These live recordings were made on Stradivarius instruments in the Library of Congress' Coolidge Auditorium between 1943 and 1960 by one of the top string ensembles of our century. It's the first installment of Bridge's planned reissue of the complete cycle of Beethoven quartets played by this phenomenal group, which is unfortunately no longer together – that alone makes this music priceless.
Everything desirable in a Beethoven quartet is here: from raw jagged imaginative and emotional power to sublime sensitivity that pulls out every nuance and echo. Beethoven would be proud.
Copyright © 1997, Mark Longaker