Search - Ernst Toch, Buchberger Quartett :: Ernst Toch: String Quartets 11 & 13

Ernst Toch's life (1887-1964) was split between Germany, where the advent of the Nazis drove him into exile, and California, where he taught, wrote for films, and composed important, if neglected, serious music. CPO's survey of Toch's string quartets (eight of the 13 survive) begins with one from each part of his career. The Quartet No. 11 was commissioned by Hindemith for a 1924 chamber festival, where it had a well-deserved success. The opening movements are immediately engrossing, with attractive melodies and rhythmic vitality. The Adagio is reminiscent of the slow movements in Bartók's quartet and the finale is full of driving energy. The 13th Quartet dates from 1953, during Toch's Indian Summer burst of creative energy. Unlike his other works, it dabbles in the 12-tone style, but the result is emotionally satisfying and sounds much like his other music. Its fuguelike introduction immediately captivates, and even the slow movement, which more closely follows the rigid precepts of 12-tone theorists, comes off as an expressive, moving piece. The Buchberger Quartet's committed interpretations seal a high recommendation. --Dan Davis