Quartets Nos. 1 and 3

Abstract

The name of Alexander Alexandrovich Alyabiev (1787-1851), a well-know Russian composer of the early 19th century, is known to a wide circle of Music lovers thanks to his ‘Nightingale’ romance, a wonderful example of the Russian city romance of the epoch of Romanticism. Romances, songs and piano dance pieces by Alyabiev were published and popular during his lifetime. Alyabiev composed six operas, incluiding the Storm based on Shakespeare´s romantic drama, a ballet, music for theatre performances (over 20 vaudevilles), overtures, symphonies, chamber pieces, such as quartes, trios, etc., pieces for choir and piano, and more than 160 romances. The fate of this rich heritage was dramatic, as the most part of it (there were over 450 works in total) remained in manuscripts, many of wich werw unifinished or lost. Less known are his instrumental pieces, wich have been perfomed and published very rarely. One many just hope that this undeservedly forgotten part of Alyabiev’s heritage will some day become known to musicians and listeners and become as popular as his widely kown romances.

The Beetehoven Quartet consisting of Dmitry Tsyganov (first violin), Vassily Shirinsky (second violin), Vadim Borisovsky (viola) and Sergey Shirinsky (violoncello) was formed in 1923 and at first was called the Quartet of the Moscow Conservatoire. The Quartet received its present name in 1931 after a brilliant performance of a series of Beethoven’s quartets. The Quartet perfomerd with these four musicians for more than forty years. This seems to be a record of longevity. During that period od time the Quartet performed over 600 pieces, and more than 200 of them were recorded. All members of the Quartet were engaged in pedagogical activities as professors of the Moscow Conservatoire. Over the years, the quartet underwent a natural renewal. Nicolay Zabavnikov took the place of Vassily Shirinsky, and Fedor Druzhinin – the place of Vadim Borisovsky. Eugene Altman and Oleg Krysa joined the ensemble later. The repertoire of the Quartet includes the works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, Glazunov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Myaskovsky, Shebalin and Vainberg dedicated their works to the Quartet. The ensemble was the first to perform all of Shostakovich’s quartets.