|
There are a multitude of really good recordings of Bartok’s String Quartets out there, so one might ponder why this relatively new quartet would choose repertory that has been so definitively traversed over the years. Well, no need for concern – one listen to this excellent disc had me rethinking my position on just how definitive those other “definitive” versions are! The Arcanto Quartet, through this astonishingly good Harmonia mundi recording, breathes new life into these difficult pieces – I’m definitely hoping they plan to record the entire cycle.
Bartok’s six String Quartets are among the very cornerstone of twentieth century chamber music; the compositions cover a thirty-year period, with the fifth and sixth quartets coming just prior to the advent of World War II, a most difficult time in the life of Bela Bartok, when he was uprooted from his Hungarian homeland and forced to relocate to the United States. This music is full of the tension that gripped most of Europe in the years leading up to the war; however, Bartok never abandoned his sense of melody in any of his works, and his string quartets owe much to his admiration for the quartets of Beethoven.
The recording here is nothing short of superb, with an excellent soundstage presentation that places the four instruments in a very real space in front of the listener. This disc is definitely among the best and most realistic recordings of a string quartet I’ve ever heard, and really blurs the distinction between Red Book CD and SACD quality. Harmonia mundi’s production team should be congratulated, and this disc serves as an auspicious debut for the Arcanto Quartet. Very highly recommended!
Tom Gibbs - AUDIOPHILE AUDITION
|
