Reinhold Glière - String Quartet No. 4, Op. 83 (1943)

Reinhold Moritzevich Glière (Russian: Рейнгольд Морицевич Глиэр, Ukrainian: Ре́йнгольд Мо́ріцевич Гліер / Reingol'd Moritsevich Glier; born Reinhold Ernest Glier, which was later converted for standardization purposes; 11 January 1875 [O.S. 30 December 1874] - 23 June 1956), was a composer in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, of German and Polish descent.
String Quartet No. 4 in f minor, Op. 83 (1943)
Dedicated to the "Beethoven Quartet" Dmitry Tsyganov (first violin)
Vassily Shirinsky (second violin), Vadim Borisovsky (viola), Sergei Shirinsky (cello))
1. Allegro moderato
2. Vivace (8:51)
3. Andante with 10 variations (12:58)
4. Allegro (22:29)
Beethoven Quartet
Description by Theodore Servin [-]
Reinhold Glière's String Quartet No. 4 in F minor was composed in 1943, 16 years after his 3rd quartet in D minor, and well into the Second World War. It was dedicated to the Beethoven Quartet, the famous Soviet ensemble, and it was awarded a Stalin prize in 1948 (he won 3 Stalin Prizes in his lifetime). It is a deeply romantic work, reminiscent of the 2nd quartet in G minor in terms of character and polyphonic texture; however, this quartet has more agitation and drama than the 2nd, and provides for an intense listening experience.
The opening movement, Allegro moderato, begins with a melancholic and Russian-sounding theme, which quickly becomes agitated. Soon after, a second, lyrical theme appears in D-flat major. The development is filled with intense but clear polyphony, leading to a very satisfying recapitulation; movement ends with a short, but ominous coda based on the first theme.
The second movement, a Vivace in B-flat major, is also very Russian in character, in a pleasant 3/8 meter. The trio in D major in a 2/8 meter has a similar character, but with muted strings, and interspersed with more lyrical lines.
The third movement, an Andante in D minor, is a deeply elegiac one, and is set as a theme with 10 variations. At times tragic, other times light, and still other times deeply tender, this movement is a truly gorgeous work of art.
The finale, an Allegro, begins with an intense and pointed fugato, before introducing a beautiful and heartfelt second theme. The piece is then transits into a dramatic and at times dissonant development, filled with fugue-like moments. The quartet ends with a vigorous and devilish coda, with fast-paced harmonic changes and sharp chords.
As with all of Glière's string quartets, the 4th is an extremely well-crafted work, deeply rooted in Russian romanticism, with a very human and deeply felt character, and it takes the listener on a beautiful and emotional roller-coaster. It is a masterpiece of late romantic chamber music, a relic from another world which managed to find itself in mid-twentieth-century Soviet Russia, and it deserves to be frequently performed by modern string quartet ensembles.

[@TheodoreServin]

Awesome! I'm really happy to see the complete Gliere quartet series in score video format! Thank you for your hard work, and for using my description!

[@benlindsay6012]

According to Cobbett, this quartet was Glière's only important chamber work after the beginning of the Soviet era. Glière was fascinated by clear melodic lines and complex polyphonic structures. This quartet strikes by its peremptory optimism of musical texture and by virtuosity of the instrumentation, which Glière mastered using complex techniques.

[@ThreadBomb]

So Gliere's 3rd quartet (1927) wasn't important?

[@Cesar_SM]

Just I was wondering if you had this quartet. I enjoyed the rigurous No. 3 a great deal. Thanks for sharing!