"I may skip. I may even warp a little.... But I will never, ever crash. I am your friend for life. " -Vinyl. Luxmann PD-151 TT, Hana ML cart, Parasound JC3 Jr, Stax LR-700, Mjolnir Audio KGST, Quad Artera Play+ CDP
Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 14, D 810 "Death and the Maiden"
Quartetto Italiano
I know that I have mentioned this cd before but I mention it again because I listen to it every day, the performance by the Italians is quite magnificent. The indivdual and group playing is such that at times the quaret sounds like one instrument and not four and the Andante in particular is "out of this world". Yes, I like it. This is my personal find of 2011.
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
Johannes Brahms
String Quintet in F, Op 88
String Quintet in G, Op. 111
Amadeus Quartet with Cecil Aronowitz (viola)
After the high of listening to Schubert I relaxed into these two quintets by the Amadeus with Aronowitz and they are hugely enjoyable readings of these works.
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
I bought this set on the basis of research that I had done telling me that Jansons’ version of Symphony No. 1 was well recommended. There was great drive, bite, drama and emotion in the performance....yes I was quite impressed. No. 3 was also very fine and Finlandia was a particularly powerful and red blooded version.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra