This set of Mendelssohn's complete string quartets is like a clever, interlocking puzzle that forms an artful whole. There are many different elements at work here, each of which plays a part in the success of this set. First is the ensemble. The Pacifica Quartet is impressively matched not only in timing and phrasing, but also in tone and articulation to such a degree that the separate instruments form a single unit, which perfectly suits Mendelssohn's writing. Even though these quartets have solo melodic passages, ...
Read More
This set of Mendelssohn's complete string quartets is like a clever, interlocking puzzle that forms an artful whole. There are many different elements at work here, each of which plays a part in the success of this set. First is the ensemble. The Pacifica Quartet is impressively matched not only in timing and phrasing, but also in tone and articulation to such a degree that the separate instruments form a single unit, which perfectly suits Mendelssohn's writing. Even though these quartets have solo melodic passages, contrapuntal movements, bowed lines against pizzicato, all the musical lines in Mendelssohn's music -- whether for piano, chamber ensemble, or orchestra -- work together toward the same emotional expression. The Pacifica finds an excellent balance between that Romantic sentiment and the Classical refinement in this music, between drama and form. This is possible because the Pacifica is firmly and confidently in control of everything it does, both as individuals and as a group. Even in the...
Read Less
Add this copy of Complete String Quartets to cart. $36.21, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Cedille Records.
Add this copy of Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets to cart. $73.62, new condition, Sold by Entertainment by Post - UK rated 1.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BRISTOL, SOUTH GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2005 by Cedille Records.