(Movement 4 of 4) Beethoven String Quartet No. 9 "Razumovsky", Op 59 No. 3

Played by the Talich Quartet.

ClassicsForTheAges brings you another lost performance! The Talich Quartet's set of Beethoven's String Quartets, recorded between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, is widely regarded as one of the best ever recorded for its depth of expression without going overboard with showy playing. Its most recent issue was in CD on the Calliope label in 2000. Considering how roundly it beats many currently available sets, I am at a loss to explain why this hasn't been reissued.

I would venture a guess at three possible explanations:

-The sound engineering produces a distinctly "metallic" sound that may not be to everyone's liking. This isn't anything remastering couldn't fix, of course.

-Their playing style may be too 'laid back' for some. Compare the Talich Quartet's playing to the Takacs Quartet's and you'll notice a significant difference. Still, considering how many people rave about this set, I find it hard to believe this would be a problem.

-It may simply a case of idiot executives who have no idea of the value of the works of art they're sitting on. I consider this the most likely explanation.

The Talich Quartet was founded in 1964 by Jan Talich while still a student at Prague Conservatory, and named after his famous uncle Václav Talich, the conductor and founder of the Czech Philharmonic. They have performed at the Prague Spring International Music Festival and Casals Festival. Specializing in works by Czech composers, they have premièred works by Viktor Kalabis, Luboš Fišer and Luboš Sluka.

The Talich Quartet still has a handful of recordings still in circulation. Among the most notable is their set of Felix Mendelssohn's string quartets.

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[pianoman8882]

Amazing piece of music