 10 Allarg. Poco più mosso - 01:41
    Track
    10
    Title
    Allarg. Poco più mosso -
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  11. 11 Prestissimo - 01:34
    Track
    11
    Title
    Prestissimo -
    Duration
    01:34
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  12. 12 Ad libitum, senza misura 03:15
    Track
    12
    Title
    Ad libitum, senza misura
    Duration
    03:15
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  13. 13 Andante cantabile 06:29
    Track
    13
    Title
    Andante cantabile
    Duration
    06:29
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  14. 14 Allegretto poco capriccioso 06:48
    Track
    14
    Title
    Allegretto poco capriccioso
    Duration
    06:48
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  15. 15 I. Allegro nervoso 04:40
    Track
    15
    Title
    I. Allegro nervoso
    Duration
    04:40
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  16. 16 II. Sostenuto, molto calmo 04:41
    Track
    16
    Title
    II. Sostenuto, molto calmo
    Duration
    04:41
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  17. 17 III. Come un meccanismo di precisione 03:14
    Track
    17
    Title
    III. Come un meccanismo di precisione
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  18. 18 IV. Presto furioso, brutale, tumultuoso 01:57
    Track
    18
    Title
    IV. Presto furioso, brutale, tumultuoso
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima
  19. 19 V. Allegro con delicatezza 04:57
    Track
    19
    Title
    V. Allegro con delicatezza
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    György Ligeti
    Ensemble
    Quatuor Diotima