Madrid Conservatory String Quartets – wonderful music; wondrous playing

Here we have another wonderful string quartet which I had not encountered before – one which exemplifies supreme excellence in modern-day string quartet playing. The Seikilos Quartet was founded in 2011 within the Spanish National Youth Orchestra. The members met while students at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, and resumed playing as a group in 2018 with an emphasis on rediscovering 20th-century Spanish music. This is their second recording of Spanish music and what wonderful discoveries these 7 works are.1 All this music is new to me, as are the composers, and the sense of new discovery is invigorating.
 
But not only the music itself, perhaps even more (for me, at least) is the glorious playing of this inspiring string quartet, along with superb recorded sound from Eudora Records. The entire production is exemplary. There is a comprehensive booklet which provides useful musical and historical information, and, helpfully, the works are presented on the discs chronologically, just as they should be, including each composer’s life dates and the composition dates printed right there by each work on the track listing. Excellent! Why can’t more record labels be this thorough and logical? 
 
These works were all written within the first half of the 20th century, all “associated with” the Madrid Conservatory.2 It is fascinating to hear the progression from the earliest (1925) to the latest (1958) in tonality, harmonic expansion, and freedom of creativity. And most interesting of all, each work is completely unique and different from the others. These composers were certainly not being taught to follow a certain mold – an idiomatic “authenticity” or formulaic sound the conservatory wanted its graduates to produce. Rather, each composer was obviously motivated to be true to themselves and create music from the very essence of their souls. The works presented on this album display this quality everywhere – music which is not only original and musically rewarding, but emotionally involving, straight from the heart. And what an impact it makes on the listener. I’ll say straight away that I loved all this music – though some of it more than others, of course, which I will get into as we go.

Fernando Remacha belonged to Madrid’s so-called “Group of Eight” (along with 2 others represented in this collection), who were exponents of the modern Spanish school. His String Quartet of 1925 is the earliest work on this program and sounds surprisingly “modern” for the time, with lots of Ravel (in harmony) and Stravinsky (in rhythm). An energetic, rhythmically insistent opening Allegro leads to a lyrical, yet tonally exploratory Andante, and concludes with a rhythmically spiky, very Stravinskian Allegro vivace. Yet even here, there is an attractive, if quirky, lyricism to it, again with elements of Ravel in harmony and texture. It’s a charming piece, not too long (about 15 minutes), which gets the program off to a great start.  
 
Next we move ahead 4 years for Maria de Pablos’ only string quartet, her Sonata Romantica of 1929. All hints of Stravinsky are gone, replaced with a freely rhapsodic, singing expressiveness which is positively enchanting. Written in Rome, there is a soaring, almost operatic quality characteristic of Italy during this period. Yet there is an alluring harmonic expansiveness which is almost impressionistic in its transparency, occasionally bringing to mind Scriabin and even Debussy. There is a passage of dramatic passion from the cello in the central section of the 1st movement, again reminding me of Italy more than Spain. And it is in this opening movement that the playing of the Seikilos Quartet begins to make an overwhelming emotional impact as they bring this music soaring heavenward with rich tonal colors and expressive singing lines, propelled by free-flowing rubato of tempo. Oh my goodness; I am taken aback at hearing such wonderful music played by such a wonderful string quartet.
 
And that feeling persists in the beautiful, though yearning Appassionato 2nd movement, leading to a somewhat serious, yet simple Menuetto 3rd, and ending with a brief Adagio to start the 4th, which soon gives way to a more substantial Allegro con fuoco – which, even here, is imbued with a rather operatic lyricism. I absolutely loved this piece, and it’s a pity de Pablos didn’t go on to write another string quartet at some point during her long career. (She lived until 1990.)
 
Now comes something a bit different – a slighter, less substantial piece from 1930 which doesn’t quite live up to the exalted levels of creativity of the others in this collection – the 1st Quartet by another member of “the Eight”, Salvador Bacarisse. This becomes imminently apparent in the opening Allegro, which, simply put, is little more than a series of scales chasing one another up and down, almost trying to be a fugue, but sounding rather like school children playing a game. It’s very short (under 2 minutes) and is rather amusing in its brevity. There is a much more interesting Allegretto, where the scales are compressed and condensed into short ostinati; while the 3rd movement is an Andante which curiously doesn’t sound like one, with its extensive use of pizzicato under a deliriously singing 1st violin, soon in duet with the viola. The finale starts out sounding a bit like musicians just warming up, until scalic figures take over once again, rising ever higher and higher, with ultimately nowhere musically to go. This “quasi cadenza” leads to a rather somber chorale (oddly indicated as Allegro ma non troppo) where more scales predominate over substantive musical creation.
 
This is a rather peculiar piece, memorable for its simplistic conception. But one continues to admire the Seikilos Quartet for making the absolute most of it. They almost succeed in making it more than it is.
 
The final work on Disc One is much more substantive and substantial, playing for well over 30 minutes. Jose Munoz Molleda’s 1st Quartet comes from 1934, and for the first time thus far in the program sounds distinctly and unmistakably Spanish – harmonically and rhythmically (especially in the outer movements); though interestingly, it too was written in Rome at the Spanish Academy. The booklet tells us that Rodrigo noted the piece “exemplified the excessive weight of Turina’s influence”. I don’t hear it that way, but what do I know?! Right off in the opening Animato con brio, one can hear an Italian fervor underlying the Spanish flavor – an attractive combination of rich harmonies and melodies propelled by distinctive Spanish rhythms. The Adagio is ravishingly expressive, especially as played here with ravishing con sordino by this fine quartet. They keep the music moving, free-flowing along; never heavy; always singing. This is 10 minutes of sheer ecstasy interspersed with moments of Italianate passion.
 
The Scherzando immediately introduces a rhythmic vitality, playful and dancing, but with a bit of gravitas in its lyricism at the same time. There is even some atmospheric allure reminiscent of Ravel, and even more of de Falla. The presto finale is fleet, propelled by more Spanish dance rhythms. It certainly doesn’t sound weighed down with any “excessive” influence of anything. I actually hear more of the enticing, balletic soundworld of de Falla more than any other, making this music sound at once new and vaguely familiar in a most satisfying way. And ever-present is the glorious singing of this group’s 1st violinist, which is a constant pleasure to hear. Ah, the glory of it! And at last, in the final few bars, Molleda allows the Major tonality to emerge from the lengthy stretches of Minor, and the piece ends with a surprising, and most unexpected, blues chord! How cool is that!
 
Now for Disc Two – and we’re in for a change. While the 1st work continues the harmoniously pleasing sound heard on Disc One, the final two jump markedly forward in time – literally – becoming atonal and less instantly gratifying.
 
But first – one of the highlights of the entire set, the glorious String Quartet by Jesus Garcia Leoz. It was written in 1936, though it had to wait another 10+ years for its premier performance, where it was described of (again) having “embraced Turina’s influence”. And none the worse for that! An absolutely gorgeous Lento at the beginning leads to an Allegro moderato rich in impressionism, enriched in romanticism with only a subtle Spanish flavor, enhanced by rich singing lines (at which this group certainly excels). Tonal, yes, but expanding the harmonic boundaries, making this rather unique among its peers (at least thus far). This first movement is expansive and sophisticated, lasting a full 10 minutes. It is absolutely enthralling, and that 10 minutes was over before I even realized it. The Nocturno which follows, con sordino, is disarming – achingly heartfelt and a touch melancholy, sounding quite contemporary, bringing Ravel to mind more than any other. This group brings out so much emotion and tonal beauty in it, it is a truly moving experience – intimate and tenderly passionate. 
 
The Scherzo is a light vivo, with the main theme tossed around effortlessly among individual players. It makes a terrific contrast to the previous 2 movements, before a grazioso Rondo continues, quicker than the vivo, with the 1st violin taking the lead over effervescent pizzicato from the rest. It becomes a jaunty little dance to conclude the work, though Ravel once again comes to mind before it’s done. This is undeniably an absolutely marvelous piece of music. Sadly, Leoz died at the age of 49, just 6 years after the premier of this work. I was surprised to learn that he wrote a lot of film scores throughout his life, about 30 in all, for which he is most remembered. How I wish we would have composed another string quartet before his untimely death.
 
Now we jump ahead 20 years to 1957, where Angel Martin Pompey illustrates irrefutably how times have changed. His 5th String Quartet is much more modern, with questionable tonality and touches of interesting string effects sprinkled about. Here we are entering the harmonic soundworld of Dutilleux and, even more, Bartok. The piece has been described as possessing a “harsh atonal language” which is immediately apparent. Though it’s not really the lack of tonality which strikes me so much as its lack of alluring melodiousness so prevalent in the previous works. The very long 1st movement seems to meander along aimlessly, going on for 10 minutes, which is a bit of a challenge to get through. The molto Moderato which follows is instantly more compelling, marching along with a persistent rhythmic pulse. And though it gets more modern still, there are lots of pizzicato and spiccato, interspersed with sul pont and glissandi here and there, which I found intriguing, even playful at times in its originality and subtle incorporation of musical string effects.
 
The Andante is more lyrical, but somewhat desolate, with a lonely solo viola announcing the main theme before the full group stretches it to dissonant atonality. But even here, the sweetly singing lines of (especially) the 1st violin make it not too unpleasant – though it, like the 1st movement, is a bit too long for its material. But the final Allegretto is spikier, with more hints of Bartok and even Webern. But I must add, after all the work’s determined atonality and deliberate avoidance of harmoniousness, I could have done without the sudden C-Major chord emerging out of nowhere at the end – smiling at us as if apologizing for all the rest of it. I suppose since Pompey amusingly labeled the piece as “in C Major”, he had to introduce it somewhere. Taken on its own, I might have enjoyed this Quartet more, but coming immediately after such beautifully expressive music in the previous works, it’s rather incongruous and comes as a stark contrast.
 
Finally, the program concludes with Julian Bautista’s 3rd Quartet of 1958. It is also quite modern – fully atonal and rhythmically propelled. After a brief introduction, the Allegro giusto is even more Bartokian in sound than Pompey’s. This was written 20 years after Bartok’s 6th (and final) Quartet, and may actually come closer to Ligeti’s 1st of 1954, which itself has been described as kind of a “Bartok’s 7th”. The ensuing Lento, then, is reminiscent more of Shostakovich in its utter desolation. It goes on for a very long 10 minutes, but the atmosphere created by this fine group is rather hard to escape from, especially with such expressive playing even here. I couldn’t stop listening to this, especially as Bartok makes another very strong appearance at about the 6-minute mark (his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, specifically). The final Allegro molto deciso is energetic and a bit jagged (often barely at a whisper, but a flurry of activity nonetheless); again very Bartokian. It grows in intensity, until ultimately becoming a bit like horror movie music before it’s over – which I actually liked.
 
Now some final words about the production and this collection of music. These discs are multi-channel/hybrid SACDs (which I admit is what initially drew my attention to this set), and the recorded sound is exceptionally good. Disc One plays for an astonishing 83+ minutes (!); Disc Two hardly less so at nearly 82. That all of this music is so distinctive, memorable and musically rewarding is equally astonishing. The booklet tells us it was all recorded in just 3 sessions over a period of 3 months in late 2024/25 – which, in addition to learning it all, is an amazing feat from this amazing group. I am overwhelmingly impressed! I’ve already listened to this collection in its entirety twice and never grew tired of it. As a matter of fact, I find myself craving more of it, and sincerely hope this team will record a second installment.
 
1 The first is of a string quartet by Conrado del Campo, with whom several composers on this new album studied.
2 i.e. composed either by students or alumni from there, or by those studying with professors from there. Two composers were actually students at the Spanish Academy in Rome. And of course, all of it is played here by musicians who themselves were students in Madrid.