Customer Reviews

Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956

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These are inspired interpretations, of the highest order - intelligent, musical performances. If you put aside all preconceptions as to what Schubert should sound like, and do what every listener is supposed to do - clear the sheet and allow the interpreters to unravel the music for you - then get this CD (in my case the box set of late Schubert quartets plus quintet in C). You will be absorbed from beginning to end. This is direct, clean, detailed playing, sensitive to the overall micro and macro patterns forming continually as the music unfolds.

A word directed at Sky: to have reservations about Lindsay's playing or to prefer other approaches is one thing, but to call them "scrappy" is just so off the mark, that I just wonder if he/she does not write for a competing label him/herself! This quartet is attune to every nuance of the music. They have thought out these pieces so deeply, they play with such attention to intonation and sound, every part of their shaping is so deliberate, that to call them 'scrappy' is ... well, scrappy.

These are simply the bravest, most thoughtful (and if you are an 'open listener', inspiring) interpretations you will ever hear.

The Lindsays are by no means the most technically brilliant string quartet around. Yet, they put a breath into the music they play which brings it stunningly to life. This recording of the Schubert other "Great C Major" is one of the most musically satisfying around. While other groups (i.e. the Emersons, the Berg, the Cleveland, and the likes) may have a finer polish and shine, they often make me feel more in tune with their individual personalities rather than with Schubert's. With the Lindsays I feel less interested in their four/five abilities and more interested with the task at hand: the experience of perhaps the greatest piece of chamber music ever written. For those who are excited by blood racing tempos and lush, soloistic string tone, this recording is not for you. For those who want to hear an intimate journey into the mind and world of one of histories most inspired composers, do not hesitate to experience this performance. Other great experiences include an all-star quintet with Pablo Casals on Sony, the Hollywood Quartet and friend on Testament, and the Guarneri with Bernie Greenhouse on Phillips (if you can find it).

This Lindsays recording of Schubert string quintet is very special to me, and is among my Top 10 CDs of my all CD collections. I heard it for the first time 15 years ago, and it has made me fall in love with this Schubert masterpiece since then. I collected more than ten different CD versions of the string quintet performed by different groups, and I found that no other CD versions among my collections have that touching magic on me, although some comes close, but still not in the same league with the Lindsays in terms of this work. I've been amazed by one of the phenomena: in terms of the time played for 2nd movement, the Lindsays is the longest, 17 minutes 26 seconds. I think most performances of this movement by other groups run for about 14 minutes. The length of time played makes a significant impact for the music effect. Listening to the Lindsays playing here, I found that their choice and decision on the time duration for the 2nd movement is very intelligent, and shows their unique way of understanding this music. Furthermore, the way for every note they play has convincing logic and they make very note speak for itself. When the music goes very slow, their playing let me easily understand what Schubert is telling, and I'm totally convinced that it should take this amount of time to let music unfold and proceed. When the music "explodes" repeatedly, and later weakens, one can easily feel what the music means. The 2nd movement is the most tragic music to me. Sometimes when listening to this music, I was moved into tears, and hoped that music never stopped. But, to take enough time is one important factor for the success of making the music live, how to let music speak for itself is another critical talent. There are some performances whose 2nd movement also runs around 16', such as by the group of Pamela Frank, Felix Galimir, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley & Julia Lichten on SONY lable, and the Melos Quartet with Rostropovich on DG. The duration of their 2nd movement is on the long side. But, their performances do not have enough tension and touching power as the Lindsays does to me. I think the time duration is a very important issue, but it's not an indicator that whether you would like a performance or not. Your choice of a performance would also depend on how they interpret it. I also like the performance of this work by Petersen Quartet with Michael Sanderling on Capriccio label, which is my second choice after the Lindsdays.