On Sun, 25 Jun 2000, David Cozy wrote:

>I'll be attending a concert at which Smetana's String Quartet Number 1,
>"Aus meinen Leben," and Mendelssohn's String Quartet Number 1, Opus 12,
>will be performed.  I'm unfamiliar with both works, so I'd appreciate it
>if you could recommend good recordings of each.

The Naxos series of Mendelssohn's chamber music is fine, and a good buy,
but please beware of the Naxos cd of the Smetana string quartets.  It is
a sloppy and out of tune performance and it is now used as a coaster for
my coffee cup.

I have a cd on Nimbus of both Smetana quartets and I enjoy the Medici
String Quartet's performance very much.  You might enjoy the program notes
on the Smetana.  The first quartet is supposed to be programmatic and
autobiographical.  It is the most popular of the two quartets, and has
been recorded many times so you'll have a wide purchase choice.

Mimi Ezust