At last! Supraphon has released these classic performances, for years the reference editions of this music, in superbly remastered sound that seems not to have dated at all. Anyone who has yet to hear this legendary group is in for a treat. They display all the best qualities we have come to love in the great Czech quartet tradition: perfect internal balance, natural rhythmic grace and athleticism, and a tightly focused sound that never becomes harsh or “catty”. Their performances of Janácek’s two amazing quartets are very different from the high-voltage Smetana Quartet versions, being more relaxed, darker in sonority, and closer to the folk music roots of the composer’s melodic inspiration. While certainly not less exciting than the competition, they are even more compassionately human. No one who cares about these quartets can afford to ignore this disc, one of the most important chamber music recordings ever made.
The excellent quartet by Vítezslav Novák, a fascinating work in two large movements (a fugue followed by a freewheeling fantasia), makes for much more than a mere bonus, and provides further reason to explore the Janácek Quartet’s superlative music making. This last item is decent mono, and the performance could hardly be bettered. The sound rating applies only to the Janácek works, which were recorded in stereo in 1963. [5/12/2000]
