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Viola

Puccini: Crisantemi
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Puccini: Crisantemi

Opera's king weeps for his friend

Shostakovich: Viola Sonata, Op 147
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Shostakovich: Viola Sonata, Op 147

A final sonata with a sense of resignation

Composer of the Week - Dmitry Shostakovich
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Composer of the Week - Dmitry Shostakovich

Donald Macleod explores Dmitry Shostakovich through the lens of his family life

Hindemith: Viola Sonata in F major, Op 11 No. 4
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Hindemith: Viola Sonata in F major, Op 11 No. 4

Music with a dark core of unrest and hardship

Stravinsky: Concertino
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Stravinsky: Concertino

Stravinsky's rustic romp

Composer of the Week - Igor Stravinsky
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Composer of the Week - Igor Stravinsky

Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky

Shostakovich: Quartet No. 10 in A flat major, Op 118
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Shostakovich: Quartet No. 10 in A flat major, Op 118

Variations with a customary Soviet twist

Respighi: Quartet in D major
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Respighi: Quartet in D major

A simple romantic melody that ebbs and flows

Tales from the Stave - Respighi's Roman Trilogy
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Tales from the Stave - Respighi's Roman Trilogy

Frances Fyfield and her team explore the manuscript of Ottorino Respighi's Roman Trilogy

Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op 36
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Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op 36

An anniversary tribute to a fellow musician

Beethoven: Quartet in E flat major, Op 74, Harp
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Beethoven: Quartet in E flat major, Op 74, Harp

Harp fans beware... this piece contains no harps

Record Review Podcast - Beethoven's 'Harp' Quartet
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Record Review Podcast - Beethoven's 'Harp' Quartet

Harriet Smith with recommendations from available recordings of Beethoven's so-called 'Harp' Quartet

Beethoven: Quintet in C major, Op 29
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Beethoven: Quintet in C major, Op 29

Smooth and mellow? Violas and cello

Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20
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Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20

A 16-year-old conjures up a thrilling mix of rhythm and melody

Soul Music - Mendelssohn's Octet
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Soul Music - Mendelssohn's Octet

Exploring the impact that Mendelssohn's Octet has had on different people's lives

Brahms: Viola Sonata in E flat major, Op 120 No. 2
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Brahms: Viola Sonata in E flat major, Op 120 No. 2

Beautiful melodies stir feelings of intimate friendships

Debussy: Quartet in G minor, Op 10
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Debussy: Quartet in G minor, Op 10

Great bursts of energy forge exciting new musical paths

Record Review Podcast - Debussy: String Quartet
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Record Review Podcast - Debussy: String Quartet

Laura Tunbridge recommends recordings of Debussy's String Quartet

Vieuxtemps: Elegie, Op.30
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Vieuxtemps: Elegie, Op.30

A little masterpiece on viola

Beethoven: Quartet in C major, Op 59 No. 3, 'Rasumovsky'
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Beethoven: Quartet in C major, Op 59 No. 3, 'Rasumovsky'

Try to keep up when the energy kicks in

Discovering Music - Beethoven: String Quartet No. 9 'Razumovsky'
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Discovering Music - Beethoven: String Quartet No. 9 'Razumovsky'

Stephen Johnson explores the musical language of Beethoven's third Razumovsky Quartet

Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op 70
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Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op 70

A German goes French

Dvořák: Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op 96, 'American'
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Dvořák: Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op 96, 'American'

Locomotion straight from the New York City melting pot

Record Review Podcast - Dvořák's American Quartet
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Record Review Podcast - Dvořák's American Quartet

Robert Philip makes a recommendation from the available recordings of Dvořák's American Quartet

Tchaikovsky: Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op 11
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Tchaikovsky: Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op 11

A test passed with flying colours

Janáček: String Quartet No. 1 'The Kreutzer Sonata'
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Janáček: String Quartet No. 1 'The Kreutzer Sonata'

Tolstoy's unhappy novel depicted in bittersweet sound

Record Review Podcast - Janáček's String Quartets
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Record Review Podcast - Janáček's String Quartets

Ivan Hewett with recommendations from recordings of Janáček's two string quartets

Schumann: String Quartet in A minor, Op 41, No. 1
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Schumann: String Quartet in A minor, Op 41, No. 1

Life is a rollercoaster

Ravel: String Quartet
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Ravel: String Quartet

Future sounds from a master of tomorrow

Record Review Podcast - Ravel: String Quartet in F major
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Record Review Podcast - Ravel: String Quartet in F major

Jeremy Sams recommends recordings of Ravel's String Quartet in F major

Mozart: Quartet in C major, K 465, 'Dissonance'
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Mozart: Quartet in C major, K 465, 'Dissonance'

The still modern sound of 1785

Smetana: Quartet No. 1 in E minor, 'From my life'
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Smetana: Quartet No. 1 in E minor, 'From my life'

A composer's sad story, told via viola

Berg: Quartet, Op 3
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Berg: Quartet, Op 3

A romantic Viennese whirl

Beethoven: Quartet in A minor, Op 132
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Beethoven: Quartet in A minor, Op 132

A slow movement springs to life

Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence, Op 70
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Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence, Op 70

A musical postcard from an Italian inspiration

Haydn: Quartet in B flat major, Op 76 No. 4, (Sunrise)
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Haydn: Quartet in B flat major, Op 76 No. 4, (Sunrise)

Wake up and greet the new day

Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Sz 40
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Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Sz 40

Almost like a horror movie soundtrack

Zemlinsky: Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op 4
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Zemlinsky: Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op 4

Rhythmic, folky, powerful and heroic movements

Suk: Meditation on an old Czech hymn "St Wenceslas", Op 35a
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Suk: Meditation on an old Czech hymn "St Wenceslas", Op 35a

A nostalgic melody for patriotic Czech mates

Mozart: Divertimento in D major, K 136
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Mozart: Divertimento in D major, K 136

A delicious feast of melodies

Webern: 5 Movements for string quartet
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Webern: 5 Movements for string quartet

Dare you take the challenge? The rewards are immense

Haydn: String Quartet, Op 76 No. 3, 'Emperor'
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Haydn: String Quartet, Op 76 No. 3, 'Emperor'

Light and stately, with a familiar tune

Shostakovich: Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op 83
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Shostakovich: Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op 83

Raw, uncontained emotion

Bach: The Art of Fuge: Contrapunctus I, IV and XI, BWV 1080
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Bach: The Art of Fuge: Contrapunctus I, IV and XI, BWV 1080

Unfinished and complex

Saariaho: String Quartet, 'Terra memoria'
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Saariaho: String Quartet, 'Terra memoria'

Like something from a Hitchcock film

Haydn: Quartet in E flat major, Op 33 No. 2, 'Joke'
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Haydn: Quartet in E flat major, Op 33 No. 2, 'Joke'

Its famous ending was written to win a bet

Bruch: Quintet in A minor for strings [1918], Op 84
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Bruch: Quintet in A minor for strings [1918], Op 84

Listen for the beautiful, slow melodies of the first movement

Bartók: Quartet No. 5, Sz 102
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Bartók: Quartet No. 5, Sz 102

Can you hear the frogs, insects and hooting owls in this 'night music'?

Bruckner: String Quartet in C minor, WAB 111
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Bruckner: String Quartet in C minor, WAB 111

A dramatic, passionate, lyrical gem

Beethoven: Quartet in C minor, Op 18 No. 4
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Beethoven: Quartet in C minor, Op 18 No. 4

C minor: the key of passion and frustration

Szymanowski: Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op 37
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Szymanowski: Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op 37

Four different keys at the same time... so wrong it's right

Brahms: Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op 111
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Brahms: Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op 111

Fiery, passionate and mischievous

Mendelssohn: Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op 80
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Mendelssohn: Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op 80

Created in the shadow of death, this vibrant yet tragic piece encapsulates two lives

Mahler: Piano Quartet movement in A minor
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Mahler: Piano Quartet movement in A minor

The only surviving piece of chamber music that Mahler wrote

Brahms: Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op 51 No. 2
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Brahms: Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op 51 No. 2

Music of loneliness and longing

Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet No. 2 in F minor, Op 2
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Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet No. 2 in F minor, Op 2

A minor-key rollercoaster of joyful emotion