Schubert: String Quartets, D804, D810 (Der Tod und das Mädchen) & D887; Quartet Movement, D703; String Quintet in C, D956

These three CDs contain all Schubert’s unequivocally great chamber works for strings. The quality of the playing is consistently high, though not always, perhaps, quite as warm as one could wish for in this composer above all others. The rather close recorded balance, with the viola over-prominent, may be partly to blame; but there are times when these performances sound almost over-polished. The C major Quintet is a cut above the rest: no doubt the presence of Rostropovich as second cellist was an inspiration to his fellow musicians.

Our rating

4

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:09 pm

COMPOSERS: Schubert
LABELS: DG
WORKS: String Quartets, D804, D810 (Der Tod und das Mädchen) & D887; Quartet Movement, D703; String Quintet in C, D956
PERFORMER: Emerson String QuartetMstislav Rostropovich (cello)
CATALOGUE NO: 459 151-2 Reissue (1988-98)

These three CDs contain all Schubert’s unequivocally great chamber works for strings. The quality of the playing is consistently high, though not always, perhaps, quite as warm as one could wish for in this composer above all others. The rather close recorded balance, with the viola over-prominent, may be partly to blame; but there are times when these performances sound almost over-polished. The C major Quintet is a cut above the rest: no doubt the presence of Rostropovich as second cellist was an inspiration to his fellow musicians. Here, the opening movement’s heavenly second theme unfolds with admirable breadth and eloquence, while the scherzo’s astonishingly sombre trio has all the brooding intensity it needs. But if you want a performance that tugs at the heartstrings from start to finish, just turn to the classic 1952 version recorded in Prades, with Casals and Tortelier as cellists, and Isaac Stern and Alexander Schneider as violinists. Misha Donat

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