Various Artists - Early Columbia Recordings - Import 16 CD Box

Credits:

Various Artists

Description:

Juilliard String Quartet 75th Anniversary Release. The origins of the Juilliard SQ, which rewrote 20th century quartet history, including the unprecedented first Bartók & Schoenberg complete works, are here. The Juilliard String Quartet. The purpose of the quartet was not only to educate the students at the conservatory, but also to "perform the standard repertoire in a lively manner, while discovering outstanding contemporary works and treating them with the same reverence as we do the classics" through concerts. Since their debut concert in New York, the quartet has been particularly strong in modern and contemporary music, actively featuring the music of Berg, Bartók, and Schoenberg (Berg and Bartók have been dead for several years, Schoenberg is still alive and well), and active contemporary American composers such as William Schuman. The quartet was recognized for its understanding of contemporary music, and its exquisite and vivid performances, based on a precise understanding of musical notation, set a new direction for the post-World War II string quartet art form.The recordings included here are a reissue of 16 LPs of recordings released by Columbia Records during the first seven years of the Juilliard String Quartet's activity, from 1949 to 1956, coupled with the first American releases, 15 of which are world premiere CD recordings from the original masters. While the works of American composers such as Copland, William Schumann, Ingolf Dahl, and Virgil Thomson, who were all Sasetanians at the time, are featured prominently, the highlight of this box is the world premiere of Bartók's complete string quartets from 1949 The highlights of this box are the world premiere recording of Bartók's complete string quartets in 1949 and the first LP recording of Schoenberg's complete string quartets from 1951-1952. Also included are performances of the New Viennese School represented by Berg's "Lyric Suites" and Ravel's string quartets, all of which can be considered the starting point of works that later became part of Juilliard's ironclad repertoire. All were produced at Columbia 30th Street Studios in New York City, and the direct and vivid sound reproduction conveys the charm of the Juilliard String Quartet's exquisite and robust performances.Fifteen of the sixteen LPs have been remastered from the original analog masters using 24-bit/192kHz technology and released on CD for the first time in the world. Each disc is housed in a paper jacket that uses the original LP jacket design of the first U.S. release (the coupling is a reproduction of the first LP and includes performances by others than the Juilliard String Quartet), and is presented in a cardboard clamshell box. The all-color booklet includes a track listing with detailed recording data. Sony Music