Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert :: Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3

Few music lovers know Schubert's earlier string quartets, which were written for family use when he was in his teens. Even the latest of these works, the Quartet No. 9, dates only from Schubert's 18th year. That piece, by far the best music included here, has some real Schubertian qualities; the others are talented imitations of Mozart and Haydn. The Kodály Quartet plays all of this music with vigor and comprehension, and the performances are thoroughly satisfying. They are not as affectionate and songful as the much more expensive series by the Leipzig Quartet on MDG. For a casual investigation of the music, the Naxos disc is more than adequate. For the ultimate performances, go with MDG. --Leslie Gerber