Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (2008)

Led by violin soloist, conductor, composer, and all-round first-rank musician Adolf Busch, the Busch Quartet was widely regarded as the great quartet of the inter-war period. All four players -- Busch, second violinist Gösta Andreasson, violist Karl Doktor, and cellist (and brother of the first violinist) Hermann Busch -- had an uncommon unity of ensemble and altogether rare unanimity of interpretation, and their performances were always marked by their incredible collective intensity. Though contemporary listeners might ... Read More

Led by violin soloist, conductor, composer, and all-round first-rank musician Adolf Busch, the Busch Quartet was widely regarded as the great quartet of the inter-war period. All four players -- Busch, second violinist Gösta Andreasson, violist Karl Doktor, and cellist (and brother of the first violinist) Hermann Busch -- had an uncommon unity of ensemble and altogether rare unanimity of interpretation, and their performances were always marked by their incredible collective intensity. Though contemporary listeners might find their tone too acerbic and their intonation too hit-and-miss, contemporary listeners with more open hearts, minds, and ears will also hear what it is about these performances that have commended them to generations of music lovers. Here the Busch Quartet tackles some of the greatest quartets ever written for the medium, and only the obviously antique sound keeps this from being a first recommendation for listeners. Especially filled out with a 1941 recording of Busch leading the... Read Less