Jesús Guridi: Complete String Quartets / Bretón String Quartet

Recommendation

Coming from Naxos' growing Spanish Classics line is this new recording of String Quartets nos. 1 & 2 by Jesús Guridi. These two fine chamber works are performed by the Bretón String Quartet, themselves formed with the express purpose of expanding the recorded catalog of quartets by Spanish composers. The group plays beautifully, and I hope that they continue to explore and bring to light other deserving works like these fine Guridi quartets.

Jesús Guridi (1886-1961) was one of a number of Spanish composers that included Manuel de Falla and Joaquin Turina working in the early 20th century who sought to put forth a uniquely Spanish musical identity. Guridi's best known works include the operetta El Caserío, the opera Amaya, and Ten Basque melodies for orchestra. Not including an abandoned early effort, the composer came late to the sting quartet genre, completing his String Quartet no. 1 in 1933 when he was nearing fifty years of age, and the Second Quartet in 1949.

Guridi's musical language is that of the late romantic period, with a chromatic tonality inherited from Wagner and a sensuous harmonic aura that is frequently reminiscent of the impressionism we associate with Debussy and Ravel. The music draws a melodic inspiration from the Basque folk culture, peculiar to a region overlaying north-central Spain and south-western France. The French connection in his music is no doubt further influenced by Guridi's years of study in Paris and Brussels with Vincent d'Indy and Joseph Jongen.

The music is harmonically and melodically sophisticated. There are many very beautiful passages, notably the serene and achingly beautiful conclusion to the Adagio sostenuto movement from the String Quartet No. 2. I came across a YouTube video of the Bretón Quartet performing this movement and have posted it below (note that it is sonically and musically inferior to what you can hear on the CD). You can also hear the complete final movement of this same quartet in the video sample to be found in the right sidebar.

Album Overview

Jesús Guridi was one of a number of composers born in the last quarter of the 19th century, who also included Joaquín Turina and Manuel de Falla, driven by a desire to create and promote Spanish music with a genuinely national identity. With their authentic folk-tinged atmosphere, Guridi’s two string quartets follow his foremost philosophical concern of creating beautiful works of art, with their moments of modal serenity and richly diverse sophistication. Guridi’s masterpiece Ten Basque Melodies can be heard on Naxos 8.557110, his zarzuela El caserío on 8.557632, the Sinfonía pirenaica on 8.557631, and his opera Amaya on Marco Polo 8.225084–85.

Source: Naxos

Jesus Guridi, composer

Jesus Guridi, composer Guridi was born into a musical family and from an early age was a well-known and talented figure in Bilbao’s musical circles, astounding his audiences with his piano performances and the charm and dexterity of his own compositions. On the advice of Francis Plant, he moved to Paris at the age of fourteen to enter the Schola Cantorum. There he studied piano with Grovlez, harmony with De la Tombelle and composition with D’Indy, graduating with a brilliant first prize before his twentieth birthday. www.naxos.com/person/Jesus_Guridi/24816.htm

Bretón String Quartet

Bretón String Quartet The Bretón String Quartet was formed in 2003 when four musicians with extensive experience in various chamber music ensembles and sharing a passion for string quartets and Spanish composers, decided to go beyond the repertoire that is most routinely programmed, to explore this Spanish repertoire from the past to the present day.  www.naxos.com/person/Breton_String_Quartet/115976.htm

Thinking about purchasing this album? Follow this link for more album details or to make the purchase. Buy it now

“Not just recommended. Guaranteed.”
We stand behind every album featured on Expedition Audio. Our objective is to take the monetary risk out of music exploration. If you order this album from HBDirect.com and do not like it you can return it for a refund.