Schubert - String Quintet in C / Alban Berg Quartet · Schiff [Original recording reissued]

Alban Berg Quartett (Artist), Heinrich Schiff (Artist), Günther Pichler (Artist), Thomas Kakuska (Artist), Gerhard Schulz (Artist), Franz Schubert (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Franz Schubert
• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00000I7WA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,735 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly polished reading, June 16, 2005

By 

Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert - String Quintet in C / Alban Berg Quartet · Schiff (Audio CD)

Many consider Schubert's String Quintet D956 one of the pinnacle masterpieces in the entire chamber repertoire. With its diverse emotional moods, memorable lyrical themes, and dense, rich textures from the added cello, Schubert's only string quintet is clearly a masterpiece. The Austrian Alban Berg quartet gives a plush, poised reading of this great work, worthy of a "Great Performance" accolade. Their style and sound is often described as "polished" which can be clearly heard in this recording or in their wonderful performances of Mozart's final great quartets (4-CD set on Teldec). Their precise, silky and tonally rich playing combined with very good sound quality all make for a strong choice - although the 46 minutes is a bit chinsy for one CD. Other fine performances of this great quintet to consider: the bold reading from the Emerson String Quartet with Rostropovich (DG 3-CD set with the last string quartets) or the live, spirited recording from Pamela Frank and the Marlboro Festival players (Sony).

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Rendition of Favourite Piece, January 1, 2005

By 

PrivoDJ "Privo" (Perth, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schubert - String Quintet in C / Alban Berg Quartet · Schiff (Audio CD)

Whilst a pianist, Schubert's Quintet in C just strikes a chord with me that other music of a solo or orchestral nature simple doesn't. As such I have several recordings of this piece. This was the first one I acquired and from the tentative opening note to the swagger and aplomb of the finale it will draw you in and leave you wishing for more yet realising that more simply isn't humanly possible.

For this recording specifically the first two movements stand out - in spite of the missing repeat in the first. It is not for me to question Schubert's genius but I feel that performances of the first movements of both the Quintet and the D minor Quartet D810 'Death and the Maiden' do not lose anything from the ommission of their exposition repeats and if anything gain a feeling of progression and cohesion (particulary in D810).

There isn't a single phrase or note which feels at all out of place here - such attention to detail for a peace as long and with so many subtley repeated notes is remarkable.

The third and fourth movements whilst not nearly as substantial as the first two are played to perfection. The scherzo has power and an unrivalled intensity of conviction. The proceeding trio is reflective and brooding - the repeated chords leading to the recapitulation are fantastic and never cease to heighten the tension no matter how well I know exactly what is around the corner. The final movement is approached as one critic put it "with just the right balance of swagger and reserve" - although there is one tiny mistake which I only recently picked up at around 2"09 (How's that for pedantry!).

The sound quality is excellent and - as should be the case - won't be a consideration unless you purposely set out to analyse it.

Simply unrivalled.

Not however unchallenged at a very high level and I would also reccommend the Lindsays mid 80's version - unimpeachable sound and marvellous control across the dynamic spectrum: comes packaged with the late quartets; D810 is sublime but that's another story.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best...very Viennese...very Schubert, October 11, 2004

By 

P. Verlee "Brahms lover" (Bangor, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert - String Quintet in C / Alban Berg Quartet · Schiff (Audio CD)

Although many American concert-goers and players prefer the Emerson with Rostro, after listening to the Berg, I still prefer it. There is more idiomatic playing, with the right amount of rubato. It just seems "right". If you've played the quintet yourself, you'll really appreciate how they get the Viennese sound just right. They're Viennese after all, they should. The intonation and ensemble is just as good as the Emersons. The omission of the exposition repeat is a minor quibble. Go to a concert and I bet they don't include the repeat. If you want to hear more Schubert, hit the repeat button or listen to "Death and the Maiden".

This is the one to get.