Ernst Krenek - Complete String Quartets (Sonare Quartet)

Krenek's eight String Quartets constitute a significant output of works and offer a fascinating testimony of many of the musical styles prevalent in the Pre-2nd World War Austrian-German world, from a burning late Romantic style indebted to Krenek's teacher Franz Schreker, to strict dodecaphony, by way of early Schoenbergian free atonality, Bartokian angularity, Stravinskian neo-classicism and jazz- inspiration. The first seven were written between 1921 (the composer was 21 then) and 1944, the eighth coming as a much later afterthought, in 1980. The language is usually stern, rhythmically vigorous and expressively vehement in the fast movements, and with an intense but stern and angular lyricism in the slow ones. The architecture is often original, usually eschewing the traditional three or four movements. Krenek's part writing is delicate and intricate - no singing first violin against string accompaniment here (except in the 5th Quartet), but each instrument is a "primus inter pares", often in complex canonic or fugal interplay.
The 4th, in its very eclecticism, is probably the most approachable, and the 5th the strangest and maybe the least successful, with its jarring references to Schubert interrupting a first movement of otherwise bartokian vigor, and its surprisingly (for Krenek) gently lyrical but also rambling second and third movements. Overall the two discs with 3 & 7 and 4 & 6 are the best entry points in the series.

Tracks CD 1:

01. Streichquartett Nr. 1, I. Lento [0:05:02.70]
02. Streichquartett Nr. 1, II. Allegro ma non troppo [0:03:41.37]
03. Streichquartett Nr. 1, III. Adagio molto [0:02:42.73]
04. Streichquartett Nr. 1, IV. Presto [0:04:57.25]
05. Streichquartett Nr. 1, V. Andante [0:07:51.62]
06. Streichquartett Nr. 1, VI. Allegro vivace [0:00:26.50]
07. Streichquartett Nr. 1, VII. Fuga Vivace [0:06:14.45]
08. Streichquartett Nr. 1, VIII. Lento come prima [0:02:52.05]
09. Streichquartett Nr. 2, I. Andante sostenuto [0:11:48.48]
10. Streichquartett Nr. 2, II. Allegro molto [0:10:34.22]
11. Streichquartett Nr. 2, III. Adagio [0:12:38.55]

Tracks CD 2:

01. Streichquartett Nr.3 op.20, I. Allegro molto vivace [0:08:25.57]
02. Streichquartett Nr.3 op.20, II. Adagio - Quasi Tempo I - Adagio [0:09:34.05]
03. Streichquartett Nr.3 op.20, III. Allegro moderato, ma deciso [0:03:29.25]
04. Streichquartett Nr.3 op.20, IV. Adagio [0:02:09.48]
05. Streichquartett Nr.3 op.20, V. Allegro molto moderato - Gemächliches Walzertempo - Ganz langsames Walzertempo - Adagio - Allegro moderato [0:06:38.40]
06. Streichquartett Nr.7 op.96, I. Allegro ma non troppo, grazioso e dolce [0:03:16.27]
07. Streichquartett Nr.7 op.96, II. Adagio [0:06:56.55]
08. Streichquartett Nr.7 op.96, III. Allegro ma non troppo, ben misurato, con passione [0:03:18.60]
09. Streichquartett Nr.7 op.96, IV. Andante sostenuto (Interlude) [0:01:40.53]
10. Streichquartett Nr.7 op.96, V. Allegretto con grazia, scherzando e teneramente [0:04:00.17]

Tracks CD 3:

01. Streichquartett Nr.5 op.65, I. Allegro molto deciso ed energico [0:07:08.37]
02. Streichquartett Nr.5 op.65, II. Thema und Variationen [0:18:51.03]
03. Streichquartett Nr.5 op.65, III. Phantasie (Adagio) [0:15:01.17]
04. Streichquartett Nr.8 op.233 [0:26:25.08]

Tracks CD 4:

01. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, I. Allegro moderato [0:05:13.57]
02. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, II. Adagio [0:03:21.08]
03. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, III. Allegretto grazioso [0:02:00.00]
04. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, IV. Adagio [0:10:06.70]
05. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, V. Allegro vivace [0:02:25.12]
06. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, VI. Sostenuto [0:01:55.63]
07. Streichquartett Nr.4 op.24, VII. Allegro deciso [0:05:18.10]
08. Streichquartett Nr.6 op.78, I Adagio [0:05:34.35]
09. Streichquartett Nr.6 op.78, II. Allegro piu tosto comodo con grazie [0:06:39.32]
10. Streichquartett Nr.6 op.78, III. Vivace [0:04:54.38]
11. Streichquartett Nr.6 op.78, IV. Adagio [0:07:56.37]
12. Streichquartett Nr.6 op.78, V. Fuga a quattro soggetti - Allegro deciso [0:06:58.25]