JAROSLAV KRČEK (b.1939): String Quartets No. 1, Op. 160, No. 2, Op. 162, No. 3, Op. 163 and No. 4, Op. 164.

Description: These approachable, tonal works, which run the gamut of intimate emotions at which the quartet excels, are all recent; the first was a 2017 commission from the present ensemble, and the others have almost consecutive opus numbers. The composer is an expert (and in fact a performer) in folk music, with an interest in Czech Renaissance and Baroque music; he was a student of Kabeláč and well versed in the trends of modern music, all of which influences find their way into his appealing, individual idiom. Thus, the sorrowful slow second movement of the First Quartet is briefly interrupted by a rough peasant dance over a galumphing ostinato, and the following picturesque pastoral scene suddenly becomes the background for a lively village fête led by folk-fiddlers. Folk idioms, whether in the form of rhythmic dance steps or keening vocal laments with microtonal pitch inflections, are a constant feature of this quartet. This kind of polyglot unpredictability extends into the second quartet, which begins with a slow movement that could almost be by Shostakovich were it not for its strong Czech accent, and an extraordinary brief passage in which a keening melody is accompanied by a strangely tangled, writhing texture, gone as soon as perceived. The remainder of the quartet explores similar moods and styles, with the shade of Janáček often hovering over the proceedings; a section of the third movement is derived from church chant. The Third Quartet begins in a tense, agitated and angry mood, and this is followed by an introspective lament, suggesting that the work may reflect the composer’s feelings on some tragedy. The following genial scherzo and pastoral trio largely dispel the tension, leaving a sense of wistfulness, though the finale has a driven quality, and an extended section based on the lament prevents any sense of a triumphant conclusion. After hinting at a close affinity to Janáček throughout the first three quartets, the fourth one comes right out and acknowledges said affinity; the work is a tribute to the older composer, and sounds very like him, even to the extent of some actual quotations. The piece is not pastiche; the material is Krček's own, an original work in his own idiom, but there is never any doubt as to his intentions. Czech Philharmonic Quartet.