Recordings That You Are Considering

[kishnevi]

The Takacs recording doesn't seem terribly expensive on AmazonUS Marketplace.  In fact I just ordered it a moment ago for $21.91 plus shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000042GU/ref=tmm_acd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1477790571&sr=8-11

[Madiel]

The Takacs recording doesn't seem terribly expensive on AmazonUS Marketplace.  In fact I just ordered it a moment ago for $21.91 plus shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000042GU/ref=tmm_acd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1477790571&sr=8-11

Well, that's very different from the last time I tried looking for it in various places. Which was probably over a year ago, maybe two.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The Takacs recording doesn't seem terribly expensive on AmazonUS Marketplace.  In fact I just ordered it a moment ago for $21.91 plus shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000042GU/ref=tmm_acd_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1477790571&sr=8-11

Just a FYI: I've twice been burned (no pun intended) by MovieMars after they sent me Arkiv discs (burns) instead of the real deal. Irritating non-disclosure about that little tidbit. Had to send them back for refunds. 

I couldn't say for certain if this Takacs set is a burn but it might be worthwhile to double-check.

[kishnevi]

Just a FYI: I've twice been burned (no pun intended) by MovieMars after they sent me Arkiv discs (burns) instead of the real deal. Irritating non-disclosure about that little tidbit. Had to send them back for refunds. 

I couldn't say for certain if this Takacs set is a burn but it might be worthwhile to double-check.

I've had slow delivery from them, but no other problems.
And Rarewaves is offering it for the same price.
But I will make sure to check when I get it.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Looking for a set of Bartok string quartets.

For my money there's none better than the Vegh stereo set, but since it's doggedly OOP there's nothing much to do.

I have the Takacs set, too, and it's definitely good, but I'd probably opt for the Emerson for an alternative. 


[asin]B000059OBK[/asin]

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I've had slow delivery from them, but no other problems.
And Rarewaves is offering it for the same price.
But I will make sure to check when I get it.

Let us know how it turns out!

[kishnevi]

For my money there's none better than the Vegh stereo set, but since it's doggedly OOP there's nothing much to do.

I have the Takacs set, too, and it's definitely good, but I'd probably opt for the Emerson for an alternative. 


[asin]B000059OBK[/asin]

I hate the Emerson recording. The only bad recording I have ever heard from them.

[kishnevi]

Has anyone heard the Vegh's first cycle? Mono 1954
[asin]B01F8VZVFO[/asin]

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I hate the Emerson recording.

I am not surprised...see my "Currently Listening To" under my avatar.

[The new erato]

For my money there's none better than the Vegh stereo set, but since it's doggedly OOP there's nothing much to do.

I have the Takacs set, too, and it's definitely good, but I'd probably opt for the Emerson for an alternative. 


[asin]B000059OBK[/asin]

After living with the Bartok quartets since 1973 and owning numerous sets, I finally ordered an old LP favorite on CD and immediately found the magic again:




Unmissable IMO.

The Emersons have never touched a nerve with me. An early CD purchase after praise in The Gramophone. Gramophone runs a series of reappraisals of what they considered classics, and ended up with quite a few critical reconsiderations in discussing the Emerson set a couple of years ago.

[Que]

For my money there's none better than the Vegh stereo set, but since it's doggedly OOP there's nothing much to do.

I have the Takacs set, too, and it's definitely good, but I'd probably opt for the Emerson for an alternative. 


[asin]B000059OBK[/asin]

It's amazing to see how Naïve succeeds in having a best seller out of print almost all the time...with only brief spells of availability...

Q

[Jo498]

I am very far from an expert on these works. The Emersons tend to be fast and "cool" (it's been a long time that I heard it and I do not own the recording).  The Tokyo from the late 1970s mentioned above is highly regarded, probably a safe "middle of the road" set. Of the "hungarian" interpretations there seems to be the choice between the Hungarian/DG, the Vegh (mono (Music and Arts) and stereo) and the Tatrai (hungaroton). I have not heard all of them (Hungarian and Vegh/mono) but the Hungarian/DG has the advantage of pretty good stereo sound and easy availability.
If you got the Hungarian and the Tokyo you would have both a "traditional" and a modernist/neutral interpretation, each at a rather low price.

[amw]

The Juilliard Quartet's 1963 recording is the best available, but almost certainly out of print (most CD issues are of their later 1980s set which is not as good). The Takács Quartet's 1996 recording on Decca is also the best available and probably an easy first choice. The Végh 1970s set is one of the best and also probably out of print again. The Emerson Quartet clearly divides opinion (I go back and forth honestly; at the moment, I like them). The Keller Quartet is also very good as is the Hagen Quartet, and probably the Belcea Quartet although I've only heard samples of theirs. The Magyár Vonosnégyes is a fairly safe bet although I haven't heard it at all. I'm actually not such a fan of the Tokyo Quartet although they're perfectly fine. Among sets that don't get as much coverage I like the Mikrokosmos Quartet on Hungaroton which is another all-Hungarian group (ft. Gábor Takács-Nagy and Miklós Perényi).

[The new erato]

The Takács Quartet's 1996 recording on Decca is also the best available and probably an easy first choice.

I have that. The playing and interpretation is great, but I find the sound a little bit "too much in your face". I have the same issue with their very great Beethoven set.

[Jo498]

The Juilliard 1963 can be found from secondhand sources, too expensive at amazon.com, there are two copies under EUR 30 at amazon.de marketplace. It is the French Sony issue with 6 squares on the cover (the Beethoven set had 16). The more easily available Sony Essential classics is a 1980s recording and there is an earlier mono one as well

1963
[asin]B00005UV71[/asin]

mono ca. 1950
[asin]B005KAAB54[/asin]

1981
[asin]B0000260DW[/asin]

[Mandryka]

The Juilliard 1963 can be found from secondhand sources, too expensive at amazon.com, there are two copies under EUR 30 at amazon.de marketplace. It is the French Sony issue with 6 squares on the cover (the Beethoven set had 16). The more easily available Sony Essential classics is a 1980s recording and there is an earlier mono one as well

1963
[asin]B00005UV71[/asin]

mono ca. 1950
[asin]B005KAAB54[/asin]

1981
[asin]B0000260DW[/asin]

Get the 1950

[Dancing Divertimentian]

It's amazing to see how Naïve succeeds in having a best seller out of print almost all the time...with only brief spells of availability...

Q

Yes, I've never understood Naïve's practices. One of the greatest back catalogues maddeningly out of reach.

[The new erato]

Yes, I've never understood Naïve's practices. One of the greatest back catalogues maddeningly out of reach.

And more so now that they are out of business.

[Jo498]

I think one reason was that Naive had been "unstable" for quite a while but it is annoying, e.g. the box reissue of the Vegh/Beethoven (stereo) was available for about a year or so in 13/14 and has vanished since then.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The Juilliard Quartet's 1963 recording is the best available, but almost certainly out of print (most CD issues are of their later 1980s set which is not as good). [...] The Emerson Quartet clearly divides opinion (I go back and forth honestly; at the moment, I like them).

I picked up an original LP issue of the Juilliard 1963 a few weeks back, in a secondhand store in the picturesque town of Mineral Point, WI. I've also had the Emersons for a long time, so I was able to sit down and compare the two. Their approaches are very similar, and if anyone loves the Juilliard but hates the Emerson, I'd like to know why. I like both. The Juilliard gets more color out of these works, the Emerson has better sound, but I could live happily with either.