Listening to the Tetzlaff Quartett’s op. 130/133 before the Chiaroscuro Quartet’s new recording (without the great fugue) later today. I love the Tetzlaffs’ attention to detail and very high standard of execution - one of the most beautiful performances I know, but not the most moving.
Cheers
EJ
I have complete LP sets by the Italian Quartet (Philips) and the Amadeus (DGG).
To my ears, the Italians are much more involving. Their playing is better than the Vegh Quartet, which I have on CD only, completely spoiled by Sandor Vegh sniffing, caught in great detail by the engineers, like an extra (fifty) part for obbligato nose flute!
I grew up with the Quartetto Italiano’s recordings of Beethoven and Mozart and have them on CD but if I’m honest I’ve found them too reticent and civilized as time passed. Better than the Amadeus for sure but I’ve grown to love the Alban Berg (who did for string quartets what Pollini did for pianism) more, and from there, the Emerson, Takacs, Casals and Ébène quartets, amongst others (the Casals especially). The Chiaroscuro, currently three discs into their planned cycle, are taking them into a new and very exciting direction.
Cheers
EJ
Emerson and Takacs are great live, too!
Wanted to go hear Tetzlaff Quartett at Musikgebouw but alas, all the good seats were taken!
Do you know anything about Jerusalem Quartet?
The entire disc is great but has anyone ever done a better opening to Schumann’s first sonata than Angela Hewitt?
Cheers
EJ
I haven’t heard everything but their Dvorak and Bartok are excellent. I have their recording of Beethoven’s op. 18 and need to give it a listen.
On Dvorak - the Takacs in their new formation recorded an outstanding op. 106, really worth hearing.
Cheers
EJ
I wonder if you have that opus number wrong? Beethoven’ Opus 106 is the mighty ‘Hammerlavier’ sonata.
I have the Quartetto Italiano, Emersons, Vegh, Takacs, and Tokyo (on Harmonia Mundi SACD). I also have the middle and late quartets by ABQ and the early quartets by the Smithson string quartet (my first “cycle” bought before complete cycles CD box sets were few and far between, if they existed at all).
ABQ/Smithson gets the most listens, but if I want to hear beautiful sound, it’s the Tokyo SQ. Among the best sounding recordings I own. Maybe the best sounding string quartet recording.
No; Dvorak’s op. 106…
Their autumnal, warm sound was a bit of their stock in trade in their last decade, wasn’t it? I don’t know a single performance by the Tokyo, in their Harmonia Mundi years, that sounded less than fantastic. I have the Beethoven cycle, too (their third?) - with an SACD player how could I not?
On string quartets, allow me to give a shout out for the upcoming 2024 edition (the fourth already) of the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, which will take place from 27 January through 3 February in Muziekgebouw aan het IJ in Amsterdam.
Melnikov’s second recording of the Schumann quintet and quartet, this one is very different from his first with the Jerusalem Quartet. Every note and bar have been carefully weighed, all musicians are on equal footing, and the overal approach is more gentle than usual, helped by the detailed, close recording.
Cheers
EJ
About twenty or thirty years ago it was possible to buy CDs of Lovro von Mataçic conducting the Czech Philharmonic in really ‘echt’ performances of Mahler’s First and Fourth Symphonies, with really dodgy Eastern European brass playing, originally recorded in the mid-1960s. I have the CDs, but I’ve always hoped that some enterprising label would do a decent job of remastering the recordings, and issue them on LP.
I don’t suppose that this is ever likely to happen now.
Thanks EJ.
I booked the tickets to see them perform Smetana/Shosty and Beethoven at Musikgebouw next month. 
I bet it sounds good too! ( Pentatone )
Very nice, at the biennale! The Leonkoro, Doric, Belcea and Danish are also signed up - should be a fun week. I’ll see if I can get a few tickets, too.
Cheers
EJ
Christiane Karg’s Christmas album from 2021 is more art song than collection of carols (although these are also included) and all the better for it. As Christmas albums go, I’d rate this almost at the level of Von Otter’s Home for Christmas and higher than Diana Damrau or Lise Davidsen. Jessye Norman continues to reign supreme!
Cheers
EJ
Thank you putting a spotlight on this recording as I have been listening to it since it came out on Qobuz and I really love it!
