Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Cuarteto Casals :: W.A. Mozart: Early String Quartets & Divertimenti K. 136, 137 & 138

This is THE one!

Kvetcher | Lakewood, NJ United States | 11/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a few random recordings of the early Mozart quartets, and this is definitely the best out there. One may access these quartets in the complete Amadeus Quartet set, or via the Hagen Quartet set. I enjoy the sound, tempos (yes, they are quick, but that's fine), and overall vivacity.



Don't go anywhere else. This set is worth the price!



Olive Blossoms"

A Bit Too Quick for My Taste at Times, but Nice Performances

James Skrydlak | Pella, Iowa | 06/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mozart's string quartets fall very neatly into the categories of "early" and "mature", perhaps more neatly than do any of his other pieces. The six quartets dedicated to Haydn were composed between 1782 and 1785, the "Hoffmeister" quartet (K. 499) in 1786, and the three "Prussian" quartets (K. 575, 589, and 590) in 1789, while the thirteen quartets on these recordings were composed between 1770 and 1773.



It is rare to hear a performance or find a recording of these early quartets; indeed, this is the only complete set of the early quartets that I can find by themselves (there is at least one set of all twenty-three quartets available). That's a shame. While Mozart's astonishing growth as a composer between, say, ages eighteen and twenty-five is evident in any comparison of these quartets with the later quartets, these are still fine pieces, exhibiting both Mozart's youthful charm and his early mastery of form.



The Cuarteto Casals is a group of young musicians (I would guess that none of them was as old as thirty in 2004 when this recording was made), and they bring a youthful energy and enthusiasm to their performances of the first thirteen quartets and three early divertimenti composed for string quartet, but more often heard played by chamber orchestra. At times, their tempi are a bit faster than I would prefer, but only a bit faster, and only at times. In all other respects, these are absolutely first-rate performances. I've enjoyed listening to them over and over."