The best young string quartet?

[verismissimo]

Yesterday I heard the Heath Quartet (at Adderbury in Oxfordshire) for the second time. They played standard repertoire - early Haydn, Mozart and the third Razumovsky.

I think they are quite outstanding. As exciting as the Lindsays in their early days (and with better intonation).

They have been going for ten years, winning prizes and praise. So why are there no CDs by them? Extraordinary!

[MrGongGong]

Yesterday I heard the Heath Quartet (at Adderbury in Oxfordshire) for the second time. They played standard repertoire - early Haydn, Mozart and the third Razumovsky.

I think they are quite outstanding. As exciting as the Lindsays in their early days (and with better intonation).

They have been going for ten years, winning prizes and praise. So why are there no CDs by them? Extraordinary!

They get a from me (but they did play a piece of mine so i'm a bit biased !)
I'm also keen on the Sacconi's

[ahinton]

I've not yet heard the Heaths but there are certainly some very fine quartets out there these days; the only problem is that so few of them develop the various disciplines necessary properly to explore the post-Bartók or post-Shostakovich repertoire. I remember discussing this with Irvine Arditti many years ago and him saying not only that he didn't much care for his ensemble to be seen as out on something of a limb in performing contemporary repertoire but also that it would delight him if more quartets even played Bartók and Shostakovich themselves. As it is, there remains something of a chasm between quartets who tend mostly to specialise in new music and those who rarely if ever play it (ensembles like the excellent Pacifica being notable exceptions to this), which has always struck me as both odd and dismaying, given that the string quartet line-up has continuously brought forth new works since before Haydn and remains one of the most enduring ensemble formats.

[amateur51]

Just after Christmas 2011, the Heath quartet gave a stunning concert at Wigmore Hall in London that included the world premiere of Luke Bedford’s Nine Little Boxes, All Carefully Packed plus Beethoven and Schubert quartets. It was one of the concert highlights of 2011 for me

[Bryn]

Their first CD: Haydn D major Op. 50/6, Debussy G minor Op 10 and Berg Lyric Suite, was recorded in 2010 and the artwork shows a copyright date of 2011. It appears to be on their own label. How to get hold of it?

A couple of sample 'tracks' here

And the artwork here.

[amateur51]

Their first CD: Haydn D major Op. 50/6, Debussy G minor Op 10 and Berg Lyric Suite, was recorded in 2010 and the artwork shows a copyright date of 2011. It appears to be on their own label. How to get hold of it?

A couple of sample 'tracks' here

An the artwork here.

Many thanks for this Bryn. I'm going to send them an e-message regarding CD availability.

[HighlandDougie]

I had the great pleasure a couple of years ago of hearing them play in Perth (Scotland). I also heard the equally outstanding Elias Quartet at about the same time. And Scotland has the Maxwell Quartet (whom I've heard playing Kurtag, as well as the usual suspects). And then there's the longer established Doric String Quartet. And the sublime Chiaroscuro Quartet .... We are blessed with some wonderful ensembles.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

the Sacconi Quartet is a family favourite ever since we first met them at a piano week some eight or so years ago at Uppingham School ... they worked with the young pianists with great devotion and genuine interest, and being young connected well ... they then arranged and played an impromptu evening concert with the Acoustic Triangle jazz group that was utterly stunning


have gone to all their recitals in the middle kingdom that we knew of ... always delighted by their performances ..

[verismissimo]

the Sacconi Quartet is a family favourite ever since we first met them at a piano week some eight or so years ago at Uppingham School ...

Interesting, aka. Did you know that the great fiddler Joachim used to visit his friend Paul David (son of Ferdinand) at Uppingham whenever he toured Britain (which was frequently in the latter part of the 19th century). And he'd sit in the back desks of the school orchestra at rehearsal.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

no ... alas ... hard to get beyond Fry and that school ... the piano weeks sprog attended were great experiences and the recitals etc a delight

[David-G]

Yesterday I heard the Heath Quartet (at Adderbury in Oxfordshire) for the second time. They played standard repertoire - early Haydn, Mozart and the third Razumovsky.

I think they are quite outstanding. As exciting as the Lindsays in their early days (and with better intonation).

They have been going for ten years, winning prizes and praise. So why are there no CDs by them? Extraordinary!

At last year's Edinburgh Festival, the Heath Quartet performed a complete cycle of the Beethoven Quartets in Greyfriars Kirk. I went to two of these performances, and they were quite wonderful. A high point of the Festival (or strictly, of the Fringe).

[Dave2002]

I may make an effort to hear the Heaths, given this encouragement. Here is their schedule for the next month or so - http://www.heathquartet.com/page3.htm I've heard many performances by the Sacconi Quartet, who also organise a weekend festival in Folkestone - next is in May 2013 - which is worth going to. Their performances of Janacek quartets were very memorable. I recall the Elias Quartet as being very good (also in Janacek), and the Navarra Quartet as outstanding.

[mercia]

Heath Quartet, Radio 3 next week, lunchtimes, Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday
[sharing with singers]

[amateur51]

Heath Quartet, Radio 3 next week, lunchtimes, Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday
[sharing with singers]

Many thanks for the alert, mercs!