The String Quartet

In January 1876 Tchaikovsky stayed in Paris with his brother Modest. At that time Modest had been appointed as supervisor and teacher for the deaf-mute little boy Nikolay Konradi. Tchaikovsky composed the String Quartet no. 3 in E flat minor, opus 30, in 1876, partly in Paris, partly in Moscow, and dedicated the work in the memory of the Bohemian violinist Ferdinand Laub, who had died suddenly in 1875 and who was the primarius who led the first performances of the two earlier quartets. You will hear the quartet in the original order, with the Andante funebre e doloroso first and then the scherzo.

‘Les Vendredis’ are the famous Friday evenings with wealthy music lover Mitrofan Belyayev and also two collections of quartet compositions composed especially for those evenings.

Pjotr Iljitsj Tchaikovsky – String Quartet no. 3 in E flat minor, opus 30 (1875)

1. Andante sostenuto – Allegro moderato, 2. Allegretto vivo e scherzando, 3. Andante funebre e doloroso, ma con moto, 4. Finale.

Allegro non troppo e risoluto

Performed by: Quatuor Danel

Album: CPO

From: Les Vendredis

Anatoly Lyadov – Sarabande in G minor

Alexander Glazoenov – Courante in G minor

Alexander Borodin – Scherzo in D major 11:04 (1882)

Performed by: Szymanowski Quartet

Album: SWR Classics (Südwestfunk Radio)