The Prazák Quartet is among the handful of string quartets at the very top of a crowded field, and reviewing another of its accomplished recordings runs the danger of dipping into a well-used bag of superlatives. But that’s the inescapable result of their playing–full of fire, rhythmic snap, well-blended tone, unerring tempos, and interpretive insights. Dvorák’s C major Quartet Op. 61 is often underrated. It shouldn’t be, for in the Prazák’s hands it comes off as a major work, almost 40 minutes of gorgeous melodies (it is by Dvorák, after all). In the middle movements, the quartet sings the Adagio sensitively and displays plenty of strength in the Scherzo, while the Finale, a stomping Czech dance, shows these players at their most captivating.
The substantial filler is Cypresses, a dozen brief pieces, each ranging from two to four minutes, consisting of Dvorák’s imaginative 1887 transcriptions for string quartet of songs written earlier in his career. Their mood ranges from gentle nostalgia to passionate declarations of love, the violins effectively replacing the singer, and the viola and cello, the keyboard. The result, especially in such a finely honed reading, is thoroughly natural sounding; you don’t miss the voice or the words. These little gems can stand by themselves. Dvorák never intended them to be played straight through, but grouping several together could enhance any concert program, and a piece like the fifth of the set, “You are my glorious rose”, would make a fine encore.
Heard via its CD layer, the sound on this SACD-CD hybrid is fully satisfying, the timbres true, details clear, and balances correct, with the kind of presence that makes you feel the players are in your room. [5/17/2005]
