GINASTERA : Complete String Quartets (Cuarteto Latinoamericano) (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Alberto Ginastera (1916–83) the foremost 20th century Argentinean composer began composing in 1930, but destroyed many of his early works. The one work to survive from this period was the ballet 'Panambi', which catapulted him to fame, and resulted in a commission for another ballet 'Estancia' based on rural Argentinean life. Aside from his stage and orchestral music, chamber music played a big role in his creative output. The string quartets span the various stages of his musical development, and can be clearly assigned to these periods. Ginastera's music up to the first quartet is nationalistic, and evokes the Argentine 'gaucho' tradition of the pampas. The one exception is 'Panambi' which depicts primitive Indian rites. The second quartet presents a rather Bartok like visage, with microtones and a ghostly scherzo played at the edge of sound. This represents Ginasteras' serial period, which would lead to the third and final of his string quartets. This work dates from 1973, and the inspiration was Schoenberg's second quartet – they both have a part for a soprano of the utmost virtuosity. Ginasteras' use of the serial 12 note form of writing is more closely allied to that of Berg and Schoenbrg rather than the austere style of Webern. The third quartet alludes to the horrors of war, and the singer is asked to 'sing with madness'. As in the second quartet, the scherzo is the movement that remains in the mind of the listener. It is a fantastic hallucinatory bergian moment.

Tracklist :

1. String Quartet no. 1, op. 20: I. Allegro violento ed agitato [4:25]

2. String Quartet no. 1, op. 20: II. Vivacissimo [3:36]

3. String Quartet no. 1, op. 20: III. Calmo e poetico–Un poco meno mosso ed agitato–Tranquilo–Piu lento–Molto tranquilo–Adagio [8:23]

4. String Quartet no. 1, op. 20: IV. Allegramente rustico [4:12]

5. String Quartet no. 2, op. 26: I. Allegro rustico [5:26]

6. String Quartet no. 2, op. 26: II. Adagio angoscioso [5:59]

7. String Quartet no. 2, op. 26: III. Presto magico [3:42]

8. String Quartet no. 2, op. 26: IV. Libero e rapsodico [5:32]

9. String Quartet no. 2, op. 26: V. Furioso [4:17]

10. String Quartet no. 3, op. 40: I. Contemplativo [6:31]

11. String Quartet no. 3, op. 40: II. Fantástico [4:14]

12. String Quartet no. 3, op. 40: III. Amoroso [6:52]

13. String Quartet no. 3, op. 40: IV. Drammatico [2:26]

14. String Quartet no. 3, op. 40: V. Di nuovo contemplativo [4:24]