Search - Leos Janacek, Manfred Quartet Bourgogne :: Leos Janácek: String Quartets No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata" & No. 2 "Intimate Letters" - Manfred Quartet, Bourgogne

In principle:

rune naljoss | anywhere | 01/07/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"i would have to admit right away that i cannot critique this album - i have not heard it. but i know the works - and i have work by mr. wolff on many occasions. he has never disappointed me - and the second string quartet (there is a very nice philips recording with the guaneri quartet out there, as well) is simply grandiose. or better: sublime.
listening to them for the first time on CD, i did not notice. indeed, i forgot about them - and the CD became a victim of the size of my collection. in munich, however, i went to a series in which string quartets featured prominently. mozart was played - nicely, though sleep inducing -- lachner was played, which was nice and surprisingly so -- but ultimately i still nodded off twice. then came janacek - at a time where i contemplated saving my energy for volodos' piano recital that evening by leaving early - and jolted me. i sat upright from the first to the last minute. the expressiveness of the music was enormous. it spoke to one - and it was not necessarily the performance alone(though it wasn't botched either). the music, which is not the most immediately accessible reveals itself during a session of concentrated and attentive listening... and reveals hidden joys. perhaps you will find these joys when listening to this CD on a good pair of headphones."