 FINE ARTS QUARTET REVIEWS | ||
Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The Fine Arts Quartet, founded as long ago as 1946, remains a magnificent interpreter, here vividly recorded in sessions in Holland in 2006." (Penguin guide to Recorded Classical Music, 2008) Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 Selected as one of Musicweb International's "Recordings of the Year 2007" (Music Web International, December, 2007) Full review Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "The Fine Arts Quartet, plus Nathaniel Rosen on the second cello, give brilliant performances, warmly understanding as well as polished, and very well recorded in New York." (Penguin guide to Recorded Classical Music, 2008) Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "one of the very finest chamber-music recordings of the year" (American Record Guide, September/October 2007) Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "The Fine Arts Quartet is a highly accomplished ensemble. On the evidence of these superb performances and other recent releases such as the Schumann String Quartets 1-3 they prove themselves to be in the same elevated league as ensembles such as the Emerson, Škampa, Talich, Takács...There are only a small number of alternative versions of Glazunov’s String Quintet and Five Novelettes and none that I consider an improvement over this superb Naxos release." (Music Web International, November, 2007) Full Review Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "I cannot resist Glazunov's sweetly melodious String Quintet and the Five Novelettes on a new Naxos CD (8.570256), gorgeously performed by the Fine Art Quartet, with Nathaniel Rosen playing the second cello." (InsideCatholic.com, November 24, 2007) Glazunov: Streichquintett/5 Noveletten - Naxos CD 8.570256 "Die Noblesse und die distinguierte Spielkultur des Fine Arts Quartet lassen das Vorurteil, Glasunows Musik wäre zu seicht und ohne Tiefe, schnell vergessen und zeigen den russischen Komponisten schlicht und einfach als Meister von wunderbaren musikalischen Einfüllen." (Ensemble Magazin für Kammermusik 4/2007: August und September) Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "I cannot leave the theme of chamber music without recommending the Naxos release (8.570151) of Robert Schumann's String Quartets Nos. 1-3, played so expressively by the Fine Arts Quartet. Playing of this caliber in music this wonderful makes for an outrageous bargain." (Crisis Magazine, July/August 27, 2007) Full Review Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "Phrasing is warm and affectionate; rhythms are moulded and not detonated; homogeneity of string tone ensures a capacious sound...the performances are sympathetic and accomplished and the recording allows plenty of detail to register without becoming clinical. Genial Glazunovians will enjoy the wares on offer." (Music Web International, June, 2007) Full Review Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "Loving performances and spectacular sound...should qualify this release for some kind of 2007 music award. Don't pass it up!" -- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (Crock's Newsletter, April 28, 2007) Full Review Glazunov: Five Novelettes and String Quintet - Naxos CD 8.570256 "Powerfully energetic and tenderly poetic...Anyone who knows and loves Glazunov and doesn't know these works should hear this disc." (Allmusic.com, March, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String quartets Nos.1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The outstanding aspect of these performances is the quality of sound, rich and beautifully blended. With a heartfelt, expressive quality, they're able to bring out fully the lyrical side of Schumann's invention...Throughout, the tone is full and rounded, and never harsh...Their playing is elegant and singing...It's lovely quartet playing, and I'll want to return to it." (Gramophone, March 2007) Schumann: String quartets Nos.1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The tone, as ever with this line-up, is both beguilingly tangy and warm...The lyrical side of Schumann, which predominates in the quartets, is beautifully handled." (The Strad, March 2007) Schumann: String quartets Nos.1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The Best of 2007 (headline) ...Here are the albums that have got the best reviews from Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, Classics Today, and MusicWeb" (Nereffid's Guide to eMusic Classical, March 2007) Full Review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "Edge-of-the-seat playing marked by probing insights...The FAQ's intonation and balances are beyond reproach. Its ensemble is razor sharp in the quicker music, and in the slower moments its phrasing breathes naturally (no mean feat). Given the competition by such ensembles as the Emerson, Melos, and Takács Quartets, they shine. The sound of this disc is excellent, capturing the quartet's distinctive timbre and steering a judicious course between linear detail and ensemble heft and mass. In short, this is desert island stuff." (Fanfare Magazine, March 2007) Schumann: Les Quatuors à cordes N°1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "Cette formation prestigieuse nous livre une lecture exceptionnelle de précision, d'atmosphères et de nuances...Il convient de qualifier cette lecture comme il se doit: incontournable." (ResMusica.com, March 03, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String quartets Nos.1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "...a must for any serious lover of string quartet music..." (Wholenote, Toronto, February, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The unanimous attack and the homogenous sound at once places this group among the elite of today's chamber music ensembles." (MusicWeb International, February 07, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String quartets Nos.1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The gently beguiling presentation of the music by the world-class Fine Arts Quartet is executed with the introspective nuance necessary for the performance of any Schumann composition. This is an animated, invigorating recording that will satisfy both the seasoned and amateur music enthusiast." (SceneMagazine.com, Feb.1, 2007) Full Review (page 27) Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "It can hardly get better than this (headline)... The American 'Fine Arts Quartet' of course raises high expectations, but this new recording makes immediately clear that it can hardly get better than this. With close rapport, the musicians perform intensively with their instruments: one can only give oneself to the music." ("Amerikanska 'Fine Arts Quartet' väcker förstås skyhöga förväntningar, men denna nyinspelning klargör omedelbart att bättre än så här kan det knappast bli. De tätt sammanlänkade musikerna levandegör intensivt med sina instrument: det är bara att låta sig omslutas.") (Tidningen Kulturen, Sweden, January 30, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "These lovingly prepared and perceptive readings from the Fine Arts Quartet, captured in lucid sound, have one re-thinking this particular body of Schumann's work with rejuvenated interest. Each work, no, each movement is a gem...Such soulful utterance is tenderly brought out by the Fine Arts Quartet, its members deft and buoyant...one hears, gratifyingly, many 'old-style' touches from the Fine Arts musicians...this is the sort of playing that makes one want to explore further the Fine Arts Quartet's projects...thoroughly recommendable...a release and an ensemble that is once messenger and champion of Schumann's quartet triptych." (Colin Anderson, ClassicalSource.com, January, 2007) Full Review Glazunov: Streichquintett/5 Noveletten - Naxos CD 8.570256 "Die hervorragende Einspielung von A. Glasunows Streichquintett op.39, einem Meisterwerk der Gattung, mit dem Fine Arts Quartett und Nathaniel Rosen schliesst eine Lücke im so reichhaltigen Katalog von Naxos...das Fine Arts Quartett und der Cellist Nathaniel Rosen legen eine in allen Belangen überzeugende Interpretation dieses Meisterwerkes vor...Die orchestrale Anlage des Quintetts scheint wie geschaffen für das Fine Arts Quartett und Nathaniel Rosen, die das Werk stets in vollen Zügen auskosten und technische oder intonatorische Probleme nicht zu kennen scheinen." (magazin.klassik.com, 22.11.2007) Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "Lovely playing and recording - a possible Rosette record! The Grumiaux's performances of these six masterpieces...have deservedly held Rosette status for many years now in the Penguin Guide. Now here comes a set from French audiophile house Lyrinx which has been given no pubicity or press at all but whch, to my ears and mind, challenges the Grumiaux's...for a share in that Rosette. The Fine Arts/Gandelsman approach to these wonderful pieces is slightly more romantic, warm and genial than the intense but spare Grumiaux set...I loved [the Fine Arts Quartet's] warmth and humanity, - but a warmth which is not without darkness and drama where appropriate...And the sound? Well, its absolutely splendid...The Fine Arts (pure DSD) sound on Lyrinx matches the performances, - intimate but open, detailed but warm. All in all, this is a splendidly performed and recorded set of great music which is by turns eminently civilised and intensely dramatic. Easily 5/5 and the first real challengers to that Grumiaux Rosette." (P. Simpson, Amazon online review, Jan 26, 2005) Full review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "Listening to the Fine Arts Quartet...it is impossible not to notice a certain ripeness in both their sound and approach...the voice of experience tells. They are always wise to this inventive music's ever-changing spirit, drawing the full emotional effect from the luscious expressivity of the slow movement of No. 3, yet rejoicing equally in the blatant mischief of the catchy ritornello that punctuates that work's exultant finale. Three stars" (The Sunday Times [London], January 21, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The Fine Arts Quartet plays the works with sensitivity, apparent ease and a fine sense of give and take...The Quartet makes a strong case for all of them." (Infodad.com, Jan.18, 2007) Full Review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "CDs of the Year 2006: SCHUMANN The complete string quartets. Fine Arts Quartet, Naxos, 8570151. Just out! The Fine Arts Quartet was my big chamber-music revelation this year: it's that golden-age edge that I adore, the intense sweetness of first violin Ralph Evans' tone, the beauty of the close-knit sounds and the completeness of their involvement in the music - as superb as ever in Schumann's personal, subtle and sensitive quartets which, again, are never played as often as they should be." (Jessica Duchen's Classical Music Blog, Dec.23, 2006) Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "The Fine Arts Quartet...is one of America's best quartets...This is an outstanding set." (J Scott Morrison, Amazon online review, December 22, 2006) Full review Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "These versions of the three Schumann string quartets certainly testify to the [Fine Arts] Quartet's genuine class and musical refinement." (Guardian Unlimited, December 15, 2006) Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3 - Naxos CD 8.570151 "Long phrases are a characteristic of the playing, the four priceless instruments sounding exquisite in the quiet and pensive passages, the slow movement and opening to the finale of the second quartet never having emerged with greater beauty. The first and second quartet's scherzos bubble with pleasure." (David's Review Corner, December 2006) Full review Dohnányi: Die Streichquartette - Aulos AUL 66145 "Das seit mehr als 60 Jahren existierende Fine Arts Quartet aus den USA hat sich diese Werke - wie man es gewohnt ist - mit Lebendigkeit, Ernst und frischem Musikantentum angenommen, ganz im Sinne und Geiste der Ideen des Komponisten und mit faszinierenden Aspekten für den jeweils anders gearteten Klang der jeweiligen Entstehungszeit. Ein doppelt grandioses Zeugnis: von der Musikalität dieses nimmermüden Quartetts und von der zu wenig beachteten Besonderheit Dohnányis als Komponist." (Ensemble - Magazin für Kammermusik, August/September 2005) Dohnányi: Die Streichquartette - Aulos AUL 66145 "Das Fine Arts Quartet kann wieder rundum überzeugen, die hohe Klangqualität unterstützt den positiven Gesamteindruck." (klassik.com, June 15, 2005) Full review Dohnányi: Die Streichquartette - Aulos AUL 66145 "...die vorliegende CD des Fine Arts Quartet überrascht... und fesselt ... Dohnányi-Quartette werden geradezu aufregend." (Deutschlandfunk, May 29, 2005) Full review Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "One of the few SACD boxed sets to have appeared until today, a complete recording of the Mozart String Quintets, played by the Fine Arts Quartet... which comes in stereo and multi-channel, is extraordinary in instrumental color and precision." (Videohifi, 2004) Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "I queued up the Fine Arts Quartet & Yuri Gandlesman's triple SACD of the Mozart String Quintets and reveled in the newfound soundstage that separated each musician from his fellow in the recording acoustic in a way that I'd never quite experienced before. And the tone of the two violins, the violas, and the single cello was utterly pure." (Soundstage, December, 2003) Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "Here are brand new recordings in the best possible sound on SACD. In fact, the sound is thrilling - warm and airy, yet detailed - and makes you appreciate the playing all the more...[The Fine Arts Quartet's interpretations] are more dramatic, more colorful, more emphatic than the Grumiaux's...There is a lot of warmth and beautiful tone as well. In fact, they make K.614 more beautiful than I have ever heard it." (American Record Guide, Sept/Oct 2003) Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "Gloriously rounded in tone and beautifully captured in the atmospheric acoustics of Fontevraud Abbey (those readers with a surround-sound decoder can access the Super Audio track to spellbinding effect), these interpretations come as a revelation...The performers catch the dark patina to perfection - the warmth behind the chill and the tears behind the laughter... When the music dances merrily in the major, the change of mood is like an electric shock, so uncontainable is this ensemble's infectiously communicated joy... Highly recommended." (The Strad, January, 2003) Mozart: String Quintets 1 - 6 [Box set] - Lyrinx LYR 2214 SACD "...a new recording from my long time favorite string quartet...The playing is just superb, and...the spatial separation is almost holographic, adding dimensional interest to the rapid-fire musical exchanges going on between the instruments." (Hi-Res Audio Reviews, January, 2003) Full Review Wolf: Quartet/Italian Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "warm, full sound...this Hänssler Fine Arts Quartet performance...is well played by this long established American group in the pleasing acoustics of the Sudwestfunk Studios in Baden-Baden." (Penguin guide to Recorded Classical Music, 2008) Wolf: Quartet/Italian Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "A silver-toned, scampering rendition of Wolf's witty and concise Italian Serenade makes a delightful encore. Warmly recommended." (Classics Today, January 10, 2002) Wolf: Quartet/Italian Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "In this recording, the Fine Arts Quartet is well on top of the music's technical demands and plays with enthusiastic energy." (The Strad, January, 2002) "True to their name, the musicians of the Fine Arts Quartet exhibit a high degree of artistry, and they have a beautiful sound, which is but one of their many means of artistic expression." (Frankfurter Allgemeine, November 9, 2001) "The Fine Arts's blend, precision of ensemble, dynamic range, and sheer interpretative heft proclaim them among the finest of today's string quartets." (Music Web International, September, 2001) Full review Wolf: Quartett d-Moll/Ital. Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "Die Interpretation springt einen beim Hören förmlich an: Das Fine Arts Quartet legt hier eine Referenz-Einspielung des ohnehin sträflich vernachlässigten, meisterhaften Quartetts von Hugo Wolf vor...Das Fine Arts Quartet entwickelt einen 'Ich lasse dich nicht'-Sog, dem sich kein Hörer entziehen kann - eine Studio-Produktion mit allen Meriten einer Live-Einspielung." (Klassik Heute, 01.07.2001) Full review Wolf: Quartett d-Moll/Ital. Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "A breathtaking recording of an underappreciated work." (Rondo Magazine [Germany], May 10, 2001) Wolf: Quartet/Italian Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "The Wolf D Minor Quartet is a work that makes severe demands on the players, and few are those willing to risk programming it in public. The Fine Arts Quartet makes as strong a case for it as one could wish, in a performance that carries real conviction; and the Italian Serenade...is also most attractively done." (BBC Music Magazine, October, 2001) Wolf: Quartett d-Moll/Ital. Serenade - Hänssler Classic CD 93.024 "The CD is to be highly recommended." (Crescendo, das KlassikMagazin, Oct/Nov 2001) Haydn Quartets Op.77, No.1 & 2 - Lyrinx CD 196 "These are warm and characterful accounts of Haydn's last two completed quartets." (International Record Review, December, 2000) Haydn Streichquartette Op. 77 - Lyrinx CD 196 "Unangekränkelt von historisierenden Bestrebungen und frei von selbstherrlichen Manieriertheiten bieten die vier Herren Quartettspiel auf höchstem Niveau, ausgewogen in der Darstellung, sorgfältig in der Artikulation, homogen im Klang." (Klassik Heute, 01.10.2000) Full review Haydn Quartets Op.77, No.1 & 2 - Lyrinx CD 196 "The artists of the Fine Arts Quartet display an eloquence with artistry and sensitivity, while emphasizing the dynamics of the contrasts and the paroxysmal tensions which underlie the entire work." (Le Vif/L'Express, August 25, 2000) Mozart String Quintets K.515 & 516 - Lodia CD 7703 "These performances came as delightful, provocative surprises...I learned to love these works all over again which is worth much more than the price of admission. I am afraid to ask for more, because I fear they cannot do it again; their readings sounded that good." (American Record Guide) Dvorak Quartet Op.96, Shostakovich Quartet No.1, Turina La Oracion del Torero - Gasparo Records LP GS-223 "This is really a great record." (The New Records) Debussy & Ravel Quartets/ Mozart String Quintets/ Beethoven, Wolf, Haydn - Lodia CD's 7700, 7701, 7702, 7703, 7704 "Seldom have artists offered performances of such quality and consistency in a multiple issue. The Mozart Quintets and Debussy/Ravel pairing are as good as any in the catalogue." (The Strad) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "The playing seemed an inevitable and natural extension of the music itself...Each player has a fine technique and produces a rich, unforced quality of tone; and the quartet as a whole is a remarkably flexible and subtle instrument...I could only surrender to their music-making with total enjoyment." (Gramophone) Shostakovich Quartets No.3, 7,11 - Adés CD 14.161-2 "The Fine Arts Quartet offers one of the best performances available." (Fanfare) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "The Fine Arts Quartet ... has released cherishable performances of Mozart and Schubert." (American Record Guide) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "The Fine Arts Quartet goes on my short list of performances I cherish, along with the Budapest, Busch, and Lindsay." (American Record Guide) Dvorak Quartet Op.96, Shostakovich Quartet No.1, Turina La Oracion del Torero - Gasparo Records LP GS-223 "This quartet has played everywhere and is one of the busiest and most in demand...They are excellent, their style and presentation is perfect. They impress you, not as a quartet, not as virtuosi, but simply with the impact of the music and their understanding of it." (Audio Magazine) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "A more genial, equally accomplished approach is that of the Fine Arts Quartet on Lodia 7700 [Schubert] coupled with "just as wise and winning (American Record Guide) an account of the Mozart "Dissonant" Quartet." (The CD Guide to Classical Music by Douglas C. Brown) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "Strong, detailed readings of both these masterpieces." (Hi-Fi News) Shostakovich Quartets No.3, 7,11 - Adés CD 14.161-2 "The Fine Arts Quartet's disc: impeccably played, powerfully recorded." (American Record Guide) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "Rare are the American quartets who have been able to find in Mozart such a simple style, such a flowing manner and pure spirit ... Their interpretation ranks among the most renowned (Amadeus 1966, Berg 1985)." (Diapason, France) Mozart Quartet K.465/Schubert Death and the Maiden - Lodia CD 7700 "This recording of the Fine Arts Quartet is exceptional...The interpretations exhibit breathtaking splendour. The most perfect mastery and balance, the purest and richest sounds are married with warmly romantic intensity...and sovereign intelligence of shape and organization. The most beautiful interpretations are not better than this new one...Conclusion: This is at the top of the discography." (Compact, France) |
New Haven (Yale University) "FINE ARTS QUARTET SUCCEEDS WITH PRECISION, SUBTLETY (headline)...The Fine Arts Quartet is an American institution. They have a presence in the world of recorded music that makes the opportunity to hear them live irresistible...The quartet has a product that is extremely well-sanded with a core of interpretive values that impressed repeatedly throughout the evening. Simple things, often: the release of a chord, resonance created through matched vibrato, octave playing balanced perfectly across registers, tempi adjusted in subtle, effortless ways...The ecstatic atmosphere set the stage for an effervescent finale...The precision was emblematic of the evening; four players in a state of motion shaping a series of core interpretive values." (The Hartford Courant, November 29, 2007) Full review Milwaukee "SPARKLE AND SPIRIT (headline)...The Fine Arts Quartet finished their spring season in fine form last Sunday, proving that well-known works can sound fresh and exciting when performed by master musicians...This performance showed the Fine Arts at their best, with a rich sound and effortless musicality." (ExpressMilwaukee.com, April 16, 2008) Full review Jerusalem "We were in the company of four of today`s greatest chamber music players...The Fine Arts Quartet placed the work under a magnifying glass, picking up on the smallest and most delicate of details, presenting not a showy interpretation but rather one of fine detail and humility... The Fine Arts Quartet was using its large palette of colors to remind us that music is a form of entertainment, a play of layers and textures, a feast of the senses." (gojerusalem.com, October 25, 2007) Full review Menton "MAGIQUE - FINE ARTS QUARTET (titres)...Avec la venue, hier, du Fine Arts Quartet, le Festival de Menton a vécu hier une de ses grandes soirées...Leur interprétation eut une douceur magique; elle fut modèle de souplesse, de cohérence, de musicalité." (Nice Matin, 18 August 2007) Prades "Avec le Fine Arts Quartet on entrait dans une autre dimension. Ralph Evans (1 er violon), Efim Boico (2 nd violon), Yuri Gandelsman (alto) et Wolfgang Laufer (violoncelle) forment le plus beau des équipages qu'aurait pu rêver d'avoir Franz Schubert afin de jouer son fameux quatuor "Rosamunde". Tout en grâce et en délicatesse, le Fine Arts Quartet nous restituait le charme de cette partition...Toute la spontanéité et la clarté de sa musique, toute la dimension émotive de son écriture étaient là, sous les archets subtils du Fine Arts Quartet." (L'Independant, 03 Aout 2007) Full review Aachen "Das Fine Arts Quartet gehört zu den traditionereichsten wie berühmtesten Quartettformationen der Gegenwart. Den vier amerikanischen Musikern im Rahmen der Quintseence-Konzerte in Aachen zu begegnen, wurde denn auch zu einem Erlebnis besonderer Art. Nicht oft präsentiert sich im Krönungssaaal ein Kammermusikensemble dieses Ranges." (Aachener Zeitung, March 26, 2007) Full review Toronto "Their tone is warm, rich, colourful...Without question, the Fine Arts Quartet has something that touches the imagination, as if they were possessed of a Keatsian 'Negative Capability' that allows them to put off who they are and to give expression to the music as it is." (Showtimemagazine.ca, February 8, 2007) Full review Phoenix "The Fine Arts Quartet played like angels for their appearance at the Phoenix Chamber Music Society. Every phrase was thoughtful, every thought was musical." (Arizona Republic, December 8, 2006) Caramel, CA "GLORIOUS QUARTET PLAYING! (headline)...brilliant individual playing and amazingly dramatic climaxes. This was quartet playing at its best." (Peninsula Reviews, December 1, 2006) Full review Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival "So verhalten zu beginnen, dazu gehören Mut und Können. Für die vier eleganten Herren ist das kein Thema. Seit Jahrzehnten spielen sie zusammen. 200 Werke haben sie im Repertoire, die sie mal so eben aus der Tasche ziehen können. Da herrscht Sicherheit und Selbstvertrauen. Sie spielen auf den Punkt genau zusammen. Phrasierungen, Pausen, Dynamik - alles, als wenn es eine Person wäre... Was das Fine Arts Quartet...vorführte, war atemberaubend." (Hamburger Abendblatt, 4. August 2006) Full review San Diego "The Fine Arts Quartet played with the expected flawless expertise they've been showing off for years... Schubert's sensational masterpiece...received an emotionally riveting performance" (SanDiego.com, June 15, 2006) Miami "The quality of the ensemble work, ravishing sound and interpretive abilities continue to make Fine Arts Quartet one of the most impressive groups playing today." (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 13, 2006) Full review Cleveland "These musicians play together with mature artistry, strong technique, rhythmic freedom and good rapport." (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, May 10, 2006) Washington, D.C "The group gave...a tight and skilled performance, demonstrating an excellent sense of ensemble" (Washington Post, May 6, 2006) Aachen "Das Fine Arts Quartet demonstrierte erneut seine herausragende Klangkultur, Spielperfektion und sein märchenhaft vertrautes Zusammenspiel." (Aachener Zeitung, Feb. 14, 2006) Rolandseck "MEISTER IM QUARTETTSPIEL (Überschrift)...Das braucht Meister im Quartettspiel. Also solche, die dann auch im langsamen Satz von Schumanns F-Dur-Quartett op.41,2 diese raffinierten harmonischen Einfälle so verführerisch spielen können, dass man glaubt, sie zum ersten Mal zu hören. Die Fine-Arts-Leute legen da den Finger auf Klangfarben und Modulationen, die, so eingekleidet, bei Schumann eher überraschen." (Kölnische Rundschau, Feb. 11, 2006) Full review London (with Philip Dukes at the Wigmore Hall) "Ten hands, five hearts, one mind. Gorgeous." (Maureen Lipman, The Guardian, February 10, 2006) Bielefeld "WO DIE SEELE WOHNT (Überschrift)...Fine Arts Quartet im kleinen Saal der Oetkerhalle ...eines der renommiertesten und kunstfertigsten Streichquartette unserer Zeit...Das Fine Arts Quartet...erschafft fur den Augenblick aus der Synergie des Vierklangs musikalische Impressionen von gewaltiger Tiefe und Brillianz, Strahlkraft und sogartiger Hörfreude. Die Gleichung aus den vier gleichwertigen Instrumenten-Variablen geht auf - egal welches musikalische Genre den fabelhaften Zugriff erfahren darf...Das Publikum machte aus seiner Bewunderung keinen Hehl. Zwei Zugaben...bestarkten noch den Eindruck eines Ausnahme-Konzertes." (Neue Westfälische, Jan. 31, 2006) Milwaukee "ELEGANT QUARTET (headline)...The four members of the Fine Arts are master musicians, with unquestionable technique and almost psychic communicative abilities." (Shepherd-Express - Milwaukee, Jan. 12, 2006) Norfolk "STRING QUARTET DELIGHTS WITH TECHNICAL MASTERY (headline)...The Fine Arts Quartet played with a refined elegance, using tones that were perfectly balanced, allowing each instrument to remain individual while blending into the ensemble...With sensitivity to every musical nuance, the group was able to draw the audience into the distinct personal worlds of the three different composers." (The Virginia Pilot - Norfolk, Oct. 19, 2005) Prades "C'est le génialissime Fine Arts Quartet qui présente le Quatuor No.1 en Fa M op. 18 de L. V. Beethoven et le Quatuor No.4 en Ré M op. 44 No.1 de F. Mendelssohn. Peut-on espérer entendre meilleure interprétation? Authenticité du discours musical, homogénéité des timbres et des caractères, il n'y a que l'essentiel, ils flottent, au dessus, comme réunis en une égrégore musicienne. Cet orfèvre des quatuors offre en bis le Final du Quatuor No.1 de Chostakovitch et la Valse ridicule de A. Casela. Un moment extraordinaire." (ResMusica.com, 04 Aout, 2005) Full review Prades "Una sesión que comenzó nada menos que con el Fine Arts Quartet, un grupo de sonido transparente en el repertorio mozartiano, con independencia y a la vez feliz conjunción de sus voces en esos puntos de encuentro que son la esencia del género camerístico. La versión del Cuarteto en re menor K. 421 de Mozart que realizó el Fine Arts Quartet fue romántica, con vibrato bien compensado en la suavidad del sonido, y con gracia, elegancia y profundidad en la expresión, propia de un grupo acendrado y de la gran calidad de sus integrantes." (La Vanguardia.es, 10 August, 2005) Prades: Abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxà "Dans le Quinzième quatuor (1783) de Mozart, le Quatuor Fine Arts déploie une palette sonore et expressive remarquablement large, conjuguant rondeur et aspérités, retenue et grands gestes dramatiques, transparence et rythmes bien marqués..." (ConcertoNet.com, 08 August, 2005) Full review Prades: Abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxà "En seconde partie, le Troisième quatuor (1838) de Mendelssohn, premier de l'opus 44, bénéficie d'une interprétation tout aussi complète et équilibrée, délicate mais sans mièvrerie, tour à tour charmeuse et tranchante, onctueuse et incisive." (ConcertoNet.com, 02 August, 2005) Full review Montpellier "Autrement plus familier, le Premier quatuor (1799) de Beethoven bénéficie ici d'une approche souriante et délicieusement surannée, avec ses sonorités moelleuses et ses portamenti d'un charme un rien langoureux. Allante et transparente, davantage en légèreté qu'en puissance, cette vision est mue par un souci d'équilibre classique plutôt que de fougue romantique, même dans le fameux Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato, tandis que l'Allegro final préserve souplesse et articulation malgré un tempo très enlevé." (ConcertoNet.com, 26 July, 2005) Full review Prades "La délicatesse de l'écriture de Mozart a été magnifiquement rendue par les virtuoses du Fine Arts Quartet à la maestria irréprochable." (l'Indépendant, 10 August, 2005) San Diego "The Fine Arts Quartet excelled at the fine art of quartet playing ..." (San Diego Union-Tribune, June 6, 2005) Full review New York: Carnegie/Weill Hall "The maturity and incisiveness of the Fine Arts Quartet's ensemble was a pleasure to hear, as were its subtle dynamics." (The Strad, May 2005) Ségry, France "Netteté des attaques, précision, justesse, les Fine Arts ne se contentent pas d'en livrer une version techniquement parfaite, ils s'investissent dans cette ouvre ou chaque voix de cette polyphonie à quatre s'entend sans être pour autant individuelle. Leur son ne se fait jamais grinçant ni agressif, ils peuvent se montrer véhéments ou enragés sans ruer dans les brancards, réservant le meilleur d'eux-mêmes pour un public qui n'a pas perdu une note de cette interprétation de haute volée." (ResMusica.com, 07 Mai 2005) Paris "Le Fine Arts Quartet est en parfaite empathie avec cette musique [Herrmann] qui ne s'adresse ni à notre cerveau, ni à nos émotions mais directement - par un miracle que je n'ai pas encore percé, mais je cherche - à notre système nerveux...Leur interprétation du Lento [Dvorak], subtil enchaînement de thèmes mélancoliques, est parfaitement inoubliable... Les rappels se sont poursuivis par le splendide Andante de Mendelssohn, que le Fine Arts Quartet a rendu avec une émotion remarquable et dans une atmosphère d'adieux... Un très, très beau moment." (Anaclase.com, Paris, Janvier, 2005) Full review Roma "Ralph Evans e Efim Boico violini, Yuri Gandelsman viola e Wolgang Laufer violoncello hanno strappato già qui i primi plausi tenendosi dapprima in punta d'arco, ma sempre con ritmo unanime e con gusto, poi scaldando progressivamente il fraseggio. Nella seconda parte, sull'altrettanto notissimo Quartetto di Schubert in re minore «La morte e la fanciulla» (1826) hanno giocato carte ancora più speciose, sfoderando la gamma degli effetti, facendo perno sulla complessa e ripetuta elaborazione tematica, sull'arditezza delle modulazioni, l'adesione alla tensione psicologica, al dramma pessimistico del Lied, senza dare tuttavia minor prova nei tre numeri successivi fuori programma (Sostakovich, Glazunove Mendelssohn) di apertura a un vastissimo repertorio, che ci auguriamo di godere in altri concerti, constatata la raffinatezza e versatilità del quartetto, la sua tecnica e amalgama squisiti." (Il Tempo, Roma, Sabato 5 Marzo 2005) Full review Gijon "La excelente técnica y compenetración, así como su belleza sonora, fueron los puntos fuertes de las lecturas de unos instrumentistas que demostraron ser unos excelentes solistas - dotados de un modélico virtuosismo individual- y un magnífico conjunto camerístico - unánime en las entradas, ataques y remates-, donde prevalece el buen entendimiento. No pudieron ser, pues, más estimulantes ni técnicamente mejores... Los músicos desmenuzaron las páginas de manera intensa y audaz con las inclinaciones pentatónicas que la caracterizan. El apasionado «Lento» fue contenido, lírico e intenso, donde las intensidades instrumentales alcanzaron cotas que no son habituales. Fue un concierto sobresaliente que gozó de la aprobación del respetable, que fue obsequiado, además, con dos bises: Glazunov y Haydn. Inmejorable." (La Nueva Espana, Gijon, 21 de enero, 2005) Full review Bonn "FINE ARTS QUARTET BEGEISTERT IM BONNER BEETHOVEN-HAUS (Überschrift)...Durch die feinsinnige Wiedergabe bestätigte das Fine Arts Quartet seinen Ruf als ein Ensemble von beeindruckender Klanghomogenität und nobler Spielkultur... Mit großem Ernst und intensiven Klang- und Ausdrucksgesten wurden die geschilderten Leidenschaften durch das Fine Arts Quartet nachgezeichnet." (General Anzeiger - Bonn, 12 März 2005) Full review Luxembourg "UNE VISION MUSICALE RéFLéCHIE, UNE PALETTE SONORE RAYONNANTE - MAGNIFIQUES INTERPRéTATIONS PAR LE FINE ARTS QUARTET (headline)...D'une précision et d'une vigueur imaginative irrésistibles, voici un quatuor au sommet de son expression artistique, en pleine maturité, qui nous vient d'Amerique. Servi par une technique transcendante et un sens musical exigeant, le Fine Arts Quartet nous a donné de magnifiques interprétations qui témoignaient d'une recherche personnelle. Leur jeu souple mais rigoureux, la diversité nuancée de leur palette sonore, étaient au service d'une conception vaste, ou l'unité profonde de chaque composition était mise en valeur. On y ressentit une clarté presque intemporelle, qui n'excluait d'ailleurs pas certaines approches originales, comme celle qui nous surprit dans une interprétation de Grieg assez inattendue." (Luxemburger Wort, 29 Oktober 2004) St. Augustine "The Fine Arts Quartet proves it's the finest in chamber music (headline) ...And so the concert began with Beethoven's "Opus 18, No. 5," the audience stone-still in rapt attention. In a matter of moments, the auditorium became an intimate chamber and the tight group of four at center stage closer and larger. The notes wrought from their intruments were pure and perfect, particularly in the quiet passages. One had only to close one's eyes to be enveloped." ( St. Augustine Record, Jan 14, 2005) Oxford, England "First guests in the Oxford Chamber Music Society's series, the Fine Arts opened with [a performance]...as hallowed as polished oak - not surprisingly, [considering] the quartet's maturity and long partnership...There was a courtly grace...[which] heralded, indeed, a performance where the lucidity of structure, and the salt and pepper of the detail were perfectly merged." (Oxford Times, November 5, 2004) Newcastle "The Fine Arts Quartet were a picture of pure refinement. And their immaculate silver hair was matched with experienced flair as they proceeded to deliver one of the most dazzling concerts in the Newcastle International Chamber Music Series." (Northern Echo, November 5, 2004) Full review Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival "FINE ARTS QUARTET: STOFF UND GEIST IM GLEICHGEWICHT" (Überschrift) (Welt Online, 9. August, 2004) Full review "FINE ARTS QUARTET: GREAT ARTISTRY (headline)...The classical program was one of absolute perfection." (Le Monde de la Musique, January 2004) Hannover "The gentlemen from the USA leave the chamber music public no doubts as to what they stand for: cultivated, refined playing." (Allgemeine Zeitung, Hannover, January 30, 2004) Siegburg "ÜBERWÄLTIGENDE INTERPRETATIONSKUNST (Überschrift)...Das Kammerkonzert in der Aula des Stadtmuseums Siegburg in der immer hochkarätig besetzten Reihe Resonanzen, das vom WDR aufgezeichnet wurde, war ein solches Erlebnis, wo jedes geschriebene Wort über die Musik nur eine Annäherung an gelebter Musik sein kann, ein musikalisches Ereignis von außerordentlichem Rang, bei dem man sich dem Genusse hingeben und der Sprache der Seele horchen konnte...Höchste Inspiration, Homogenität im Klang, ein besonderes Gefühl für die Feinheiten der jeweiligen Werke und der Musiksprachen der Komponisten waren die Vorzeichen dieses Kammermusikabends." "FINE ARTS QUARTET: OVERWHELMING ARTISTRY (headline)...This chamber music concert...recorded by WDR, was such an experience that written words describing the music can scarcely do justice to what was heard live. This was an extraordinary musical event where one could indulge in pleasure and hearken to the voice of the soul ...Highest inspiration, homogeneity of tone, and a special feel for the subtle details of each work and the musical language of the composers - all these were hallmarks of this chamber music evening." (General Anzeiger, Bonn, February 8, 2004) Full review Aachen "MUSICAL NOBILITY THAT CAN'T BE SURPASSED" (headline) (Aachener Zeitung, February 12, 2004) London: Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room "The Fine Arts Quartet makes a beautiful sound..The glowing tone, warm but never slushy vibrato and opulent phrasing was just right." (The Strad, June 2003) Harrisburg "It is frivolous to imagine the ideal string quartet. But if any ensemble approaches that quixotic level, surely it is the Fine Arts Quartet...Mozart combined with musicians of this caliber was nothing short of transcendant." (Harrisburg Patriot-News, November 10, 2002) San Francisco "Few ensembles can reach the level of the Fine Arts Quartet for the closely matched intensity of playing, to say nothing of the lyric gleam of the tone. There was not one hint of the gangbusters aggressiveness that has become popular with some ensembles. It was just beautiful playing through and through... As for the Ravel, its destiny could have been to have been placed in the hands of the Fine Arts Quartet, who played it with the exuberance as well as the gracefulness that are inherent in this ardent work...An ensemble of lyric purity, the Fine Arts Quartet takes a back seat to none." (San Francisco Chronicle) Chicago "My thoughts went back to the old long vanished Budapest Quartet...Here was the same richness of sound, the well-remembered warmth, the typical Central European mixture of lyricism and wit. This was an uncommonly fine example of chamber music." (Chicago Sun-Times) Detroit "The Fine Arts Quartet is like the most comfortable of friends, one who allows you to kick off your shoes, let down your pretenses and wallow in the great warmth of its personality." (Detroit Free Press) St. Louis "They form an ensemble whose surface polish is as impressive as its interpretive depth, whose approach to music-making is remarkably unified, whose energy and panache seem limitless." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Los Angeles "There was an emphasis on passion - a compelling, unexaggerated, often seemingly impetuous involvement in the music - throughout the program." (Los Angeles Times) San Francisco "As fine a string quartet sound as can be heard from an American group today." (San Francisco Chronicle) Pittsburgh "They maintained a distinctive collective profile, and generated a vitality that brought the music to life...The players achieved a conversational quality, probing the emotional content of this compelling score in a personal, yet always collaborative way." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Oklahoma City "Rarely has such an elegant, rich and stylish ensemble been heard here." (Daily Oklahoman ) Jerusalem "An exciting ... program was performed with brilliance in all aspects, proving the Fine Arts Quartet to be at the top of its field. One runs out of superlatives to describe its technical flawlessness and often-breathtaking precision. There were beautiful sonorities in every mood and attention to minute detail without any loss of large lines or continuity. It was one of those rare evenings when the critic succumbs to unreserved enjoyment of the music." (Jerusalem Post) Liverpool "It was symptomatic of their approach throughout - seamless, elegant, sometimes gentle music - making...and the apparent effortlessness that comes only with total mastery." (Liverpool Daily Post) London: Wigmore Hall "The Fine Arts Quartet...an ensemble notable for its mature musicianship." (The London Daily Telegraph) Milwaukee "The Fine Arts Quartet is clearly one of America's treasures." (Milwaukee Sentinel) Phoenix "Truly Fine Artistry Graces Ensemble's Concert (headline)...The ensemble swept the capacity audience off its feet with some of the finest chamber-music making in years." (Arizona Republic) Toronto "Fine Arts Quartet Lives Up to its Name (headline)...It takes refined artists to explore the subterranean passions of composers from Russia, Spain and Bohemia -- fortunately, the Fine Arts Quartet has those skills in abundance... The historically informed Fine Arts four can handle a vast repertoire with urgency, astute balance, fluid declamations and extreme eloquence." (The Toronto Star, April 30, 1999) Albuquerque "The Fine Arts Quartet returned to the June Music Festival in triumph...The players won a small, collective gasp of pleasure from the audience...We must hear more from these players." (The Albuquerque Journal) Kitchener "Magical Mozart (headline)...This Quartet is made up of four extraordinary individuals. The level of finesse, joined with impeccable taste, intelligence, diligence and intimate knowledge of their repertory results in an ensemble sound of incredible variety and control ... This concert is among the half-dozen finest musical events within memory." (Kitchener-Waterloo Record) Milwaukee "The loyal fans on hand must have recognized that they had just experienced something extraordinary...Here, one was able to reach that rare state of consciousness in which awareness of the music eclipses that of the performance, where the performers' egos are subsumed into the composers' intention." (Milwaukee Sentinel) Indianapolis "The players' grasp of...style seemed uncanny...The brittle energy, the veiled but lurid colors, the clash of aggressive and introspective impulses - all these qualities were faithfully brought out by the Fine Arts Quartet." (The Indianapolis Star) London: Wigmore Hall "It's rare to hear a string quartet of such manifest maturity and distinctness of personality." (Financial Times, London) Toronto "AN EVENING OF FIRST-RATE MUSIC-MAKING (headline)...Mature, dynamic performances of works by Wolf, Schoenberg, and Mendelssohn." (Toronto Globe and Mail) Milwaukee "There are concerts and there are great musical events. Sunday's performance by the Fine Arts Quartet...was one of those great events." (Milwaukee Sentinel) Carmel, CA "Brilliant Fine Arts Quartet Leaves Audience Almost in Shock" (headline)... The performance was all that this critic could possibly have wished for. The virtuoso concerto-like passagework for all four players was done with breathtaking ease and assurance. Chamber music amateurs in the audience (including me) were almost in a state of shock at the end." (The Carmel Pine Cone) Birmingham "The Fine Arts Quartet is one of those groups that have earned its position among the top in chamber music." (Birmingham Observer-Eccentric) Milwaukee "JOY OF MUSIC SHINES IN QUARTET'S OFFERING" (headline) (The Milwaukee Journal) Ft. Lauderdale "The ensemble offered an elegantly phrased, rich-toned...beautifully shaded performance." (Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale) Lexington "The Fine Arts Quartet gave a performance last night that was a veritable feast of rich tone color and drama...The Quartet played with exquisite sensitivity." (Lexington Herald Leader) Greenville "The Fine Arts Quartet's performance in the International Chamber Music Series Thursday night goes on my short list of the richest, most elegant and provocative chamber music events in Greenville in recent years." (The Greenville News, January 29, 1999) New Haven "An excellent concert by the Fine Arts Quartet...These four musicians played as a seasoned quartet. Blend was excellent...The Fine Arts Quartet showed the range of their warmly sympathetic treatment of the literature. "(New Haven Journal-Courier) Austin "The Fine Arts Quartet (received) a standing ovation for an impeccably tailored recital...This ensemble's sound has the smooth, mature patina of well-worn kid leather...The end effect was one of comfortable beauty. "(Austin American-Statesman) Kalamazoo "FINE ARTS QUARTET EXCELS AT THE CIVIC (headline)...A musical golden glow suffuses all that the ensemble plays so that a masked, or burnished quality cushions each note...This group performs all kinds of music so beautifully... that few ultimately can resist. Thursday's concert proved an exciting and glorious evening of music on its own terms." (Kalamazoo Gazette) Edmonton "QUARTET SHOWS BRILLIANCE (headline)...Consummate artistry by the Fine Arts Quartet." (The Edmonton Journal) Providence "FINE ARTS QUARTET SHOWS SILKY REFINEMENT (headline)...This is a fine-honed ensemble, up there with the very best...There was a kind of unhurried ease about their playing, a mellowness that allowed one to savor the music...For all its grandeur, this was also a remarkably refined performance." (The Providence Journal-Bulletin) Lexington "With its highly polished ensemble technique, its refined and understated interpretations, its finely regulated tonal balance, the Fine Arts Quartet showed what fine chamber playing is all about." (Lexington Herald-Leader) Portland, OR "The Fine Arts Quartet opened the 50th season of Friends of Chamber Music with a concert that was fresh and invigorating...illustrating the strengths of quartet playing: cohesiveness, technical aplomb and unity of sound and musical style... The Fine Arts Quartet played with enormous refinement, creating sound textures that were so vivid, they seemed almost tactile." (The Oregonian, Portland) Corpus Christi "These remarkable musicians...played Schubert, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky as though these composers and their extremely challenging music were old friends. And were the composers to hear this captivating ensemble, these friendships would, no doubt, have deepened." (Corpus Christi Caller-Times) Waterloo "FINE ARTS QUARTET CONCERT IS MARVELOUS EXPERIENCE (headline)...The Quartet gave the scores their own interpretive signature." (Waterloo Courier, Iowa) Columbus, OH "The Fine Arts Quartet is carrying on a tradition of superior music-making. Saturday's performance satisfied even the pickiest chamber music fanatic." (Columbus Dispatch, Ohio) Worcester "The Fine Arts Quartet presented a beautiful program of chamber music... Worcester Art Museum was filled with an afternoon of stringed virtuosity." (Worcester Evening Gazette) Bloomington (Indiana University) "FINE ARTS QUARTET TRANSCENDS IN PERFORMANCE (headline)...Sitting down at the typewriter to summarize the impressions left after hearing the final two concerts by the Fine Arts Quartet in its 1999 summer series, one recalls, first of all, the total: a fabric of tonal luster and richness of weave... The just-completed set of Fine Arts Quartet concerts was outstanding, as rewarding a package as the group ever left behind...Most of all, I'll remember the nobility, the spirituality, the melodic beauties of those first two movements in Schubert's C Major Quintet. The reading by the Fine Arts was profoundly moving." (Herald-Times, Bloomington, Indiana) Bloomington (Indiana University) "The Fine Arts Quartet performed a spectacular program to an electrified full house...Next summer's Bloomington engagement of the Fine Arts Quartet can be anticipated as an event to be savored." (Bloomington Herald Telephone) Paris "In 50 years of existence, the Fine Arts Quartet still shows their traditionally silky sonority in fine, seamless and agile readings." (Le Monde, Paris) Geneva "Among today's excellent chamber music ensembles, the Fine Arts Quartet is in the first rank. The pleasure of listening is pure enchantment. "(La Suisse, Geneva) Berlin "A thrilling concert of chamber music was performed by the Fine Arts Quartet. The four musicians conveyed the highest level of performance and musical poetry." (Morgenpost, Berlin) Edinburgh "The Quartet No.2 of Borodin opened with such tenderness that one wondered if one had ever really listened to this piece properly before. What has always been considered a musical lollipop became in these hands, a highly sophisticated confection." (The Scotsman, Edinburgh) Chicago "Their style is elegant and polished...their intonation remarkably clean." (Chicago Tribune) Jerusalem "The highest level of performance...very musical playing and a great sense of style." (Jerusalem Post) Grenoble "DIVINE VIRTUOSITY"(headline) (Le Dauphine, Grenoble) Geneva "All repertoire seems to be suited to these musicians of the highest caliber, virtuosos without ostentation...The secret of the Fine Arts Quartet: it rests among the elite few able to display a spatial poetic conception." (La Tribune de Genève) "One can only be bewitched by their perfection...It is nearly too beautiful." (Journal de Gien, France) "THE RARE PEARL" (headline) (L'Express, France) Grenoble "Fine Arts Quartet at the Alps Festival: Superb!" (headline) (Dauphine Libère, Grenoble) Geneva "Once more, we salute the warm and luminous qualities of the Fine Arts Quartet whose remarkably mellow and homogeneous playing succeeds in leaping over the threshold of jubilation." (Le Courrier , Geneva) Cologne "FINE CHAMBER MUSIC (headline)...Their secret: they were just superb (with) perfect intonation. All voices were equal, perfectly balanced and sensibly weighted." (Stadt Anzeiger, Cologne) Naantali "The Fine Arts Quartet fulfilled my highest expectations." (Turun Sanomat, Naantali, Finland) Wurzburg "FOUR FIRST-CLASS MUSICIANS FASCINATE" (headline) (Main-Post, Wurzburg) Zurich "Striking tonal homogeneity." (Neue Zuricher Zeitung) Saarbrucken "The proof that the Fine Arts Quartet may be consistently rated as the best of its kind was evident Friday evening at the first of the master concert series." (Saarbrucker Zeitung) Graz "The Fine Arts Quartet is regarded as an American institution...Superior virtuosity enhances carefully thought out, clear, well structured interpretations." (Kleine Zeitung, Graz, Austria) Ingolstadt "The Fine Arts Quartet belongs to the quartet formations of the elite class with the richest traditions. The wonderful nobility of tone, the sensational sound transparency, and the terrific balance of the ensemble playing is all there...The fantastic tone quality of the Quartet fascinated the public in the Konzertverein." (Donau Kurier, Ingolstadt) Palma de Mallorca "MEMORABLE SHOSTAKOVICH (headline)...The Fine Arts Quartet's performance was rapt, compelling and technically of the highest order. The Haydn and Dvorak quartets were each given immaculate performances. Apart from many incidental pleasures, the abiding impression was of the sympathy of the playing and the remarkable quality of the sound...Say what you like, and fiddle with your controls as you like, but no hi-fi equipment will ever reproduce instrumental richness and sonority of the kind we heard in the Santa Domingo Cloisters on Wednesday night." (Daily Bulletin, Palma de Mallorca) |