Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Joseph Haydn, Talich Quartet :: Mozart: Intégrale des Quatuors [Box Set]

By Far the Best Mozart Quartet Cycle Available

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 09/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mozart's contribution to chamber music was enormous, and in many ways is still not sufficiently appreciated. Though the six quartets dedicated to Haydn (14-19), the Clarinet Quintet, the two Piano Quartets, and the two greatest String Quintets (in C major and g minor) certainly get the attention they deserve, how often does one get to hear most of the Violin Sonatas, the Piano Trios, or the "Kegelstatt" Trio (for clarinet, viola and piano)? The majority of the String Quartets are also surprisingly rare repertoire--particularly the earliest (1-13) and the latest (20-23). If you love Mozart and enjoy chamber music, then you should explore his entire output for string quartet. Along with the piano concertos, it is probably the genre to which Mozart contributed the highest proportion of masterpieces. The level of invention, of sheer resourcefulness, is remarkably high even in those composed during his childhood.



Complete sets of Mozart Quartets are far less common than Beethoven cycles. Among those with which I am familiar, the Talich is by far the finest. This much admired Czech ensemble strikes just the right balance between euphony and toughness so that Mozart's surface prettiness doesn't obscure the deeper pathos. The Talichs never play to the gallery, but consistently maintain intimacy and inwardness through a subdued tone and a refined technical address entirely in the service of the composer. Their choice of tempo is sometimes on the slow side; they prefer to let Mozart's complex musical arguments unfold naturally so as to achieve maximal cumulative impact with a minimum of hype. Their lean, organ-like sonority, sparing in application of vibrato, may take some getting used to; at times one could mistake them for a period-instrument ensemble. But their collective sound is just right for the Viennese classical idiom.



To comment on every performance in this set would exceed the scope of a brief review. Suffice it to say that while the Talichs will not disappoint in any of the six dedicated to Haydn--indeed, their trenchant renditions of these celebrated works are superb in every way--they really come into their own in those which are less well known. They shed the best possible light on the early quartets, and bring a wisdom to the last four that reveals their true greatness--an accomplishment unmatched by the other complete cycles I have heard (the Amadeus, the Italians and the Hagens).



Though these recordings were made at different times and places, the quality of the sound is consistently high. The Calliope engineers avoid the bass-heavy sonic perspective that compromised their Beethoven cycle, though the tone still tends to thin out a bit in higher registers. There is plenty of air around the instruments, however (something one does not always associate with Talich Quartet recordings) and overall the sound of the ensemble is reasonably natural.



This is an essential set for all Mozartians and chamber-music lovers. It is also sufficiently inexpensive to encourage prospective listeners to make an investment that one will never come to regret. Urgently recommended, in preference even to the distinguished Italian Quartet's traversal now housed in Philips's Complete Bargain Mozart Edition."