Two years ago I wrote about Barber’s famous Adagio for strings. Although the orchestral version is the one everyone knows, originally it was part of his string quartet in b minor, and this recording has that complete work, coupled with another of America’s greats: Charles Ives.
Ives is from around the same time as Barber, but his style is different. Where Barber is looking towards a more traditional musical style, Ives is desperately modern. His experimental music constantly puts the listener on the wrong foot, and he likes to add these small quotes from all kinds of compositions in his works. In this 2nd string quartet from 1913 he quotes from Beethoven’s Ode to joy, but also from American Dixie tunes.
The performance is by the Cleveland Quartet, and is worth a listen. Well done.