Weinberg String Quartets, Volume 4 (CD Review)

by Ryan Ross

String Quartet No. 6 in E Minor, Op. 35; String Quartet No. 13, Op. 118; String Quartet No. 15, Op. 124. Arcadia Quartet. Chandos CHAN 20281

It’s been over a year since I reviewed the previous installment of this series. On that occasion I suggested something of a dichotomy in Weinberg’s music between works that show an appealing personality, and works lacking it. The quartets on this recording only deepen the impression, with a further divide between early and later styles becoming all the more apparent. They include the Sixth, Thirteenth, and Fifteenth Quartets, which means you’re going to get one fairly tuneful work and two mostly forgettable stretches of dull noodling. I wish he had stuck with his romantic, folk-affiliated phase. 

The Sixth Quartet (1946) is the last that Weinberg completed for approximately a decade. It comprises the same number of movements as its designation, and is the first in the cycle to stretch to as many. I mention this because it curiously foreshadows the Fifteenth Quartet in that its second and third movements are extremely short, spanning just 2-3 minutes each. These quick, punchy movements briefly explore a scherzo-like aesthetic, but we will see with the Fifteenth that nearly every one of its nine movements do so. The lengthier first movement of No. 6 strongly reminds me of Shostakovich, with its mysterious dance-like theme and everything that follows. The same could be said for its fifth and sixth movements, which delve into fugal textures. The finale is ripped straight from DDS, especially its tunes and dramatic accompaniments. I would say that there is less in the Sixth Quartet of what makes Weinberg special than there is in the Fourth. And you know what? That’s fine… because the music is engaging, melodious, and speaks directly to the emotions. 

Your mileage may vary, but I am mostly bored by the Thirteenth (1977) and Fifteenth (1979) Quartets which, truthfully, are the products of a dispiriting decade. The Thirteenth is in one continuous movement that lasts for approximately 15 minutes. You hear the same things here as you do in much other late Weinberg: dour themes of angular profile, dissonant harmonies interspersed with occasional triadic relief, and meandering forms. None of this music is terribly arresting. At least with the Fifteenth Quartet we have short enough movements that uninteresting (or sometimes vaguely interesting) materials do not wear out their welcome. A variety of character states in each movement (yes, a poor variety…but a variety nonetheless) aids listener concentration better than in the Thirteenth. The Shostakovich influence is keen in the Fifteenth Quartet. But as in the Sixteenth, I find the music to be a pale reflection of the mannerisms it borrows from the great Soviet composer’s own late style. 

Not every reader will like this, but as I get older I get increasingly impatient with music I consider to be stuffy. And I find two-thirds of this recording’s compositions to be stuffy, notwithstanding more excellent playing by the Arcadia Quartet. Again, I can handle Shostakovich imitation if the results are engaging. But Shostakovich imitation in combination with unrelenting dreariness quickly diminishes my reasons to stick around any longer than I must. I’ve gradually shaped up to be an Early Weinberg Fan. If this makes me anti-intellectual or anti-modernist, I can live with that.