Today, we will conclude our overview of Italian string quartets around the Second World War with final two quartets by Gian Francesco Malipiero, paired with two by Giacinto Scelsi. The contrast between the music of these composers is striking: Malipiero sought new paths within tradition, while Scelsi preferred to break away from tradition, exploring a completely new orientation, even reaching into the Far East.
Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) – String Quartet no.7 (1950)
Performed by: Quartetto di Venezia
CD: Dynamic
Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988) – String Quartet no.3 (1963)
Con grande tenerezza, dolcissimo, 2. Il richiamo dello spirito: dualismo, ambivalenza, conflitto drammatico, 3. L’anima si risveglia, 4. E cade di nuovo nel pathos, ma adesso presentiment della liberazione, con tristeza, 5. Liberazione, catarsi
Performed by: Arditti Quartet
CD: Stradivarius
Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) – String Quartet no.8, ‘Per Elisabetta’ (1964)
Performed by: Quartetto di Venezia
CD: Dynamic
Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988) – String Quartet no.4 (1964)
Performed by: Arditti Quartet
CD: Stradivarius
