
Felix Mendelssohn
Piano Concerto No's 1 & 2
Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields
Murray Perahia piano
Neville Marnier - conducting.
Beautifully played and recorded too.
Good analysis there Seán. I found that they drive music just a little too much when I compared their performances to others in the Beethoven Quartets. That is fine in itself but not constantly as I find that constantly "driven" music can be fatiguing after a while.Seán wrote:
Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 14 in D, 'Death and the Maiden'
Takács Quartet
Well, I returned to this cd this afternoon. I cannot help but compare it to the magnificent Quartetto Italiano performance of Schubert's work. The Takács play the movements at a faster tempo, particularly in the Andante. I prefer the tone of the Quartetto's first violinist, Paolo Borciano, to his counterpart, Edward Dusinberre in the Takács. The overall Takács sound is much thinner than the Italians. Had I acquired the Takács before the Quartetto's then I might not have developed a deep interest in Schubert's quartets. In conclusion, I do like the Takács performance but I could not do without the Italians.
I honestly would have no hesitation in saying go for it Seán!Seán wrote: These Schubert recordings are my first introduction to the Kodály Quartet and I really enjoyed their sound and their music-making. The Schubert quartets make for very pleasant listening and except perhaps for the rather inane waltz in the Sixth Quartet the music is very enjoyable throughout. These performances are a very welcome addition to my collection.
This cd has me wondering about their Haydn cycle now.