# Mendelssohn - String Quartet 6 op. 80 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I've loved this SQ for a long time and along with the 2nd SQ it's my favourite Mendelssohn SQ, totally unlike his others. I just love the tremelo in the first movement, the beauty of the 3rd...it's just a joy. There's a few ways of interpreting it. Some go for a darker approach, some for a more angry, brutal reading and others play it in a loving, spiritual way. I'm open to any interpretation as long as it works as a cohesive whole. The key is to be consistent in your thoughts and playing style. So after living with the different recordings for some time I've collated my thoughts on the recordings I have, or those I've listened to via Spotify. Here goes. Remember these are only MY thoughts and only apply to this quartet and not to the whole Mendelssohn cycles that some are from (although some of these are from single perfromances not part of a complete set)......
Here's the Esme Quartet showing how to do it effectively.






*Tier 2 - The Very Good*

*Dudok* (Solitude album)
*Cherubini* (solid all-rounder)
*Emerson* (underplayed but great playing)
*Artemis* (lacks emotional depth)
*Badke* (young group who make a solid attempt. Fresh)
*Bartholdy* (sounds a litle dated but solid reading)
*Coull* (Lovingly played but needs more umph)
*Modigliani* (not a clear vision of the whole SQ but superbly played and considering I didn't rate it on first listen it still grows in my estimation)
*Maggini* (excellent until the finale which is poor)
*Vision* (interesting interpretation, played from memory whilst stood up!)
*Carmina* - String and persuasive playing in a natural acoustic. Nice.
*Carducci* (a real grower, gathers a head of steam)
*Kuss* (stunning Oehms recorded sound, in-your-face, close-up miking but certainly one that makes you sit up)

*Tier 1 - Excellent

Ysaye* (deep, rich bass, lovely account)
*Escher* (limited vibrato, cohesive, angry)
*Eroica* (great all-rounder, period instruments)
*Calidore* (Really well-played and thoughtful. Very impressive)
*Pacifica* (absolutely stunning recorded sound, good tension but I want more emotion)
*Minguet* (tight and punchy, similar to Aurora but not as good)
*Ebene* (vivid, clear, close-up recording with punchy dynamics)
*Henschel* (Superb, a hair's breath off the top for me)
*Doric* (Beautifully emotional, only let down by broad pacing of 2nd movement or it would have been in the top slots. I may come back to this as it's a very different but valid account of the allegro assai and I'm still not sure if it works)
*Talich* (highly-charged, super sound, one of the angrier accounts in the first two movements)
*Mandelring* (superb, narrowly missed the very top tier)
*Takacs* - although the Takacs play with fine vigour I'm not always convinced they feel this quartet as they do the Fanny Mendelssohn quartet from the same disc. It's an accomplished performance but the slightly dry sound partly obstructs some of the textures the quartet creates. Still a very impressive recording.

*Top Tier - Sublime

Leipzig *

Absolutely brilliant playing. This one plays the middle line between darkness, anger and love. All movements work really well and as a whole it's a highly classy, perfect performance.

*Elias*

An account full of angst and pain but with tenderness and joy in the 3rd movement. Really impressive and I love the sound of the cello, in particular. Rich and sonorous.

*Gewandhaus*
Rich, vivid and strong-willed with plenty of urgency. Solidly structured and superbly performed.

*Psophos*

A late addition but what a belting account. Full of vitality and power. Very impressive indeed. I forgot about this one which I picked up as a digital download a while back on recommendation.


*My top Pick

Aurora*

Everything about this performance works. The recording is superb with lots of clean bass. It's quick, urgent and for me conveys the spirit of the piece differently than the others. The Aurora's first two movements are less angry yet express the pain of Mendelssohn's loss whilst celebrating his love for his sister without going over the top. The 3rd movement is absolutely beautiful, seeming to rejoice in the memory of his sister without moping or soppy sentimentality. The final movement conveys spirit and joyfulness more than any of the others I've listened to.

As I said, there was a Rizla paper beetween Tier 1 recordings and the very best, it's just a matter of personal preference.


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