Recommendations for String Quartets

Bert

There are many directions to go.

What do you like now for instance?

I like to listen to more modern french quartets like Quatuor Modigliani, Quatuor Ebene or the Spanish Quarteto Casals.

Other modern favourites are Jerusalem Quartet, Arcanto or e.g. the Doric Quartet with their Schumann disc I like very much. Mandelring Quartet I also like very much with the Shostakovich and Mendelssohn cycles.

I'm personally not very fond of the older quartets or some of the more famous american or japanese quartets. But it's all very personal and their are so many to choose from.

Cheers

Aleg

Aleg,

Thanks for the input so far. I have been exposed to the Haydn and Mozart Quartets and the Beethoven Quartets and some things from  Schubert. Haydn I like a lot, Mozart also nice to hear.... Beethoven a bit less.

Execution by Tokyo, Los Angeles and Hagen String Quartet....

So I am looking at suggestion outside of this space...

You could try the Debussy and Ravel quartets, along with the Shostakovich and Bartok quartets. Lots to like there, and you certainly should try the Mendelssohn quartets also.

BBM

Bert

I misunderstood your question .

I thought you were looking for musicians, but I understand you are looking for music?

Mozart, Haydn, Ravel, Debussy, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Dvorak, Haas, Arriaga

Just a short list of recommendations that come to mind and that could keep you occupied for years.

Cheers

Aleg

Bert,

I find it hard to give general recommendations... the Angeles Quartet's cycle of Haydn sonatas, which you already have, is a rare example of a consistently fine set (by a group that was brought together specifically for this recording, no less). In Beethoven, I love the old recordings by the Alban Berg Quartett and the Quartetto Italiano. A recent recording by the Belcea Quartet, whose Schubert I find wonderful, of the Beethoven quartets didn't do anything for me. The Hagen Quartett, who are generally hard driven, have done some great and bad Beethoven, pretty uninspired Schubert, some great Mozart and also some lousy Mozart... I've heard the Jerusalem Quartet and found them glossy to a fault, but they can certainly surprise as well. The Emerson Quartet, long DG's star quartet, have done some amazing Sibelius and Grieg, near the top of my list of quartet recordings. The only quartet I have trusted without question, was the Tokyo after Clive Greensmith and Martin Beaver had joined the team.

Cheers,

EJ

This recording of the Ravel and Debussy quartets is outstanding ... I can't get enough of it! My highest recommendation.

Perhaps my favourtie quartet box-set ...maybe.

Highly recommendable to those who like Shosta.

But there is a need to find it for sale at sensible money,

it's presently far too expensive on amazon.

Debs

For some great String Quartets outside this space,

Bela Bartok, Tokyo String Quartet, Deutsche Grammophon.

Dmitri Shostakovich, Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Decca

Gyorgi Ligeti, Parker Quartet

Elliot Carter, Pacifica Quartet

Debs

just take a look at mdt 

http://www.mdt.co.uk/shostakov...t-melodiya-6cds.html

the 6 cd  Melodiya set for just over £24.

Don't look at those silly people on Amazon who try to rip you off.

cheers 

Aleg

Aleg,

i purchased my box-set a few years ago when the price was a bargain £17 : )

MDT is okay but they seem to have a habbit of advertising stuff they don't have in stock and can't supply.

They just cancelled my order for the complete Beethoven Trios by Guarneri Trio Prague. They say it's a discontinued product : /

It's on my wish-list for now.

Debs

maybe I got the last one of the Guarneri boxes, because I received it from MDT just last Friday.

and I guess you are right they don't keep stock of all CD's themselves but order from the distributor, and than you can be unlucky if stock just ran out.

I never had the experience of missing out on CD's with MDT.

but with them at £25, the Melodiya set is far more reasonably priced than the £65-£70 on Amazon.

Cheers

Aleg

This is the Shostakovich String Quartet recording to have. I have it on both CD and even better the original Decca 7 LP box set. It is just fantastic. The Penguin gave it a Rosetta too.

It's at Amazon (US or UK).

One of my favourite records.  Excellent performance superbly recorded - also available on CD.  If you still listen to vinyl then the WB original is pricey but the AoD is probably just as good for less than a tenner.  There's also a nice Speakers Corner 180gm reissue.

On Vinyl. 

That would be a neat trick on two counts, for Horowitz to play a Scarlatti String Quartet. 

There are three CD sets by the Tacaks Quartet, of the early, middle and late quartets by Beethoven, which are really stunning. Highly recommended.