Schoenberg: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 3, Opp. 7 & 30

More than 20 years separate Schoenberg’s First (1904-5) and Third (1927) quartets. It was a time of great upheaval, both globally and for the composer, with the development of serial techniques of composition. Not surprisingly, these two works have very different profiles, but on this recording, played with fervour and palpable passion, they share a distinctive voice. The First, romantic and energised, is superbly played, as is the Third, which embraces serialism while remaining surprisingly lyrical. For anyone interested in music of the early decades of the last century, this is a must-listen, and a fine completion of the Gringolts’ Schoenberg quartet cycle.