Borodin Quartet
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Biography
Formed in the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, the Borodin Quartet reigned at the pinnacle of string ensembles throughout the 20th century and into the millennium. While named for Russian Romantic composer Alexander Borodin, they were known best for the performances and recordings of the complete cycle of violin works by Dmitri Shostakovich plus the complete Beethoven cycle. The original quartet was comprised of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, violinists Rostislav Dubinsky and Vladimir Rabei, and violist Yuri Nikolaevsky although Rostropovich was succeeded quickly by Valentin Berlinsky, who played with the group for six decades until his death at 83 in 2008. Nina Barshai took over from Rabei and Rudolf Barshai replaced Nikolaevsky soon after and there has been a succession of great string players ever since, most recently Ruben Aharonian and Sergey Lomovsky on violin, Igor Naidin on viola and Vladimir Balshin on cello. The Borodin Quartet was immediately popular in the Soviet Union, and they played at the funerals of both dictator Joseph Stalin and composer Sergei Prokofiev in 1953. Their fame extended to the West during the Cold War and later they performed at concert halls around the world. Albums flowed through the decades with recordings of not only Shostakovich and Beethoven but also Richter, Brahms, Schoenberg and Dvorák. Their releases include Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 (1958), Tchaikovsky: Quartet No. 3 (1964), Debussy - Ravel: String Quartets (1969), Debussy - Ravel: String Quartets (1988), Schubert: String Quartets (1991), Russian Miniatures (1995), Beethoven: String Quartets (2003), Borodin Quartet Performs Russian Chamber Music (2005), 60th Anniversary (2008), and Shostakovich: The Complete String Quartets - Piano Quintet (2018). Since the Borodin Quartet has been in existence for over 75 years, there have been numerous line-up changes and many former members have passed away including long-serving (1974 -2011) second violinist Andrei Abramenkov, who died on October 3, 2023, at the age of 88.
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Albums
Borodin Quartet/Mstislav Rostropovich/Genrikh Talalyan
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 2; Sextet "Souvenir de Florence"
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Various Artists
Schubert: String Quartet "Death and the Maiden" - Schumann: Piano Quintet Op. 44
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Borodin Quartet
Haydn: Die 7 letzten Worte unseres Erlosers am Kreuze (The 7 Last Words of Christ)
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Borodin Quartet
Haydn: Die 7 letzten Worte unseres Erlosers am Kreuze (The 7 Last Words of Christ)
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Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 - IV. Largo
- String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Quartetto serioso": I. Allegro con brio
- String Quartet No. 10 In E Flat Major D87: I. Allegro Moderato
- Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D Major - II. Scherzo
- Quartettsatz In C Minor D703
- String Quartet No. 13 In A Minor D804, Rosamunde': I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
- String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: III. Allegretto
- Piano Quintet in A major D.667 'The Trout': II. Andante featuring Sviatoslav Richter
- Piano Quintet in A major D.667 'The Trout': I. Allegro vivace featuring Sviatoslav Richter
- String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Quartetto Serioso": III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso
- String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132: I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro
- String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Quartetto serioso": IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
- String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132: III. Molto adagio
- String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132: IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace
- Piano Quintet in A major D.667 'The Trout': IV. Tema (Andantino) con variazioni 1-6 featuring Sviatoslav Richter
- String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132: II. Allegro ma non tanto
- String Quartet in B minor, Op. 33 No. 1: I. Allegro moderato
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 12 in D-Flat Major, Op. 133 - 2. Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Allegretto
- String Quartet No. 3: I. Andante
- String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, op. 110 4.Largo
- String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, op. 110 1.Largo
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 - 3. Allegretto
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 68 - 1. Overture (Moderato con moto)
- String Quartet No. 2 in D~Notturno by Borodin Quartet
