Search - Beethoven; Mozart; Bartok; Brahms;Hindemith, Fina Arts Quartet/Sorkin; Loft; Zaslav; Tuckwell; Stanick :: The Fine Arts Quartet at WFMT (Unreleased Recordings of Broadcast Performances, 1967-73)

A Welcome Reminder

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 08/30/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The FAQ was one of the best-known chamber music ensembles during the LP era, thanks to its prolific broadcast appearances and recordings (few of which have made it onto CD). This set from Music and Arts, devoted exclusively to broadcast material from the late sixties and early seventies, is a welcome reminder of their achievement. Listeners of a certain generation will remember their trenchant Beethoven cycle for Everest. They are no less incisive here, in a broad range of repertoire from Haydn to rarely heard contemporary works by Husa, Shifrin and Martinon. Their interpretations are consistently satisfying to the intellect, even if they fall less gratefully on the ear due to a rather aggressive, one-dimensional tone and occasional, but serious, lapses of intonation. Given the quality of the recording--astonishingly good for historical broadcast material--and the FAQ's deep understanding of its chosen repertoire, there is enough positive about this set to recommend it, with qualifications noted, to chamber-music enthusiasts."