Béla Bartók: Complete String Quartets (The 1954 Mono Cycle)

Despite the ever-present surface noise of the original LPs, and the possibility that some of these recordings have been mastered at a slightly high playback speed, the V gh Quartet's 1954 monaural set of B la Bart k's six String Quartets is still a fascinating document for specialists to study and enjoy. This "digitally refurbished" reissue from Music & Arts is not recommended for first-time listeners, though, since the incessant scratches and pops can be quite distracting, and these adventurous works present enough difficulties for beginners to contend with. (The all-digital recordings by either the Tak cs or Emerson Quartets are great starter sets.) Of course, those who routinely snap up Bart k's quartets for the sake of comparison will quickly assess this double disc as roughly equivalent to the Juilliard Quartet's 1950 set, reissued on Pearl. The V gh Quartet's impassioned and fiercely articulated performances hold up well, and resemble the Juilliard's first outing in its dry tone, rough textures, and nervous energy. They also anticipate the Tak cs' versions in an extremely strong Hungarian flavor and fearless, aggressive bowing. Intonation suffers now and then, and there are spots where the musicians' vigor trumps their accuracy. But on the whole, this is an admirable early achievement and worth hearing at least once to gain some perspective on the fascinating recording history of Bart k's greatest works. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi