Philip Haldeman wrote:

>May I also recommend the Haydn quartets.  This cycle by the Kodaly
>Quartet is wonderfully musical and a big favorite of mine.

Competition on modern instruments is very strong in this repertoire with
the Alban Berg, Lindsay, and Taitrai Quartets on the shelves.  I have a
couple of the Kodaly/Haydn releases, and although they are fine versions,
I'd have to go with the three above as preferences.

>What about Beethoven?  I think the Kodaly has relesed just a couple, but I
>haven't kept track...  Making the leap from Haydn to Beethoven with equal
>success would be quite a feat.

Not being a musician, I have no idea if it's a tough leap to make, but
the best groups such as the Alban Berg and Lindsay Quartets do excellently
in both.  In fact, in the past few years, I've yet to read one review of
a Lindsay Quartet recording which has not been considered outstanding.

Which active string quartet ensembles are the best? I'd go with the
Mosaiques for period instruments, Arditti for modern works, Emerson and
Tokyo for all-around excellence, Alban Berg for "coolness", and Lindsay for
heated/idiomatic interpretations with honorable mention going to the Hagen
Quartet.  I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other great ensembles.

Don Satz
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