Mozart - String Quartets

[Jo498]

Does anyone remember Melos btw?  This recording was my introduction to Mozart chamber music:



I'm still fond of it.

The Melos Quartet was badly treated by DG after they left (to make another bunch of recordings for harmonia mundi, although no Mozart, I think), i.e. a lot of their recordings have become oop since decades.
AFAIK their 1980s Beethoven was never reissued and the Mozart on CD only in two blue boxes from the early time of CDs (the two named quartets got several cheapo series reissues).
I have the "Haydn"-set and it is very good (beautiful sound, better probably than their later digital recordings of Beethoven) but could not find the Prussian+499 for a decent price that seems regarded even more highly. They are very "mainstream", though (more than the Beethoven, I think, that was fast and bold for its time almost 40 years ago.

[Herman]

I used to have the Melos recording of the 499 and Prussians on a reissue 2LP back in the seventies.

[Mandryka]

The Melos Prussian quartets are very agreeable indeed, natural and sweet and fluid and alive. But my real reason for posting is that I've just discovered lots of Melos Quartet recordings I was completely unaware of - released by SWR Music. I'm listening now to the gorgeous Reger op 109, and I can see some Hindemith, Bartok, Shostakovich, a CD of 20th century music by composers I've never heard of, Dvorak, the Mozart clarinet quartet . . .

[Herman]

Works like Max Reger's and Hindemith's used to belong to the standard repertoire of German string quartet ensembles. Audiences could take it.

[Atriod]

My favorite performances for the ones dedicated to Haydn.

[Mandryka]

My favorite performances for the ones dedicated to Haydn.

Yes I like that very much, I only just realised that the cellist is Atsushi Sakaï, who plays viol on recordings with Rousset. The booklet is very interesting too


https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/22/000118322.pdf

[SonicMan46]

Well, I ordered the American String Quartet set from Amazon for $25 (6 discs) as a replacement for my 'ole faithful' Quartetto Italiano - setup a back-to-back listening of the two groups in four works on Spotify - enjoyed the newer recording more; also read a bunch of reviews (attached), plus the price was right. Dave

 

[T. D.]

On modern instruments, the Suske-Quartett recordings (not complete) are good, though I wouldn't venture to say best.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

My favorite performances for the ones dedicated to Haydn.

I haven't heard of that quartet before now (hard for me to keep up!).

But why are they dragging that chair? 

I have a set of the quartets dedicated to Haydn with the Quatuor Ysaÿe (which I found inexpensively), but put it in a box of CDs to either resale or donate.  I've decided to give it another try.  Any fans of this group and/or recordings?

PD

[DavidW]

I have a set of the quartets dedicated to Haydn with the Quatuor Ysaÿe (which I found inexpensively), but put it in a box of CDs to either resale or donate.  I've decided to give it another try.  Any fans of this group and/or recordings?

PD

Yes I like that quartet, my two favorite albums of theirs are:

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes I like that quartet, my two favorite albums of theirs are:

Have you heard the Mozart ones?

PD

[JBS]

Have you heard the Mozart ones?

PD

I have them.

As good as anyone else--but there are a lot of "anyone elses" for these quartets.

A very good CD I have with them is Schumann's SQs. It's one of the recordings they did with Aeon.
Amazon listing is
https://www.amazon.com/String-Quartets-Op-41-1-3/dp/B00019IC6O/

[DavidW]

Have you heard the Mozart ones?

PD

Yes, I think they are good but I have other recordings that I prefer over them.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thanks for the feedback gents!  I'll give them another shot. 

PD

[Atriod]

I haven't heard of that quartet before now (hard for me to keep up!).

But why are they dragging that chair? 

PD

Probably didn't want to play sitting on the grass 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Probably didn't want to play sitting on the grass 

Where are the stage hands when you need them?! 

PD

[Herman]

But why are they dragging that chair? 

Because the photographer asked them to.
Photographers should be told more often "Why doncha do this yourself?"