Alma Quartet: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 | String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 Ltd. (Vinyl)

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was a genius. Naturally he was most widely known and rewarded as one of the founding composers of Hollywood film music, but he is not a particularly well-known composer in the classical music world. His three string quartets are surely masterpieces and can be seen as modern tone poems imbued with beautiful melancholy and Viennese charm. A child prodigy, Korngold wrote some of the most heart-wrenching melodies, which are sure to leave any listener longing for more.

His String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 (1933) was written just before Korngold moved to Hollywood and is full of musical imagery of Vienna, with gestures towards the waltzes of Johan Strauss II as well as the intricate lyricism of Richard Strauss. A fierce anti-serialist, Korngold was determined that it was still possible to stretch the boundaries of tonality without adapting to the 12-tone technique.

The String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 (1945) is full of themes that he used in his film scores and was written when Korngold was suffering from deep depression. The quartet is much darker.

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 Allegro
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 Intermezzo - Allegretto Con Mot
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 Larghetto - Lento
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 Waltz (Finale) - Tempo Di Valse
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 Allegro Moderato
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 Scherzo - Allegro Molto
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 Sostenuto. Like a Folk Tune
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 34 Finale - Allegro