The Amadeus Quartet was a top ensemble of the 1960s and 70s which featured three Viennese-Jewish émigrés and a British cellist. This Alto release brings together their legendary recordings of Brahms’ String Quartets, Dvořák’s “American” Quartet, and Haydn’s “Emperor” Quartet. From the May 2023 issue of BBC Music Magazine: “there is a songful quality to everything the Amadeus does, and it is immensely touching hearing these Jewish musicians give such a dignified account of Haydn’s variations on the Austrian national anthem, effectively reclaiming a culture Hitler tried to deny them.” (Daniel Jaffé)
BBC Music Magazine lists the Amadeus as one of the 10 Best String Quartets of All Time
*** (Top Rating) “I’m struck afresh by the power, precision and sheer puissance of their music-making. … The Brahms quartet recordings remain outstanding; affectionate but free of affection, considered yet vitally spontaneous.”
“[The Amadeus’s Dvořák is] strongly conceived, full of ardour… scherzo & finale show their brilliance of ensemble.” Penguin Guide
