Mimi Ezust writes:

>>Once upon a time, there was a Philips recording with the Quartetto
>>Italiano doing a luscious and smooth performance of all the Brahms and
>>Schumann quartets.  I loved that set.

And Dave Lampson replies:

>Me too!  In fact, I have loved just about everything I've heard Quartetto
>Italiano perform.  I still have the LP set Mimi mentions, and it's one of
>the few vinyl holdings I still posses that I might consider setting up a
>turntable for (but I'm just about certain I can avoid the temptation).

I had that set years ago and sold it.  I've never been a huge fan
of the Quartetto Italiano, finding it a bit too smooth for my tastes.
Nevertheless, I've come around a bit and like some, though not all,
of their performances.

I'm now willing to reexamine their Brahms/Schumann set but haven't seen the
LPs in a while.

Perhaps Dave would now like to cement his anti-vinyl status by selling me
his set? For years, I've dedicated myself to relieving collectors of their
vinyl burdens.  Least I can do in the interest of creating shelf space for
others.  And Dave, those things won't play without a turntable, so why not?

 [I'm perfectly willing to sell, but at $1 an LP, it's not worth my time
 even to go out to the garage and dig it out, much less mail it.  But,
 if you are interested in the whole collection....  -Dave]

Mimi continues:

>>Schumann has great rhythmic surprises, funny accents in unexpected places,
>>and meltingly beautiful melodies, rapid changes of mood, great emotional
>>range.  These quartets deserve to be heard.  It always has shocked me that
>>there are not more recordings available.

There is one with the Bulgarian Quartet.  I haven't listened to it in a
while, but I've always enjoyed it.

And I thought there was one with Kreuzberger.  I wrote asking about that
and got no replies, so maybe I imagined it.  Judging from their Janacek
disc and another one I have, that would be interesting--if it exists.

Roger Hecht