The New Orford String Quartet’s lean and lithe performance keeps Schubert’s No. 15 within the bounds of chamber music, eschewing the orchestral/Brucknerian aspirations of ensembles such as the Verdi Quartett or Quartetto Italiano. This gives the reading a welcome clarity of line and texture, in the first movement and finale especially. However, this occasionally comes at the expense of dramatic tension, most notably in the slow movement’s gripping second subject, which sounds less so in this rendition. Likewise, the scherzo sounds a little plain next to the shadowy menace conjured by the Alban Berg Quartett. Of course, the Alban Berg is a special performance (as is, in a different way, the Verdi Quartett’s) that captivates through its lyrical intensity and dynamic extremes. The New Orford musicians acquit themselves well, providing an impeccably-played, concise, and well-considered rendition, even if they leave some of the music’s depths unplumbed.
Beethoven’s final quartet was composed the same year (1826) as Schubert’s, and while Schubert’s bridges the classical and romantic eras, Beethoven’s work leaps ahead to the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Verdi in the first movement, Shostakovich in the scherzo, and Dvorák in the finale. The New Orford reveals these elements in its solid, potent reading, even if they do not venture to push the envelope, tempo and inflection-wise, in the manner of the Emerson Quartet. The Lento (theme and variations) comes off best, drawing tender, heartfelt playing from the musicians, captured in Bridge’s vivid, top-drawer recording.
Having these two great works on one program is the main draw for this release. The New Orford’s performances are of sufficient quality to satisfy those desiring such a coupling. To be enthralled, however, go for the recommended alternatives.
