大象传媒

Erik Levi chooses his favourite recording of Leo拧 Jan谩膷ek's String Quartet No 1 'Kreutzer Sonata'

Composed in only nine days in 1923, Jan谩膷ek's compact, emotionally supercharged String Quartet No 1 takes its title from Leo Tolstoy鈥檚 1889 novella where a wife and her violinist lover play Beethoven鈥檚 'Kreutzer' Sonata together before the jealous husband murders his adulterous wife. Jan谩膷ek's music roils with the conflicted passions of tormented love, desire and jealously of Tolstoy's story. But there was emotional turmoil in Jan谩膷ek's life, too. Long-fed up with his wife, in 1915 Jan谩膷ek had fallen deeply in love with Kamila St枚sslov谩 who, happily married and 40 years his junior, made sure that Jan谩膷ek's love remained unrequited. And if that was unfortunate for Jan谩膷ek, it was surely lucky for us as he poured his feelings for St枚sslov谩 into music which blazes with a truly exceptional emotional intensity.