Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 10 & 11

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For some, Beethoven's string quartets may seem over-performed and recorded too often, and the appearance of yet another recording may elicit only a tepid response, if not outright dismissal. But the truly jaded listeners need to give this splendid disc a try, for the Prazak Quartet offers an amazing musical experience and makes this familiar repertoire sound new, urgent, and genuinely exciting. Vol. 4 of the ensemble's recordings of Beethoven's quartets pairs two middle works, the String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ("Harp") and the String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ("Serioso"). Both pieces are masterfully rendered, with wonderful cohesion, great sonic depth, and riveting energy, and the Prazak's interpretations are as intellectually coherent as they are emotionally compelling. Best of all, the group's sound is almost orchestral in its nuanced timbres and powerful massed sonorities, and the players' technical resources are fully exercised to provide the widest possible range of string colors. The Prazak is clearly a quartet for the digital age, and one that is well served by DSD recording. Hearing this superb ensemble in any format would be a pleasure, but Praga's hybrid SACD makes the experience all the more enjoyable. The musicians are captured with lifelike presence and the acoustics are naturally resonant.
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