Here, the relatively unknown
Shanghai Quartet delivers a recording of the final three of Beethoven's Opus 18 string quartets that rival the best ever made by better known European and American groups. The
Shanghai Quartet has the tonal beauty of the
Quartetto Italiano, the flexible ensemble of the
Emerson Quartet, and the integrity of the
Alban Berg Quartet, plus a supple sound and a fresh style that are ultimately all its own. In the C minor and A major quartets, the
Shanghai's opening Allegros are well argued and convincing, the Andantes are tenderly expressive, and the Menuets are delightfully droll. In the final B flat major quartet, the
Shanghai gets beneath the long lines of the central Adagio ma non troppo and brings out the high drama in the famous "La Malinconia" that precedes closing Allegretto. Anyone interested in Beethoven's early quartets or in first-rate string quartets should at least sample this disc. Camerata's sound is bright, clear, and just the other side of real.