Album

Daring in virtuosity, vigorous in interpretation, and spellbinding in effect, the Takács Quartet has recorded one of the truly great sets of Bartók's monumental String Quartets (6), seldom matched and surely never surpassed. In hearing this stellar ensemble play, one is struck not so much by Bartók's unusual musical details or his myriad technical devices—the quartets are a virtual Bible of advanced string techniques—but instead, the listener is treated to "big-picture" interpretations that emphasize the shape of the movements and their relations to each other as coherent musical structures. The Takács Quartet's overarching, holistic interpretations are aided by the set's division: disc one features the odd-numbered quartets, and the even-numbered works are on disc two, so the awkward break between movements that normally results from a sequential arrangement is avoided. With explosive energy, genuine Hungarian passion, and astonishing propulsion, the musicians also play with an ear to intelligibility, and manage to make even the thorniest and densest of the quartets—Nos. 3 and 4—sound utterly natural, transparently structured, and deeply communicative. London's exceptional reproduction captures the ensemble with delicious resonance; while this takes some of the bite off the harshest dissonances, it adds a perceptible luster to Bartók's palette and is preferable to the aridity of some recordings.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.1 in A-, Op.7, BB52, Sz.40 Work 28:15 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
1	1.Lento	9:14			$1.49
2	2.Allegretto	8:06			$1.49
3	3.Introduction. Allegro. Allegro vivace	10:55			$1.99
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.3 in C#, BB93, Sz.85 Work 15:17 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
4	1.Prima parte: Moderato	4:50			$0.99
5	2.Secunda parte: Allegro	5:31			$0.99
6	3.Ricapitalazione della prima parte: Moderato; 4.Coda: Allegro molto	4:56			$0.99
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.5 in Bb, BB110, Sz.102 Work 30:09 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
7	1.Allegro	7:28			$1.49
8	2.Adagio molto	6:04			$0.99
9	3.Scherzo alla bulgarese	4:55			$0.99
10	4.Andante	4:49			$0.99
11	5.Finale: Allegro vivace. Presto	6:53			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.2 in A-, Op.17, BB75, Sz.67 Work 25:41 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
1	1.Moderato	9:41			$1.49
2	2.Allegro molto capriccioso	7:15			$1.49
3	3.Lento	8:45			$1.49
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.4 in C, BB95 Work 22:09 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
4	1.Allegro	5:56			$0.99
5	2.Prestissimo, con sordino	2:39			$0.99
6	3.Non troppo lento	5:26			$0.99
7	4.Allegretto pizzicato	2:36			$0.99
8	5.Allegro molto	5:32			$0.99
Béla Bartók Composer String Quartet No.6 in D, BB119, Sz.114 Work 29:10 Roger Tapping Viola, Andras Fejer Cello, Takács String Quartet String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre Violin, Karoly Schranz Violin
9	1.Mesto. Più mosso, pesante. Vivace	7:12			$1.49
10	2.Mesto. Marcia	7:45			$1.49
11	3.Mesto. Burletta: Moderato	7:20			$1.49
12	4.Mesto	6:53			$0.99