Search - Alexander Borodin, New Budapest String Quartet, Ilona Prunyi :: Borodin: Chamber Music

Lovely playing recorded in a steel closet

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 04/15/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a college student I loved my old London STS LP of the Borodin Quintet in C Minor played by members of the Vienna Octet. It had a wistful lullaby demeaner that escapes all current available versions. In addition, it was recorded faithfully by British Decca and sounded great on LP until I scratched it so many times it wouldn't play anymore. The current version by the New Budapest Quartet and Ilona Prunyi is beautifully played and is every bit the match of the old London record. It includes two lesser recorded chamber pieces of Borodin, the Piano-Cello Sonata in B Minor and Quinter in F Minor. Cellist Otto Kertesz does wonderful work in the sonata, merging gracefully with Prunyi to pull off one of the classical music industry's very best Borodin CDs. So why only three stars? For reasons that escape me, the 1989 recording -- made in the Ceremonial Hall of Municipal Council Building in Budapest -- sounds like it might have been made in 1945. The audio spectrum is cramped, the definition between instruments is nonexistent and the sound is metallic, as if the whole thing was done inside a metal room. I love historical recordings and have never before been so put off by a recording. Regardless of its artistic merits, there is no excuse for a recording made in 1989 to sound this awful! When I listened to this with the headphones, the sonic spectrum actually began to break apart in some of the sonata's finale, with audible distortion coming through the headset. Can you believe that, distortion in a 1989 CD? So I gave this one 5 stars for performance, 1 star for recording and divided by two to get 3 stars. If sound is not a concern to you, this is a recording you must have. But if you're like most people, try to listen to this before buying."

Superb works, great recording

V. Krzyzaniak | FEDERAL WAY, WA USA | 02/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am listening to this now and it is great as it is vibrant, clear and fresh. I perfer the stuff that doesn't make the over played greatest collections and then look for the hidden gems. The Piano Quintet is one of those perfect diamonds."