Despite having performed together for 33 years when this recording was made in 2005, the Brodsky Quartet was not yet a polished ensemble. Often, perhaps too often, their balances are uneven, their attacks are harsh and their rhythms are ragged. Nor are the Brodsky an elegant ensemble. Often, perhaps too often, their lines are edgy, their harmonies are hard and their intonation is sharp. If this disc featured the quartets of Mozart, these flaws might be fatal. But, as this disc features the quartets of Beethoven, specifically his E minor and C major quartets from Opus 59, these flaws are arguably not fatal but rather an essential part of their interpretation. In the savage E minor quartet, the Brodsky's harsh attacks and sharp intonation seem entirely appropriate while in the enigmatic C major quartet, the Brodsky's uneven balances and edgy lines seem wholly pertinent. For those brought up on the beautifully modulated Quartetto Italiano performances, the brilliantly virtuosic Alban Berg Quartet performances, or the consummately refined Amadeus Quartet performances, the Brodsky's performances may appear outré. For those brought up on the Clash, the Buzzcocks, and the Sex Pistols, the Brodsky's performances may appear apposite. Produced by Jeremy Hayes and the Brodsky Quartet for the eponymous Brodsky Records, the microphones are ideally placed to reproduce the performance with maximum clarity and minimum warmth.