Mendelssohn: String Quartets, Vol. 3

Margaret Tait (Performer), Felix Mendelssohn (Composer), Aurora String Quartet (Performer), Basil Vendryes (Performer), Mariko Smiley (Performer), Sharon Grebanier (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Margaret Tait, Aurora String Quartet, Basil Vendryes, Mariko Smiley, Sharon Grebanier
• Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
• Audio CD (June 28, 1994)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B0000013ZH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,692 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
This final volume of the Mendelssohn String Quartet series contains two major works, along with two isolated late movements published after the composer's death. Mendelssohn's String Quartets aren't heard nearly as often as they deserve to be, and it's a pleasure making their acquaintance (or reacquaintance) in performances like these. The Aurora String Quartet is one of those contemporary string quartets that plays on a technical level unimagined a generation ago, with tight, precise ensemble work that is a pleasure to hear. But this precision doesn't get in the way of a gracious, outgoing response to Mendelssohn's music. Excellent recorded sound, and a major-league bargain. -- Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Major Mendelssohn Works Revealed, January 24, 2009

By	C.D. Wexler - See all my reviews

The Aurora string quartet show an insight into Mendelssohn's quartets that is nothing short of a revelation. The Auroras combine flexible tempi, subtle management of dynamics, and perceptive phrasing to bring out both the wonderful melodies and the engaging drama of these works. If you don't know these works or have heard and dismissed them as tuneful but mediocre, listen to the Auroras. These are major works that I would rank alongside the quartets of Brahms and Schubert. In these performances--and in the very different but equally attractives ones by the Henschel Quartet--these works repay repeated listening.