Takes time to grow on you, but worth the effort
05/19/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Holmboe's quartets are somewhat different from his orchestral works. While completely tonal, they are somehow "less tonal" than the orchestral works, and lack the immediate rhytmic and melodic appeal of those larger works. This is not a complaint. While it took me numerous listens to "get" these works, "get" them I have, and with a vengeance! These are excellent works with a structure that is non-obvious but endlessly fascinating. I find that there is a great deal of open-hearted emotion in these pieces. Not that they are happy, or sad, or angry, or peaceful - they are too complex to pigeonhole into such neat compartments. The Kontra Quartet's playing is technically excellence, although their tone is a bit cold and harsh at times. If you like the quartets of Bartok, Shostakovich, or even early (pre-atonal) Schoenberg, you will likely enjoy this unique Danish composer."