BBC Music Magazine 5 stars; Gramophone: Critic's Choice; Fono Forum: outstanding.
This album features the String Quartets Nos. 3 and 4 by Greek composer Nikos Skalkottas, performed by the New Hellenic Quartet. Skalkottas, a student of Arnold Schoenberg, was a key figure in 20th-century Greek classical music, blending twelve-tone techniques with folk influences and neoclassical forms.
String Quartet No. 3 (1935) marks a turning point in Skalkottas’s career, as he resumed composition after a period of creative silence. The work is characterized by its dodecaphonic rigor, contrapuntal textures, and structural clarity, moving away from overt folk elements in favor of a more abstract musical language.
String Quartet No. 4 (1940) is a large-scale, intricate work, reflecting both chamber and orchestral influences. The second movement, a theme and variations, showcases his ability to manipulate form, while the finale incorporates dance-like rhythms reminiscent of Mahler. The quartet exemplifies Skalkottas’s mastery in blending twelve-tone techniques with a deeply expressive and dynamic approach.
This recording highlights Skalkottas’s unique position as a modernist composer rooted in Greek traditions, offering a fresh perspective on his innovative chamber music.
Extra material for download
