Post Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Even more than his symphonies, Schubert's string quartets divide into early and late, with nothing in-between. This set gives you the last three quartets, plus the two quintets: you'll need a supplementary disc of the Quarttetsatz (No. 12), but that's a small omission when the level of performances is as good as it is here. The Alban Berg Quartet make the most of No. 13's dark lyricism, and go for the jugular in No. 14--the famous Death and the Maiden, after the song which forms the basis for the slow movement's variations. No. 15 is orchestral chamber music with a vengeance--it's opening movement has a physical power which the ABQ doesn't underestimate. The Trout Quintet, with Elizabeth Leonskaya the characterful soloist, is among the most relaxed and carefree of chamber works, while the String Quintet is essentially Schubert's testament: a monumental piece of musical thinking, profound in its emotional depth. Heinrich Schiff joins the ABQ in a performance of real intensity, making so much more of the music than simply playing the note. An inspiring set. --Richard Whitehouse