An old, but wonderful performances!
01/17/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"How in the world that these remarkable performances are out of print? There are so many worthless performances in the market that does not meausre up nowhere near the achievement of this group. The Capet Quartet was a magnificent group who played with great intensity and spirituality. Their performance of No.15 surpasses even the classic Busch Quartet in terms of other-worldly serenity. And Capet's playing of the recitative has a most heart-wrentching quality (and he is the only one who really plays the passage like a vocal recitative). They also achieve an organ-like texture in the slow movement of the No.15, without vibrato. No.14 is no less extraordinary. The recorded sound will not please people who are used to hearing a clean, scratchless recording, but if one loves these works, this CD should be a required listening."
The Capet Quartet's Sublime Late Beethoven
Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 05/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amazon's Leslie Gerber and the other reviewer here have really hit the nail on the head: these are simply sublime readings. No matter what other versions you may have, these ethereal performances should be heard and treasured. The sound is old (1927/28) but these readings handily transcend the sonics. Intense spirituality, purity of tone, and delicate rhythmic pulse are just a few of the Capet's outstanding attributes. What a tragedy that the group's leader Lucien Capet died in 1928, thus ending what might have been a far lengthier series of superb chamber recordings.
Highest recommendation: out of print, but worth the search."
