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The
Quartetto Italiano is
regarded as one of the
finest string quartets
of the twentieth
century. The
ensemble’s repertory
was broad and included
the entire quartet
outputs of Mozart,
Beethoven, Brahms,
Schumann and Webern,
and selected works of
Galuppi, Vivaldi,
Prokofiev, Stravinsky,
Bartók, Shostakovich,
Villa-Lobos,
Schoenberg and many
others. They were
formed officially in
1945 and by the early
1950s they had
achieved a measure of
international
celebrity, but by the
1960s the ensemble had
developed a worldclass
reputation. Between
1967 and 1975 they
recorded all the
Beethoven string
quartets for Philips
as well as the
complete quartets by
Mozart, Schumann,
Brahms and Webern.
They rarely
collaborated with
other soloists, but
did so notably on
Brahms’s Piano Quintet
op.34 with Maurizio
Pollini in 1974.
The
Quartetto Italiano
recorded all this
repertoire in the
studio, but we have
here some rare BBC
live performances from
1965 given in the
Royal Festival Hall.
They are recorded in
excellent stereo and
issued for the very
first time.
The only
performance by the
Quartetto of the
Boccherini to be
previously released is
a 1956 mono studio
recording, so this
live performance in
stereo from nine years
later is an important
addition to their
discography.
The
Quartetto Italiano
recorded all the
Mozart Quartets and
the Penguin Guide said
‘As a set, the
performances have seen
off all challengers
for two decades or
more.’ Mozart’s
Quartet No.17 K458
‘The Hunt’ is here
presented live in a
wonderfully dedicated
performance.
The
Beethoven Quartet
No.15 op.132 has
likewise been recorded
in the studio – the
Penguin Guide said,
‘The merits of the
Italian Quartet’s
performances are
considerable. The
sonority that they
produce is beautifully
blended and splendidly
focused.’ Critics
hailed it as the best
since the Busch
version, three decades
earlier. This is a
great performance of
Beethoven’s
masterpiece.
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