Melos Quartet,1992.
Franz Schubert - 1797 - 1828.
31 years old when resurrected to eternal life (one hopes).
Abundant life really ain't about the time you have - it's what you do with it (remember that the next time you watch/listen to/read "Faust")...
And out of his final years come these 2 sublime works - the "Death and the Maiden" Quartet (so called because the tune from Schubert's earlier song of the same name is used as the theme for the slow movement), no. 14, and the A minor Quartet (no.13).
I determined this time to listen mainly to the Death and the Maiden movement - a haunting theme which, typically of the Schub, moves from a minor to major harmonic feel within the space of a few bars - I was interested to try and hear how death can seem grave AND inviting simultaneously.
This is a superb coupling of quartets - one for the intimate, personal, quiet evenings in.
Performance standard - well, it's the Melos Quartet, innit?
So, what do you expect - a bunch of amateurs?
Seriously, though, our adjectives include - silvery, silky, honeyed.
All the stuff you want from a good quartet.
10/10.
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