MENDELSSOHN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS - TALICH QUARTET (3 CDS)

Mendelssohn’s quartets have been receiving a good bit of attention on disc, and for good reason. They are the finest works in their medium between Beethoven and Dvořák, and one of them, the F minor quartet Op. 80, just might be Mendelssohn’s finest instrumental work in any form.
More consistent in quality than his symphonies, elegant and shapely, these quartets deserve much wider exposure, and no set makes a better case for them than this one.

The sound quality is extremely natural, warm, and present, with remarkably little extraneous performance noise – in short, an essential set for lovers of great chamber music and great quartet playing.

CD 1
STRING QUARTET IN E-FLAT MAJOR (1823)
Allegro moderato 7’28
Adagio non troppo 6’22
Menuetto and Trio 5’33
Fuga 3’25


STRING QUARTET NO. 2 IN A MINOR, OP. 13 (1827)
Adagio – Allegro vivace 7’46
Adagio non lento 6’49
Intermezzo : Allegretto con moto 4’44
Presto – Adagio non lento 9’51


STRING QUARTET NO. 1 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 12 (1829)
Adagio non troppo – Allegro non tardante 7’59
Canzonetta : Allegretto 3’36
Andante espressivo 4’20
Molto allegro e vivace 7’36

CD 2
STRING QUARTET NO. 4 IN E MINOR, OP. 44 NO. 2 (1837)
Allegro assai appassionato 6’58
Scherzo : Allegro di molto 3’40
Andante 6’49
Presto agitato 5’58


STRING QUARTET NO. 5 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 44 NO. 3 (1838)
Allegro vivace 8’51
Scherzo : Assai leggiero vivace 4’12
Adagio non troppo 8’39
Molto allegro con fuoco 8’25


STRING QUARTET NO. 3 IN D MAJOR, OP. 44 NO. 1 (1838)
Molto allegro vivace 9’01
Menuetto : un poco allegretto 5’34
Andante espressivo ma con moto 5′ 21
Presto con brio 6’33

CD 3
STRING QUARTET NO. 6 IN F MINOR, OP. 80 (1847)
Allegro vivace assai 6’43
Allegro assai 4’02
Adagio 7’15
Finale : Allegro molto 5’32


4 PIECES FOR STRING QUARTET, OP. 81 (1827-1847)
Andante en Mi major 5’03
Scherzo en La mineur 3’24
Capriccio en Mi mineur 5’35
Fuga en Mi bémol majeur 6’02