String Quartet in F major, Opus 44 - Nielsen composed string quartet
music in 1906 having the title "Piacevolezza" and opus number 19.  Nielsen
discarded the work but enventually revised it: publication as opus 44 was
in 1923.  The composition can't be said to be a major advance over Opus 14,
and that's not surprising given the initial time of composition and the
general mood of the music which is more pleasant and sunny than the Opus 14
String Quartet; it also has clearer textures and less gritty counterpoint.

The first movement, Allegro non tanto e comodo, has three basic elements
which consistently get my attention.  The basic theme is a swaying and
somewhat eerie one which recurs throughout the movement with varying
dynamics.  Mid-way through the movement there's a hymn-like and errie
passage of strong impact.  The conclusion is a hushed and tender coda
which is the perfect ending to the movement.  The quality of the music is
high, although I question whether there is sufficient variety of mood and
invention to accomodate over seven minutes of music; I would have preferred
that Nielsen cut it down to the five minute range, but he's the man in
charge.

The Oslo String Quartet gives the slowest performance.  Their primary
theme has a nice and errie quality to it, angularity is ample, the hymn
like passage goes well, and the conclusion is sufficiently hushed and
emotional.  The Danish Quartet does as well; although the errie quality
of the primary theme is rather low, the reading is more rustic and the
conclusion has more feeling than the Oslo's performance.  Add the Kontra
to this list - they provide the most eerie basic theme and deliver abundant
energy and angularity; on the other hand, their hymn-like passage and the
conclusion are not particularly effective.

The Zapolski Quartet has some problems with the first movement.  They
are not slow, but the performance does drag now and then.  That's due
to a generally subdued reading which has little angularity to it.  The
Zapolski's performance is worthy but less idiomatic than the three other
versions.

The second movement, Adagio con sentimento religioso, begins with a
dramatic hymn-like passage which is essentially varied throughout the
movement.  There are three elements of the music which are most significant
to me.  First, being variations, it is very important that there is a high
level of distinction among them so that boredom from repetition does not
set in.  Second, this Adagio is rustic to the core.  Third, the most
incisive variation, about 1/3 into the movement, gives me the image of a
hushed force rising up from under the pulpit.  The mystery of this passage
as it relates to religious belief is stunning.

The Kontra Quartet does well, but there's little sense of a rustic setting
and the hushed variation is not very effective.  The Danish Quartet also
performs well but does not make much impact in the hushed variation.  The
Zapolski Quartet is outstanding in highlighting distinctions among the
variations.  Best of all is the Oslo Quartet whose hushed variation is
perfect; I feel the floorboards lifting to give way to the music.  Also,
there's a strong rustic flavor to the performance.

The third movement is along the lines of a happy and good-natured scherzo
and trio except for a series of strong outbursts.  The four versions are
equally rewarding and quite good.  The Danish Quartet makes the outbursts
violent ones; elsewhere, it's a beautiful reading.  The Kontra Quartet
gives a jaunty dance-like quality to the music which is very enjoyable.
The Oslo Quartet is solid and idiomatic.  Most distinctive is the Zapolski
Quartet with a much slower performance than the others and a relatively
hushed and mysterious reading.  This version would have rated higher than
the other three except that the Zapolski don't get that last ounce of
beauty out of the music.

The fourth movement, Molto adagio-Allegro non tanto, ma molto scherzoso,
has much variety to it.  It begins with majestic C major chords, quickly
switches to a delightfully rustic dance, then settles into a highly lyrical
and serene set of passages, followed by more dance, then mournful passages
having fugue-like characteristics, more dance, and a ceremonial send-off.
The remainder of the movement largely continues as before with the music
searching for its home key.

Three versions are very good; the Olso String Quartet does not meet the
competition as their dance is rather ugly and beauty is hard to locate.
The Zapolski Quartet is on the slow side with beautiful lyricism; the dance
is not vivacious.  The Danish Quartet provides a quick and exciting dance
flavor, although the more tender passages sound a little rushed.  The
Kontra Quartet does well throughout, but they have their moments of
excessive romanticism.

I have three strong recommendations for Nielsen's String Quartets:

1.  Obtain the Kubin Quartet's recording on Centaur of Opus 5 and 13, and
cross your fingers that they complete the series.

2.  Obtain the two Naxos discs from the Oslo Quartet.  Rating a very
strong recommendation at any cost, the cd's are a fantastic bargain at
Naxos prices.

3.  Obtain the Danish Quartet set on Kontrapunkt.  This is a fine set
highlighted by an absolutely magical performance of the Opus 5 first
movement, the movement I feel stands tall above all the others in the
four quartets.  This movement alone is worth the cost of set.

Unless you want all versions, I'd pass on the Kontra and Zapolski Quartet
recordings.  I can't deny that the Zapolski provide the most variety and
take the most chances of any version.  However, they more often make bad
choices than good ones.  The issue of performing in an idiomatic manner
doesn't really apply here; the Zapolski, from the onset, announce that they
will not be abiding by those rules.  I accept that premise, but still find
more misses than hits.  The Kontra Quartet has its romantic tendencies and
a stubborn resistance to the rustic way of life.  If your tastes are more
for the romantic style and urban backdrops than mine, the Kontra could be
very rewarding.  Based on my perceptions of Nielsen's music, it's the
Danish, Oslo, and Kubin Quartets which capture the man's spirit.

I'll soon start reviewing some recordings of Bach's Art of Fugue.  There
will be a fair mix of harpsichord, piano, organ, and mutiple instrument
versions - 15 or more depending on what future searches in the house yield.

Don Satz
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