Arditti String Quartet - Mauricio Kagel: String Quartet I, II, III (1997)

The Arditti Quartet gives ebullient performances of enfant terrible Mauricio Kagel's first three quartets--or is it two? Always rocking the boat, Kagel titles his first quartet(s) Streichquartett I/II (1965-67). Here he explores noise as the bridgework between I and II. The Ardittis separate the double quartet with a short piece (1985) for piccolo and string quartet. The third quartet (1987) fills half of the CD. Kagel embraces tradition through a plethora of radical musings. Rather than bludgeoning tradition with noise, he teases, exploits, pushes, and ultimately extends it, using the standard sound palette throughout. This exploration of structure, speech imitation, melody, harmony, and rhythm will reward many listenings. -- Robert Reigle