Chapi String Quartets 1 & 2

[Alan Howe]

...lauded here by David Hurwitz:
http://www.classicstoday.com/review/yes-great-spanish-string-quartets-chapi/

[FEBCT]

This reviewer was, apparently, in an overly-generous mood when he wrote that review. 

Appealing music, yes.   But - "amazing" powers of invention?  "Master lyricist?"  "Astonishingly colorful?"  Hyperbole - thy name is Hurwitz.

Try the quartets by Jesus Guridi.  (and, by the way, his lovely Sinfonia pirenaica.)

[Alan Howe]

Have you heard the quartets? I very much like the sound of the excerpts at Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R72D3TE/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk
Lovely, tuneful stuff!

In any case you can't really compare them with Guridi's - which date from 1933 and 1949 and are written in a heavily chromatic late-late romantic idiom.

[FEBCT]

Indeed I have heard them - why would I offer a comment if I had not?

Have you?

[Alan Howe]

I have only heard the audio samples - the full works aren't yet on sale either as downloads or as a physical CD. Hence my question...

I assume, then, that they have been recorded before - which I hadn't realised...?

[Alan Howe]

Would this be the CD set you've heard?>>
http://www.amazon.de/Cuartetos-Brodsky-Quartet-Ruperto-Chapi/dp/B000HOMM0U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music-classical&ie=UTF8&qid=1421954849&sr=1-1&keywords=chapi+brodsky

[FEBCT]

Yes, sir.

And, while they are fine works, I think Mr. Hurwitz is in danger of exaggerating their merits. 

But don't let me put you off.  Enjoy the Chapi Quartets.

[Alan Howe]

You may well be right about Hurwitz's assessment. Shame the set you have seems to be unavailable...

[FEBCT]

Well, the new recording appears to release in a few days.  So, as the esteemed moderators around this place often exclaim - "let's move on."

[eschiss1]

I seem to recall that set has just been reissued, which may be the occasion for Mr. Hurwitz's review- but I may be thinking of something somewhat similar not having to do with Chapi's quartets. However: one of Chapi's quartets (no.1 in G) has been uploaded to our backwards-named "downloads forum" (or rather, a link to it has) etc. (I assume, presume etc. not that of the LP recording). 

All 4 of his quartets were, I believe, all published around the time of composition and have also been republished in a more recent (I assume modern, edited) publication, for those interested in scores/parts as well as recordings...