Schubert's last string Quartet in G...

[pastoralguy]

I've developed something of an obsession with this work in the last couple of weeks and any day when I don't hear it I consider a day wasted! I bought a Harmonia Mundi disc of the Cuarteta Casals playing it in a sale recently and it has to be my disc of the year so far. A huge claim but, for me, it's some of the greatest string/quartet playing I've ever heard.

But the piece itself has developed into an idee fix! Just an amazing piece of music.

Opinions please.

[EdgeleyRob]

My favourite Schubert chamber music by a country mile.
It's so vast,almost like a symphony for string quartet.
The first movement,someone is struggling to snap out of a bad mood or depression,conflict between G Major and Minor so I've read,don't know about such things.
Anyway that someone succeeds and everything works out well in the end.

Amadeus Quartet for me.

[teamsaint]

My favourite Schubert chamber music by a country mile.
It's so vast,almost like a symphony for string quartet.
The first movement,someone is struggling to snap out of a bad mood or depression,conflict between G Major and Minor so I've read,don't know about such things.
Anyway that someone succeeds and everything works out well in the end.

Amadeus Quartet for me.

twill likely be my late evening listen , now.
I am spoiled for choice.

[pastoralguy]

I decided I had to give the Casals Quartet a rest so I now have a live performance by a Quartet made up of Gidon Kremer, Daniel Phillips, Kim Kashkashian and Yo-Yo Ma on CBS. It's extremely well played but, perhaps, a bit 'steady as she goes' and never really plumbs the depths. There is charm but it's a bit fey in character. (And I'm sure the ushers throw someone out during the Scherzo!)

[pastoralguy]

My favourite Schubert chamber music by a country mile.

Amadeus Quartet for me.

I'm trying to find the Amadeus's recording but no joy yet.

[Barbirollians]

Quartetto Italiano for me .

[teamsaint]

I'm trying to find the Amadeus's recording but no joy yet.

here you go matey.
Quality of the sound not guaranteed by me though !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSt-PijBD-Q

[gurnemanz]

Nothing I love more than walking along with Schubert. Quartetto Italiano for many years but superseded late 90s by the Leipziger Streichquartett on MDG. I bought the 9CD complete box pre-Euro actually in Leipzig for DM79 (Sonderpreis - price label left on for nostalgic reasons). For me their recording of the last quartet which appears idiosyncratically on Vol I is an absolutely brilliant interpretation in superb sound.

[Paul Campbell]

twill likely be my late evening listen , now.
I am spoiled for choice.

Mine too, it's the Emersons for me but I do like the Melos Quartet in this glorious music.

[EdgeleyRob]

I'm trying to find the Amadeus's recording but no joy yet.

I've had the DG/Amadeus box of the complete Schubert quartets for years.

[cloughie]

Quartetto Italiano for me .

me too.

[pastoralguy]

Many thanks for the responses.

I have the Hagen Quartet on just now (through headphones!) and it's very good if perhaps a little steely and hard-boiled. Not a lot of charm.

I' ll watch the YouTube tomorrow and try to purchase the others as funds allow.

[aeolium]

My first exposure to this work was from the Quartetto Italiano recording and it was an overpowering experience. For some reason at that time this quartet was fairly rarely performed in concert or broadcast on radio, but there are now fortunately a lot more performances and recordings, with very different approaches from the highly drawn-out and intense Italians. I've heard the Belcea Quartet give a wonderful performance, and the Takacs are excellent on disc. For me this work is certainly up there with Schubert's string quintet as one of his finest chamber works. I can't recall who took the palm in the BaL some years back (but then I rarely can recall any of the winners) but it did show how differently this music could be played.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I was blown away when I first met D887 via live performances on R3 in the early 70s. Incredibly, there was only ONE recording of it available in those LP days, the DG Amadeus, and I absolutely loathed it after (I confess) taping it off the radio. Had to wait some years before the Quartetto Italiano's disc came out. I bought it and wasn't actually that impressed - too slow in many places (esp. 1st mov't?). Then got the Alban Berg Quartet - much better though let down by crap EMI pressing

Then got the Busch 4tet's set in a box-set:excellent though short of repeats. [End of LP era...]

Since CD have bought the Belcea - not as good as I hoped - but after a BaL recommendation on this work bought the cheapo box of the Amadeus's mono HMV discs from the 50s. Have to admit that D887 is pretty good! Wonder if I should retry their stereo DG LP??

I'm not a huge lover of the DG Amadeus in any of the Viennese classics despite in-depth exposure by a friend with lots of their LPs when we students. Did lash out on their Op131 on a s/h LP the other day - the very first one of all their DG recordings I've ever bought - not as bad as I'd remembered

[gurnemanz]

I can't recall who took the palm in the BaL some years back (but then I rarely can recall any of the winners) but it did show how differently this music could be played.

Leipzigers on MDG (which I mentioned above).