A beautiful late recording from the Amadeus
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/16/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After fleeing from Nazi Austria, the Amadeus Qt. was active for four decades and more in London. They made almost all their commercial recordings for DG in the 50s and 60s. This Decca recording from 1988 finds them in great shape. There's no substitute for a quartet whose musicians play with one mind. In this case, The mind of the Amadeus in Beethoven is rather like Wilhelm Kempff's in its lightness of touch, effortlessness, and apparent spontaneity. You would think these musicians had newly discovered the third Rasumovsky Qt. from the feshness of their playing. The same goes for Op. 74, and Decca's sonics are truly lifelike and natural. In all, a geat one-off from a treasurable ensemble."