This set of the String Quartets of
Mendelssohn may prove to be the most lasting contribution the
Emerson Quartet has yet made to the string quartet discography. While the
Emerson has always been slightly out of its depth in the quartets of
Bartók,
Beethoven, and
Shostakovich, in the quartets of
Mendelssohn, the
Emerson has met its match. This is not to disparage either the
Emerson Quartet, much less
Mendelssohn. The
Emerson is easily the finest string quartet in contemporary America, a supple ensemble with a warm tone, a strong technique, and an expressive manner. And
Mendelssohn is easily the finest of the German composers of the 1830s and 1840s, a polished composer with an inexhaustible imagination, an assured technique, and an ardent heart. Together,
Mendelssohn and the
Emerson are smart, stylish, witty, and touching. It is a pleasure to spend time in their company. While the vehemence of
Bartók, the sublimity of
Beethoven, and the agony of
Shostakovich may be just beyond the reach of the
Emerson, the humanity of
Mendelssohn is well within its grasp. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is clear, warm, and deep.