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Tue, 16 Nov 1999 08:22:58 PST |
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I was playing a few of my older cd's last night. The highlight of the
evening was a disc of Mozart's string quartets (K499 & 589) performed by
the Endellion String Quartet on Virgin. I know that the Endellion accounts
of a few Haydn string quartets have been reissued as a 2-cd budget set.
This 1990 Mozart recording is likely not still in print as a full price
issue; I don't know if it has been repackaged.
What strikes me most strongly concerning the Endellion's Mozart is how
"cool" the performances are. Some might say they are "sleek" and without
sufficient warmth. But, I think that cool and Mozart string quartets are
a great match. It's probably reasonable to say that the Endellions are at
one end of the spectrum with groups like the Prazak on Praga and the Talich
on Calliope at the other end. Those two groups provide highly romantic
interpretations; to say they are "warm" is putting it mildly. I personally
find them cloying and neglectful of classical proportions.
Anyways, the Endellions give us sharp-lined and classically proportioned
intepretations in an acoustic which is also on the cool side. Even the
cover looks cool in color (I'm terrible at describing pictures and
photographs). I love their performances, and that's saying quite a bit
since I'm partial to period instrument performances of Mozart's string
quartets.
So, if this sounds attractive, try to hunt down the disc. The Haydn 2-cd
set is also a major winner and should be easy to locate. If you like the
Prazak, Talich, or similar groups, do stay away from the Endellions - they
will freeze you out.
Don Satz
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