Robin Holloway

Journey with Beethoven

Surprisingly (for it seems so against the odds) these have been good — even great — times for that apparently most elitist medium, the string quartet.

issue 31 January 2009

Surprisingly (for it seems so against the odds) these have been good — even great — times for that apparently most elitist medium, the string quartet.

Surprisingly (for it seems so against the odds) these have been good — even great — times for that apparently most elitist medium, the string quartet. Longer-established groups have flourished and matured alongside the emergence of plentiful younger ones, sometimes of outstanding calibre. The inexhaustible extent of this incomparable repertoire has been, and continues to be, marvellously served by its current exponents.

Among whom the Endellion, just embarking on their 30th anniversary season, are not least. They cover the whole classic range from Haydn to Bartók, with liberal representation of recent and new works, with equal stylishness, energy, accomplishment: no eccentricities — a mainstream/bread-of-life presentation, obtruding nothing between the music and its realisation.

As their handsome new box of the totally complete Beethoven output for four and five string-players attests.

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