Best of Year - FI Magazine
An august musicologist recently wrote that "there were only two 'fabulous foursomes' during the twentieth century- The Beatles, and The Budapest String Quartet." The recordings on this disc are being released for the first time ever, and showcase the legendary Budapest at their youthful peak- 1940 and 1941- in performances of Haydn's "Lark" and Op. 76, No. 5 quartets. For sheer intensity, it is hard to imagine finer performances that these stunning "in-concert" readings.
In addition, the members of the Budapest are joined by pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski for a luminous account of Beethoven's Op. 16 piano quartet- a performance given in 1955. This disc is a "must have" for serious fans of the great chamber music traditions in our century!
Reviews:
“Considering the sources on antique shellac discs, the lack of surface noise leaves one amazed. Bridge’s remastering obviously took much trouble to save these masterful performances. Major!” - inTune
Haydn: Quartet in D, Op. 64, No.5
Beethoven: Quartet in E-flat, Op.16
Haydn: Quartet in D, Op. 76, No. 1 in G
Haydn: Rondo all'Ongarese from Trio No. 1 in G major
The Budapest String Quartet
Mieczyslaw Horszowski, piano
BRIDGE 9067
Related discs:
9342A/B, 9185, 9175, 9110, 9099A/C, 9085A/B, 9077, 9072A/C, 9063, 9062