Review: 55 CDs of the Excellent Emerson Quartet

With superb cycles of the complete quartets of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Bartók, the Emersons offer some of the best chamber music playing you'll find anywhere. Whether you already have most of this stuff, or need another big box, is of course up to you, but it's good to see Deutsche Grammophon at least giving the group the attention that it deserves.

[@Warp75]

I got the Shostakovich box from years ago & loved it. I haven’t seen it in over 10 years, but it’s somewhere

[@TomBenner1215]

Thank you!! Saw them in an intimate setting at Howard Community College, Smith Theater outside of Baltimore & DC. Changed my life..

[@josecarmona9168]

Dave, any chance you review the huge Prazak Quartet box? I think they are also amazing.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Sure I will, but you can find a whole bunch of reviews over at ClassicsToday.com of individual releases.

[@debrawhited3035]

Delighted to see this today. As a classical music novice, I am beginning to dip my toe into the pool of chamber music. I only have a few cds, but two of them are by the Emersons (not sure how that happened) - the Mendelssohn, and the Schubert (with Rostropovich joining for the quintet). I knew I enjoyed these very much, but it's always pleasing to hear someone with a wealth of experience agree with my impressions.

[@cappycapuzi1716]

I luv chamber music. how about Haydn's op. 20 and Beethoven's op. 59 next??

[@denbigh51]

Totally agree about their Haydn quartets. If only they had given us a complete cycle.

[@bendingcaesar65]

Yes, I'm also curious what you think of the Prazak box.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

It's sitting home and I need to work through it--a project for the coming days.

[@ammcello]

Such a comprehensive career they’ve had. Was lucky to see them do the Purcell Chacony, Shost 14 and Beethoven Op. 132 last summer, on their final tour. Was also in the audience for some of their live recordings of the Shost cycle from Harris Hall in Aspen in 1999 or 2000, indeed great. Couldn’t agree more about the lack of tenderness in Dvorak - not their jam. Would also include the piano quintet in that clump - Pressler (RIP) sounds absolutely sparkling and crystalline while the quartet is forced and aggressive. I find Larry Dutton’s slow vibrato particularly nausea-inducing. But yes, the famous Shostakovich, Schubert, Ives, Prokofiev discs are hallmarks of American chamber music. We have many wonderful American quarters now to follow in their footsteps.

[@paulmiller5205]

Hi Dave - you kind of hit on this with the sequels and prequels, but I was wondering if it might be also be interesting to do a video of the evolution of certain genres, like the sonata, the symphony, the concerto, or the string quartet? Perhaps covering the seminal works in the genre, and then those works that represented milestones or departures?

[@davidaiken1061]

Many thanks for this review. It won't have been the first time your recommendation has prompted an immediate purchase on my part! I hope Sony gets around to issuing a Guarnieri Quartet box. It's long overdue. The Guarnieris were a very distinguished American ensemble with a long career like the Emersons, though their collective tone and approach to repertoire was very different (and equally enjoyable, at least to my ears).

[@timdexter7600]

I really like string quartets. The first one I heard was not labelled as such, but I liked it and only later learnt it was a string quartet. So began my journey of exploration and delight. I don't really understand why I like listening to SQ's so much, but I do feel much indebted to Haydn for inventing the medium. My question is why did it become one of the most successful forms of chamber music. So many composers write SQ's even if just one or two, and even contemporary composers still write them. Was it because Haydn gave us such a wonderful and extensive set of examples in which he demonstrated their potential so well, or is it the challenge of creating something special from a group of instruments restricted in timbre? BTW you did promise, many moons ago, that you would do more videos on the Haydn SQ's, just in case you forgot (gentle reminder).

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you. I haven't forgotten--I just haven't gotten to it. I've still got to get through the symphonies and I'm behind on that series.

[@cappycapuzi1716]

Emerson is my go to string quartet. I've heard the criticism of slick and technical though I can't say I share that opinion. I really enjoy their "sweet and spicy" sound. What I cope with from Emerson is their tendency for fast tempi. I don't care for their Schubert quintet for that very reason.

[@alanmcginn4796]

I have not heard of this at all! I will have to check it out. Dave. This is going to be an epic series! Can I please ask a favor. Can you do a running list the same way you did with if I only choose one piece by x conductor, etc.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't understand...

[@alanmcginn4796]

@@DavesClassicalGuide for the ‘ifI could only choose one work by……’ series, you did the List so far, which I think was super helpful and great to scan. The same for this series as is grows would also be great.

[@samlaser1975]

So in agreement with you about the chauvinist bullshit used by some to generalise modes of playing by msuician. Can you give me some more details about the NJ swamplands please?

[@juandavidramirezquintero4587]

Dave. Did you enjoy the Schumann’s quartets in Pentatone? For me kind of a let down. Thank you

[@goonbelly5841]

Their fugues from the well tempered clavier is a great CD.

[@kanishknishar]

Hello Dave, a new recording of Bruckner's Fourth (1888) by Poschner? Are you going to video review it?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Some year.

[@adamfrye246]

Dvorak a la Grosse Fugue. An interesting slant. I am just trying to feel #11 like that.

[@justintanas9280]

Will you come live at my house and talk to me about music all day? I can offer pizza, whiskey and there are cats here too.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Pizza will do. I don't drink, but I'd love to pet the cats.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@henkmueller2550 Stupid?

[@joshgrumiaux6820]

@@henkmueller2550 And the 3 new discs are completely unnecessary. Did they really need to issue a new box just to jam their Britten and Purcell album in there? And the last two albums aren't even string quartet albums - they are a double album of live performances with Kissin. Two piano quartets (which could just as well be done by piano trios or string trios) and another performance of the Dvorak quintet to duplicate the one with Pressler. It would be one thing if they were trying to be uber-completist and issue every single one of their recordings in a box before the group disbands, but they've been releasing their final albums on Sony and Pentatone. (like Gil Shaham, putting out dozens of great albums on DG only to jump ship in their later years - why??)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

They didn't jump ship. They got dumped.

[@TomBenner1215]

You are dpot on, 1st Rate!

[@CortJohnson]

“Retire the Mozart flute quartets permanently” agreed! 😅😅😅😅