Country : Russia Label : Chandos Genres and styles : Modern Classical Year : 2024

Arcadia Quartet – Weinberg : Quartets nos 6, 13 and 15

· by Frédéric Cardin

The Arcadia Quartet continues its excellent recording of the 17 quartets by Mieczysław Weinberg, a 20th-century composer who is increasingly well known and recognised. A genius of the order of Shostakovich, with whom he shares the same sound universe, without ever appearing inferior to him. On the contrary, it is increasingly accepted that Weinberg may have inspired Shostakovich in the writing of certain works. 

Quartet No. 6 Op. 35 was written in 1946. It still bears the scars of the war, the dramatic darkness of which fully colours the score. There was nothing like it in Soviet music at the time, not even Shostakovich. In fact, shortly afterwards, this quartet found itself on the Communists’ list of non-recommendable music. It was never performed during the composer’s lifetime. It is an ample work, with a Beethovenian breath and an instrumental colour that is often bold and piquant. At times gloomily panoramic, at others savagely energetic, it is a tragedy in six acts, some of which, such as the 5th, offer us a veritable lesson in textural and colouristic interplay. 

Quartet No. 13 Op. 118 and No. 15 Op. 124 were composed after Shostakovich’s death, and betray Weinberg’s desire to go even further harmonically than his elder. Weinberg openly flirts with atonalism, approaching it to a degree never before achieved by Shostakovich. Despite their elusive nature, both harmonically and thematically, the two opuses remain stimulating because of the narrative force that Weinberg always manages to infuse into them. Demanding and complex, never cold and cerebral.

The Arcadia Quartet continue in the vein of their previous releases, demonstrating an excellent understanding of this music, an irreproachable quality of playing and, above all, an expansive but perfectly focused passion. 

At the risk of repeating myself, Weinberg is THE 20th century composer to discover among all those who still remain in the shadow of the great names more frequently played in concert. What an emblematic sound world of the last century, with its creaking, its darkness, but also its light that pierces the dark veil of drama despite everything. Weinberg captures us whole and holds us in his expressive nets. We are glued to the desolate, deceptively placid pictures he draws. And then, all of a sudden, he whips us along at a frantic, manic gallop towards an unsuspected goal, before releasing us, alone and distraught. Cinema couldn’t do better. Weinberg is an absolute must for anyone who loves Shostakovich and wants more. 

Latest 360 Content

FIJM | Julius Rodriguez, Jazz Groove Ace

FIJM | Julius Rodriguez, Jazz Groove Ace

FIJM | Men I Trust Shines Brightly on The Place des Festivals

FIJM | Men I Trust Shines Brightly on The Place des Festivals

FIJM | Anomalie and Lettieri: A New Musical Friendship, Developing in Real Time

FIJM | Anomalie and Lettieri: A New Musical Friendship, Developing in Real Time

FIJM | Linda May Han Oh, A Role Model for Female Double-Bass Players

FIJM | Linda May Han Oh, A Role Model for Female Double-Bass Players

Nuits d’Afrique | La Chiva Gantiva As Seen by Rafael Espinel

Nuits d’Afrique | La Chiva Gantiva As Seen by Rafael Espinel

Suoni | The Spiritual Quest, The End in Transcendence

Suoni | The Spiritual Quest, The End in Transcendence

FIJM | Thundercat, A Feline on The Loose

FIJM | Thundercat, A Feline on The Loose

FIJM | Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston Exposed

FIJM | Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston Exposed

FIJM | Branford Marsalis Among Four MF’s Playin’ Tunes… Live!

FIJM | Branford Marsalis Among Four MF’s Playin’ Tunes… Live!

FIJM | About Derrick Hodge’s Idea of the Color of Noize

FIJM | About Derrick Hodge’s Idea of the Color of Noize

FIJM | Queen of Afrobeats, Ayra confirms her status as a Global… Starr

FIJM | Queen of Afrobeats, Ayra confirms her status as a Global… Starr

FIJM | Black Jazz by Marquis Hill

FIJM | Black Jazz by Marquis Hill

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea: being marketwise

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea: being marketwise

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Tyrane Mondeny Presents Her Mandingo Soul

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Tyrane Mondeny Presents Her Mandingo Soul

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

FIJM | Nubya Garcia Becomes a Star in MTL

FIJM | Nubya Garcia Becomes a Star in MTL

FIJM 2025 | Symphonic Avishai Cohen: Bewitching magic

FIJM 2025 | Symphonic Avishai Cohen: Bewitching magic

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

Common Holly – Anything glass

Common Holly – Anything glass

FIJM I Hanorah Sets the TD Stage Ablaze with Soulful R&B

FIJM I Hanorah Sets the TD Stage Ablaze with Soulful R&B

FIJM | Jeff Goldblum: Storyteller, Comedian and Pianist

FIJM | Jeff Goldblum: Storyteller, Comedian and Pianist

FIJM I Still Taking Us There, Mavis Staples Electrifies Montreal JazzFest

FIJM I Still Taking Us There, Mavis Staples Electrifies Montreal JazzFest

Subscribe to our newsletter