I think the 1990/1991 recordings by the Manhattan String Quartet on ESS.A.Y
is still the best... truly incredible performances. The Shostokovich
Quartet set is also excellent.
I don't know of any terrible sets of the Shostokovich Complete String
Quartets, although I can quarrel with one or two individual quartets.
This is one of the magnificent musical works of the 20th Century.
Perhaps there are some new ones for this century I haven't heard.
War is the way Americans learn geography.
Philip Glass.