Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Eroica Quartet, David Watkin :: Beethoven: String Quartets --Op.74, 95, 135

The Eroica Quartet, a leading English period-instrument group, has developed a uniquely individual approach to these works. The players are excellent singly and together; though they play virtually without vibrato, their intonation is impeccable, the tone homogeneous, the balance exemplary. Perhaps most remarkable is the texture's transparency, giving the illusion of four equally prominent voices. The sound is singularly pure, but sometimes a bit thin and bland: Saving the vibrato for special notes helps them stand out, but makes its lack elsewhere more keenly felt. However, the playing is so noble and inwardly expressive that the ear soon adjusts. The "period" style shows in the tempos; some are more flowing, others more held than is customary, and the players feel free to change them frequently. Every variation in the Finale of Op. 74 and every phrase in the first movement of Op. 95 is different, and they take time for poised phrasing, transitions, and dynamic contrasts. The scherzos are quite slow, making for unusual clarity of rhythm and texture. Opus 135 is most strikingly different: in the first and last movements, all the wit and humor come out, while most performers seem to be afraid or oblivious. --Edith Eisler