Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartets 1 & 2

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Gabrieli String Quartet, John Georgiadis, Keith Harvey, Ian Jewel, Brendan O'Reilly

2. String Quartet No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 12
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Gabrieli String Quartet, John Georgiadis, Keith Harvey, Ian Jewel, Brendan O'Reilly

Tracks:

I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace
II. Adagio Non Lento
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto Con Moto
IV. Presto
A Tempo Ordinario
I. Adaigo Non Troppo - Allegro Non Tardante
II. Canzonetta: Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo
IV. Molto Allegro E Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Assai Appassionato
II. Scherzo: Allegro Di Molto
III. Andante
IV. Presto Agitato
I. Allegro Vivace
II. Scherzo: Assai Leggiero Vivace
III. Adagio Non Troppo
IV. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

I. Molto Allegro Vivace
II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo Ma Con Moto
IV. Presto Con Brio
Andante con Moto - Allegro Fugato, Assai Vivace
I. Allegro Vivace Assai
II. Allegro Assai
III. Adagio
IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Leggiero

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato, Ma Con Fuoco
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro Leggierissimo
IV. Presto
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Non Troppo
III. Minuetto
IV. Fuga

Amazon.com

Trust the Emerson Quartet to do nothing by halves. This 4-CD set presents all of Mendelssohn's quartets, including one written at 14, the five pieces Op. 81, as well as the Octet. This set should disprove the assertion that Mendelssohn, a sensational prodigy, blossomed young and never developed further. The difference in compositional skill and emotional depth between the early and late quartets is unmistakable; the miracle is that he could write the Octet at 16. The quartets are of uneven quality: Op. 44 No. 3 is distinctly inferior to the more-familiar Nos. 1 and 2; of the two Fugues Op. 81, the later one is far better. The quartets Op. 12 and 13 (written in reverse order) pay homage to Beethoven in Mendelssohn's very own romantic voice. Op. 80 is masterful although perhaps less disciplined: written just after his beloved sister Fanny's death and shortly before his own, it is a turbulent, heart-rending outcry of anguish. Some of the most-magical moments occur in the inimitable Scherzi and Intermezzi. The performances are vintage Emerson: impeccable individually and together, beautiful in sound, clear, carefully worked out. Although generally a little cool, they can rise to considerable warmth and passion. Not surprisingly, the best pieces elicit the most involved, exciting playing. As always, the violinists switch parts, but the whole group also alternates old Italian and modern American instruments, for the players have a surprise in store: they give the Octet a new twist by "doubling" on all eight parts through a complicated process of over-dubbing (a documentary video of the recording process is included). Here, using the different instruments is intended to combine the old and the new and to give the voices more-distinct timbres. However, the differences throughout are imperceptible. The idea of playing the Octet with themselves, so to speak, is intriguing, but the result is disappointing. Hearing four rather than eight individual voices is disconcerting, and worse, the balance is completely awry, especially in the corner movements. The busy tremolo accompaniment makes the middle register thick and heavy, the tone gets rough, important lines are obscured, and the Quartet's customary admirable textural transparency is lost. And even a cellist as splendid as David Finckel cannot save the opening of the Fugue from sounding like a growl. This may be a triumph of recording technology, but it adds nothing to the music or the performance. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

First Rate Performances.......2006-09-18

This is a series of first rate performances by the outstanding Emerson String Quartet. They include all the Mendelssohn quartets, including rarely heard juvenile work, and as a bonus, the very enjoyable Octet. This is a good deal of lovely music. The Mendelssohn quartets, however, are generally excellent as opposed to outstanding chamber music. Well worth owning and listening to but a step below the pinnacles of the chamber literature.

Fantastic.......2006-07-01

I never have cared much for Mendelssohn, nor have I cared much for String Quartets, but after listening to the Emerson String Quartet's Shostakovich cycle and finding that I enjoyed it immensely, I undertook listening to the Mendelssohn cycle.

In the privacy of my living room, on several occasions I stood up and cheered! Absolutely magnificent. Enough said.

Highly recommended.

Beautiful Performances.......2005-09-10

Mendelssohn's string quartets are very appealing, tuneful works that engage the listener completely. Chamber music was an important part of Mendelssohn's output and one does not gain a full picture of his growth as a composer by only being familiar with his orchestral works. This 4-CD set by the Emerson String Quartet brilliantly explores not only the six numbered quartets but includes the shorter Op. 81 works (published after Mendelssohn's death), the student quartet (written when the composer was 14) and the stunning Octet for strings.

Naturally, the early quartets (written in 1827 and 1829 but published in reverse order in 1830) reflect the influence of other composers, most notably Beethoven. The movements of these quartets were linked by thematic ideas. The quartet in A minor uses Mendelssohn's song Frage (Question) as the musical link. The quartet in E-Flat (Op. 12) was composed during Mendelssohn's trip to the British Isles, which also inspired his Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture.

When Mendelssohn next turned to the form he was the director of the Gewandhaus and a famous composer. The composition of the three quartets Op. 44 (number 3, 4 and 5) occurred after his marriage to Cecile Jeanrenaud in 1837 and were composed during his two month long honeymoon. These quartets reflect the composer's maturity and accessible style. The sixth quartet was published after Mendelssohn's death and was written following the sudden death of his sister Fanny in May 1847. It follows that the quartet is darker than the others and is agitated and dissonant in tone; the first movement begins with dark tones from the cello then proceeds with a beautiful melody punctuated with tremolos. The scherzo is characterized by an unusual tempo that has a frantic quality to it. The Adagio allows Mendelssohn to fully express his grief and the Finale has the syncopated rhythm of the scherzo.

The five pieces collected as Op. 81 contain what probably are two movements for an unfinished quartet - a Theme and Variations in E major and Scherzo in A minor. It was reported by the composer Ignaz Moschelles that Mendelssohn was at work on a new string quartet before his death and of these two pieces the Theme and Variations is closest to the description of the work. The earliest of Mendelssohn's quartets appears last on the CDs and is a pleasant work written under the influence of Mozart and Haydn.
The Octet receives a marvelous performance with the Emerson playing all of the parts with each member playing different instruments and seated in different positions during the recording sessions.

The performances are impeccable with beautiful and clear sound. I purchased the set anticipating a performance of three of the quartets by the Emerson. As I have listened to the set the warmth and sensitivity of the playing makes this the Mendelssohn quartets to own. I have only become interested in chamber music in recent years and Mendelssohn was a natural choice for me because of his gift of melody. I think this music would appeal to someone getting to know chamber music.

LIKE WATER FROM A PUBLIC FOUNTAIN.......2005-05-12

That was Wagner's dismissive description of the music of Mendelssohn. In the later 19th century there was a critical reaction against both of the great Germans who had dominated English music for a century and a half overall, Handel and Mendelssohn. As is usual with such debunking, much of it was trivial and petulant. However Handel has recovered strongly over the last 50 years and by now is probably almost as familiar as Bach is, whereas Mendelssohn has not. The popular favourites among his compositions have never ceased to be that, but opportunities to hear most of his chamber music and songs are still rare. I am myself in the happy position of having attended two years ago a festival dedicated to those sides of his output, and consequently I know the works on this distinguished set fairly well.

The performers are the Emerson Quartet, and the quality of their work is well known. In every imaginable respect it is superlatively good. Technically these accounts are flawless, and in terms of comprehension of the music and insight into the spirit of the composer I prefer to learn from them rather than to pass otiose comment. There are 7 complete quartets here, plus 5 isolated movements. Being moderately familiar with the music I would advise newcomers that the approach taken throughout is `normal' in the best sense and free from idiosyncrasies - if you are looking for `model' performances of these works this would be where to look. Mendelssohn's tempo markings, unlike those of greater composers such as Beethoven Schubert and Brahms, are almost invariably clear and unambiguous. In the one case where a bit of interpretation is called for, the central two movements of the D major quartet op44/1, I am convinced and delighted by the solution adopted. The Emersons take the minuet slowly and the following `andante con moto' at a very flowing pace, almost like an andante in Handel, so that the minuet seems like the slow movement and the andante like an intermezzo in moderate tempo.

I love Mendelssohn and I love these quartets. However I can't get it out of my mind that Wagner had a bit of a point. Shaw complains of Mendelssohn's `kid-glove gentility' and he is uncomfortably near the bone. Mendelssohn is truly unique, and what he does best he does better than anybody. At the age of 16 or 17 he turned out the octet, the rondo capriccioso for piano and the Midsummer Night's Dream overture, all of them truly astounding. However by age 20 he was only one precocious prodigy among a larger number who had caught up by then and went on to surpass him. There is a definite sense of development as between the quartet he wrote at age 14 (contemporary with the string symphonies, which I commend strongly to those unfamiliar with them) where the unmistakable personal idiom has not yet quite emerged and the op12/13 quartets and then the op44's and later in which it has. However it's development within a narrow range of expression, and his early death means we can never know whether he had it in him to raise his game drastically, as Wagner and Verdi so spectacularly did when older than Mendelssohn lived to be.

The Emersons have also taken it into their heads to record the octet played by themselves only. People with their amount of talent must be tempted to such brilliant but completely dotty schemes at times. There is an enthusiastic contribution to the liner-note by Eugene Drucker, and the disc will run on a pc to show the process of recording. I can confirm that it actually does this, but I have no sound-card nor any wish for one, so all I can attest is the visual aspect, and only a little of that. I must also warn that I had difficulty in getting the exit-button to obey me. As a performance it is really very good, with the finale fully up to speed as I like it, and I would never have known what nonsense they were getting up to. However something goes wrong with the recording, which is very bottom-heavy in the first movement in particular.

Otherwise the recording is excellent. The main liner-note is fine if a little lengthy. When I began to think it didn't really say a lot, that brought me back to the question - how much, really, is there to say?

Average customer rating:

Superb Set of Three

Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Vol. 2
Felix Mendelssohn , and Aurora String Quartet
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Vol. 1
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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2
Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Op. 49 & Op. 66
Mendelssohn: Octet, Op. 20; Quintet, Op. 87

ASIN: B0000013ZG
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 12: Adagio non troppo - Allegro non tardante
String Quartet No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 12: Canzonetta: Allegretto - Piu mosso
String Quartet No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 12: Andante espressivo - attacca
String Quartet No. 1 In E Flat Major, Op. 12: Molto allegro e vivace
String Quartet No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2: Allegro assai appassionato
String Quartet No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2: Scherzo: Allegro di molto
String Quartet No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2: Andante - attacca
String Quartet No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2: Presto agitato
String Quartet In E Flat Major: Allegro moderato
String Quartet In E Flat Major: Adagio non troppo
String Quartet In E Flat Major: Minuetto - Trio - Minuetto
String Quartet In E Flat Major: Fuga

Amazon.com

Play Mendelssohn's Quartet in E Flat for a music-loving friend, epecially the fugal finale, and ask him or her to guess the composer's age. This is another of those amazing products of Mendelssohn's early adolescence, written when the composer was 14. It's hardly ever performed and not often recorded, and it may not be the equal of Mendelssohn's mature Quartets. But it's a substantial piece and holds your interest, especially in the alert, charming performance on this disc. The two later Quartets are played equally well. This is a generously programmed (72-minute) CD, full of fine music in satisfying performances, and vividly recorded. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Superb Set of Three .......2007-04-18

I cannot say I am a huge fan of too many Naxos recordings, but the Aurora String Quartet series of quartets by the great child-prodigy composer Felix Mendelssohn is certainly a star. The lead Amazon reviewer summarized it well - superb music, beautiful tonality and passionately played and excellent sound dynamics. This is fine, deeply satisfying quartet playing of very well-written compositions. Even the earliest work (Op. 12) is wonderous in its conception. In some ways, their playing reminds me of the great Alban Berg Quartet for its refined sensibilities. If you are already familiar with the string quartets of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, by all means do not neglect these gems from the same era. Suggest starting with Vol. 1 then Vol. 2 and finally Vol. 3. 5 stars on all levels.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic recording of one of the greatest quartests written
Fire-breathing dragon in F minor
great and speedy service
Excellent version
First-rate at a cut-rate price.

Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Vol. 2
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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2
Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Op. 49 & Op. 66
Mendelssohn: Octet, Op. 20; Quintet, Op. 87

ASIN: B0000013ZF
Release Date: 1994-10-04

Tracks:

String Quarter No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80: Allegro assai - Presto
String Quarter No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80: Allegro assai
String Quarter No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80: Adagio
String Quarter No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80: Finale: Allegro molto
String Quarter No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44: Molto allegro vivace
String Quarter No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44: Menuetto: Un poco Allegro
String Quarter No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44: Andante expressivo ma con moto
String Quarter No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44: Presto con brio
Capriccio in E Minor, Op. 81 No. 3: Andante con moto - Allegro fugato, assai vivace
Fugue in E Flat Major, Op. 81 No. 4: A tempo ordinario

Amazon.com

If you believe the Schwann Opus catalog--I don't!--this disc is the only survivor of a set of three containing Mendelssohn's complete string quartets. His quartets, like much of his music, aren't nearly as well known as they deserve to be. The Quartet in D, a substantial piece, reflects Mendelssohn's typical sunny personal and musical disposition. But his final quartet, written during the brief period between his sister's death and his own, is as starkly tragic a piece as anyone of the era composed. These performances, by members of the San Francisco Symphony, are among the best Mendelssohn ever recorded. The disc is a spectacular bargain. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic recording of one of the greatest quartests written.......2007-01-10

I should first confess that I have a pretty large soft spot for dark and complex chamber music so this is something I was naturally drawn to. With that out of the way, I consider Mendelssohn's string quartet #6 in F minor to be one of the finest chamber pieces ever composed, and the Aurora quartet's recording of it is my preferred version.

I could listen to the quartet in F minor and the capriccio in E minor on repeat for days... and admittedly have done so on multiple occasions.

Fire-breathing dragon in F minor.......2007-01-02

Along with Mozart and Saint Saens, Felix Mendelssohn was one of the genuine child prodigy composers in history. Although written long after his childhood years - and after painful, heartbreaking life experiences - Mendelssohn's F-minor string quartet (op. 80) here is one of the finest quartets from that era. Its a real fire-breathing dragon of a composition that was almost assuredly resulting from the traumatic circumstances of his beloved sister's death. It is a must for collectors of string quartets. The Aurora Quartet plays this piece brilliant and the Naxos sound engineering fully supports a powerful listening experience. If you have never heard this work, you might say like I did afterwards, "Holy Cow! That was amazing!" Oh yah, the other quartet and individual pieces that round out the CD are great too. The D major quartet has its own firey punch, happier themes along with gorgeous slow movements. Kudos to the Aurora Quartet for giving due honor to these great compositions with staturesque performances. A real winner here. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound - 5 stars.

great and speedy service.......2006-08-23

the price was right and the service was friendly and fast!

Excellent version.......2005-02-03

I have Vols 1 & 2 of the Aurora Quartet Naxos set and recommend them highly. The playing is expressive and technically this California ensemble is top notch. I often have problems with the quality of the Naxos label recordings. I'm happy to say this is not a problem with this set of recordings. By way of comparison, I have the Ysaye Quartet recording of Opp 12, 13 and 80 as well. The Ysaye are good and often exciting but sometimes astringent. Let's let my actions do the talking: I listen to the Aurora set almost exclusively now.

First-rate at a cut-rate price........2004-01-14

I'll only add to the mostly well-written reviews already submitted: I recommend this recording as a first resort for those who don't own any Mendelssohn quartets or those represented here and as a next resort for those who do. The playing and sound of this recording are superb in every respect; the performers and the composer are perfectly suited.

For those who don't know the Op. 80 quartet, you're in for a surprise. This is anguished music full of as much dissonance and rhythmic upheaval as the period would allow (especially the suspensions in the development of the first movement). I don't know of a piece of music more deserving of discovery, yet I've never seen it on a quartet program. One could claim to hear bits of Schubert's Quartettsatz or Beethoven's "Tragic", but this work is Mendelssohn's own, written during a period of great personal loss. For once, he has jettisoned decorum.

Album Description

A total of eight works by Mendelssohn have come down to us that can be ascribed to the genre of the string quartet. Already, in his first proper quartets, we can see that the young composer was not only building on the classical models of Haydn and Mozart, but had also made an intensive and creative study of Beethoven's late quartet works, which many of his contemporaries dismissed as being "spiritual thought music" or as "a deaf musician's wild fantasies in sound."

The Henschel Quartet have been awarded a number of prizes for their interpretations, e.g. for their much-recognized recording of Ginastera string quartets for Arte Nova. The quartet performs regularly in prestigious chamber music cycles worldwide and is a guest at numerous renowned music festivals. The Henschel Quartet has won numerous prizes since 1995, and their highly acclaimed stand-in for the Juilliard Quartet in London's Wigmore Hall, broadcast by the BBC, led to international recognition as one of today's finest chamber ensembles.

Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Pacifica Quartet
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Be Certain to Preview Before Buying

Young Contenders

Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Pacifica Quartet
Felix Mendelssohn , and Pacifica Quartet
Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Scarlatti: Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B00082ZSIY
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Album Description

One of today's most dynamic and exciting ensembles, the Pacifica Quartet celebrates its 10th anniversary with a three-CD set of Mendelssohn's complete string quartet cycle. Known for its "stunningly expressive performances" (The Guardian) and "ideal balance" (Washington Post), the youthful Pacifica is a perfect match for this early Romantic composer's exuberant chamber music.

Customer Reviews:

Be Certain to Preview Before Buying.......2006-02-24

I had heard rave reviews for this box set so many times, that I decided to buy it and check it out. I hate being critical, but I also don't want others to just blindly go by other's opinions, which could possibly be biased. Classics Today gave this a 10 out of 10, but understand that Cedille Records is a major sponsor of theirs, and they always give high ratings to their records.

To sum up my impression of this CD, while they are very competent performances, they are far from excellent in my opinion. Perhaps it is just me, but I can swear the first violinist is SLIGHTLY off pitch in certain moments, noticeably the second movement in Op. 80. I am not fond of her technique either. She at times "feels" for the notes, rather than immediately hitting them right away, producing a glissando effect where none is called for. To me they draw attention to themselves performing the pieces. In other words, I can hear them in the process, not just the music itself being itself, which is overall the good mark of an excellent recording. This might be their youth, and I see this ensemble perhaps being one of the great ones down the road.

In sum, don't go by my word, or all the over-positive hype either. Listen to this recording before you purchase it. If you can't, then I personally would stick with the Talich Quartet's version (which Classics Today rightly praised), or for an older analogue version, the Melos Quartet on DG.

Young Contenders.......2005-08-03

When I first heard the Pacifica Quartet in New York last year, I was mightily impressed. Here was a young quartet that had the potential to take its place among the first ranks of quartets playing today. Listening to their complete Mendelssohn string quartets, I am more than confirmed in my initial enthusiasm. They have beautiful sound, refinement, energy - in short, a high quality quartet and a 3 CD set that I personally treasure.

Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Opp. 12 & 13

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Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Opp. 12 & 13

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms: String Quintets Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 88 & 111
Dvorák, Tchaikovsky, Borodin: Quartets

ASIN: B00005NWO1
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Str Qt in E flat, Op.12: I. Adagio Non Troppo - Allegro Non Tardante
Str Qt in E flat, Op.12: II. Canzonetta. Allegretto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.12: III. Andante Espressivo
Str Qt in E flat, Op.12: IV. Molto Allegro E Vivace
Str Qt in a, Op.13: I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace
Str Qt in a, Op.13: II. Adagio Non Lento
Str Qt in a, Op.13: III. Intermezzo. Allegretto Con Moto - Allegro Di Molto
Str Qt in a, Op.13: IV. Presto - Adagio Non Lento - Andante Come I

Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1, Op. 12 & 13

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Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1, Op. 12 & 13
Leipzig String Quartet
Manufacturer: MD&G Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2
Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3

ASIN: B00005O59F
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

String Quartet op. 13: Adagio-Allegro
String Quartet op. 13: Adagio non lento
String Quartet op. 13: Intermezzo. Allegretto con moto
String Quartet op. 13: Presto
String Quartet op. 12: Adagio non troppo/Allegro non tardante
String Quartet op. 12: Canzonetta. Allegretto
String Quartet op. 12: Andante espressivo
String Quartet op. 12: Molto allegro e vivace

Average customer rating:

Higher octane needed
A lovely CD.

Mendelssohn String Quartets

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn String Quartets Volume 2 (Quartet No. 3 in D Major and Quartet No. 4 in E minor) Op 44 No. 1 & No. 2

ASIN: B00000I438
Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

Adagio ma non troppo/Allegro non tardante
Canzonetta
Andante espressivo
Molto allegro e vivace
Adagio/Allegro vivace
Adagio non lento
Intermezzo
Presto
Allegro moderato
Adagio non troppo
Minuetto
Fuga

Amazon.com

Here is an entirely unaccustomed perspective on Mendelssohn's quartets. These English "period" musicians believe that Romantic music, too, should be played in the original style, with sparing vibrato, distinct articulation, great clarity, and transparency. They even discovered--and use--the bowings and fingerings of Mendelssohn's friend, the violinist Ferdinand David. Since they play extremely well, with a beautiful, full, warm, homogeneous tone, they give the music extraordinary vitality, excitement, and passion as well as a wistful, dreamy inwardness. Their rhythm is alive and flexible, their phrasing echoes human speech, their climaxes are thrilling, and their expression encompasses devout simplicity, songful lyricism, whimsical charm, and turbulent drama. In addition to the famous quartets Op. 12 and 13, the disc includes the Quartet in E-flat Op. Posthumus, written when Mendelssohn was 14. Though naturally less skillfully composed and original than the others, it bears the seeds of future greatness in its pensive, increasingly tragic slow movement; its startling modulations; and its amazing final double fugue. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

The influence of Beethoven is unmistakable in these works, yet it is Mendelssohn's humane sophistication, urbanity, and sense of well being that make these quartets uniquely his own.

Customer Reviews:

Higher octane needed.......2003-02-02

I first listened to this CD on a car audio system--
thus the gasoline analogy. There is much to
commend about the disc, including lovely performances
of the Canzona and Intermezzo movements of Op. 12 and Op. 13,
respectively. I do miss the high-octane drama, particularly in the violins, that the outer movements need (and get in other performances). Memories of the Guarneri Quartet's version of Op. 13, recorded at the very beginning of that quartet's illustrious career, still convince me that their's is THE version of this work with its echoes of Beethoven's quartets, Op. 95 (slow movement with fugue) and Op. 132 (the recitative for first violin leading into the finale of Mendelssohn's Op. 13 comes close to exact quotation). Of course the Eroica Quartet is bravely trying a wildly different approach in basing their interpretation on the supposed performance style of Ferdinand David, violinist and contemporary of Mendelssohn. Such an approach revises the conventional wisdom about how such standard chamber works should sound, so this is a great CD to have for
comparison with "standard" performances of this repertoire.

A lovely CD........2000-05-27

Mendelssohn's early death robbed the world of a great promise-still his music shows an astonishing maturity of emotion for one so young. This is most apparent in the great quartet in F Minor (not on this CD)-but still the early quartet's that are recorded here are undeniably beautiful and played with great tenderness. A lovely CD