Recordings of these marvelous works aren’t exactly thick on the ground, though they belong with the quartets of Bartók, Janácek, and Shostakovich as among the finest pieces in the medium to come out of Eastern Europe (or anywhere else for that matter) in the last century. Part of the problem stems from the fact that both quartets are relatively short (totaling less than 40 minutes for the pair), and it’s difficult to find logical couplings, given that fact that they tend to be “specialty” repertoire. But they are so lovely (sort of like Bartók meets Scriabin with an overall sexy French ambiance) and so immediately enjoyable that playing time really ought not to be a significant issue.
Poland’s Camerata Quartet really digs into each work, turning in richly Romantic, lusciously decadent performances of this highly colored and ecstatic music. The players open the first quartet with a big, full sound (the very warm, “present” recording helps considerably), and they’re particularly adept at clarifying important details such as the rhythmic underpinnings of the finale’s tipsy-sounding waltz and the Second Quartet’s Vivace scherzando central movement.
First violinist Wlodzimiers Prominski does a particularly fine job phrasing his often atrociously high-lying part with songful sweetness–and, more to the point, with very good intonation. These are fine performances then, slightly preferable in my view to the principal competition on Naxos, but also more expensive. Listeners enchanted by this music won’t care, though, and they shouldn’t.
