Cecil Aronowitz Mozart The String Quintets

The Amadeus were the most successful and highly-regarded Quartet of the 20th century. Benefitting from the jet aeroplane and from the record industry s ability to reach out to world, they dominated chamber music making for nearly 40 years. But concert tours are only successful if reviews are ecstatic and audiences delighted. They both were. For nearly 40 years, the Quartet (who styled themselves The Wolf-Gang ) roved the world, argued, celebrated and worked like no other group, and changed not a single member: Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel, Peter Schidlof and Martin Lovett had a recording career from 1951 to 1987, ending only with the death of Peter Schidlof in 1987.

The Amadeus were the most successful and highly-regarded Quartet of the 20th century. Benefitting from the jet aeroplane and from the record industry s ability to reach out to world, they dominated chamber music making for nearly 40 years.

The third volume of radio recordings with the Amadeus Quartet is dedicated to works of its eponym. From the very beginning, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s string quartets were a matter of the heart for the Amadeus Quartet. During the ensemble’s long career, which lasted for nearly 40 years, the great majority of its concert programmes contained at least one work by Mozart.

These early performances by the greatest string quartet of the 20th century are absolutely gorgeous. They may not be quite as virtuosic as the Amadeus' later stero recordings of Mozart's quartets and quintets, but they are more mellow and lyrical. Combining expert musicianship, technical mastery, gorgeous sound, vivacity, and unbelievably tight ensemble playing, the Amadeus Quartet brings out the beauty of every melodic line of Mozart's ingenious compositions and does justice to each note and ornament.