Search - Dvorak, Janacek, Smetana Quartet :: String Quartets

Like the material in Testament's other coupling of these two composers (1074), these recordings were made in Germany in the mid-60s. They catch a legendary ensemble, at the height of its powers, in the music of its native country, which it plays with unique insight and phenomenal execution. The Smetana Quartet made other recordings of most of these pieces, but this is its only recording of the Terzetto (for two violins and viola), a treasurable piece and a performance easily worth the price of the disc on its own. The age of the recordings is hardly apparent, but these performances would be worth hearing even if the recordings were worse than they are. --Leslie Gerber