The Talich Quartet has accomplished remarkable things in its performances of the Classical and Romantic repertoire, and its recordings of Mendelssohn's string quartets fall in line with the group's acclaimed renditions of the complete cycles by Mozart and Beethoven. Mendelssohn's string quartets have been long overshadowed by his predecessors' masterpieces, and in comparison, they often seem inadequately represented in performance and on disc. But if any group elevates these works above their second-class status, the Talich ...
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The Talich Quartet has accomplished remarkable things in its performances of the Classical and Romantic repertoire, and its recordings of Mendelssohn's string quartets fall in line with the group's acclaimed renditions of the complete cycles by Mozart and Beethoven. Mendelssohn's string quartets have been long overshadowed by his predecessors' masterpieces, and in comparison, they often seem inadequately represented in performance and on disc. But if any group elevates these works above their second-class status, the Talich Quartet does so admirably. Balancing ensemble cohesion with a flexible give-and-take between the highly contrapuntal parts, and supplying the necessary warmth and verve to communicate Mendelssohn's passion and lively imagination, these musicians take the quartets to a level of intensity and robustness usually reserved by other ensembles for Beethoven's middle quartets. This is especially pronounced in the String Quartet in E flat and the String Quartet in F minor, possibly the most...
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