There are at least half a dozen good to great recordings of Smetana's String Quartets that have been recorded in the last ten years and, not unexpectedly, most of them have been performed by Czech quartets. And it's not as if quartets of other ethnicities have not given it their best shot: there are also fine recent recordings of the works by American, English, and German quartets. But the Czech quartets have the inside line to Smetana's music, to its drama and lyricism, to its strength and tenderness, to its charms and ...
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There are at least half a dozen good to great recordings of Smetana's String Quartets that have been recorded in the last ten years and, not unexpectedly, most of them have been performed by Czech quartets. And it's not as if quartets of other ethnicities have not given it their best shot: there are also fine recent recordings of the works by American, English, and German quartets. But the Czech quartets have the inside line to Smetana's music, to its drama and lyricism, to its strength and tenderness, to its charms and tragedies.So is there any reason to hear this 2003 recording of Smetana's quartets by the Talich Quartet? After all, the Talich already recorded both quartets in 1984 and, coupled with three of Smetana's polkas for piano played by Radoslav Kvapil, that recording has been available since 1988. In the intervening 19 years, the Talich's technique has not improved measurably nor have its interpretations appreciably deepened. What was rough-hewn in 1984 is no more so in 2003 and what was...
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Add this copy of String Quartets to cart. $5.97, very good condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Calliope.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Includes disc(s), case, booklet, and back artwork. May show slight wear. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality.