The Belcea Quartet playing Beethoven 21/03/2012

[EdgeleyRob]

Just listened to this on I player.Amazing quartet playing to my (non expert) ears.
Anyone else managed to catch this?

[DracoM]

Agreed. VERY fine playing indeed. Made the Beethoven sound even more edgily revolutionary.

[Alf-Prufrock]

I fully agree. This was quartet playing of astounding accuracy and imagination - a rare combination in my experience. I am now determined to get all their performances (when finances stretch). The Belcea seem to me to be outstanding even in an era of great quartets.

[HighlandDougie]

How about starting with

http://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Quartets-1-6-B-Bartok/dp/B000ZBPPWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332603723&sr=8-1

Their cycle of all 6 over two consecutive (morning) concerts at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival was one of my great lifetime musical experiences

[rodney_h_d]

Just listened to this on I player.Amazing quartet playing to my (non expert) ears.
Anyone else managed to catch this?

Yes - I've been lucky enough to hear them live several times and heard them in the same Beethoven programme the week before, as well as listening to the broadcast. It was the first time I've heard them with their new 2nd violin Axel Schacher who recently replaced Laura Samuel and seemed very much at home. Amazingly, on checking, I find that I first heard the quartet live in 1996 playing Walton's Quartet in A minor - a work I must admit I have not become familiar with...