Notes and Editorial Reviews
MOZART
The String Quintets
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Qrt Stradivari; Karine Lethiec (va)
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DYNAMIC 495 (3 CDs: 176:39)
For years, I have been satisfied with the 1940s recordings of these great works by the Budapest Quartet with either Milton Katims or Walter Trampler on second viola and with the almost equally elegant recordings from the 1970s led by Arthur Grumiaux. More recently, I’ve been listening to the slightly grittier Music & Arts reissues of 1974 recordings by the Fine Arts Quartet. These new recordings by the Stradivari
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Quartet belong in that elite company. Their sound is dark and full, their dynamics broad. Thanks to a more recent recording, perhaps, they sound more full-bodied than either the Grumiaux or the Budapest recordings. The parts are more clearly differentiated too. They have style, verve, and considerable sensitivity. I like the sweep of the opening movement of the G-Minor Quintet, which is slightly less intense than the Budapest recording, but so beautifully played one wishes it went on longer. There are no stylistic ticks here. This is richly played, beautifully recorded Mozart anyone should be glad to hear.
FANFARE: Michael Ullman
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