# Arensky - String Quartet 1 op.11 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

A nice easy one here as there are only 2 recordings of this one. Not a favourite of mine (the 2nd quartet, IMO, is a much better piece) but still enjoyable enough and I particularly enjoy the 3rd and 4th movements.

*Lajtha* - warm, pleasant recording but the Lajthas are no Takacs quartet and, for me, this quartet needs more than the now-defunct Hungarians bring to the party. Not bad but dynamically found wanting.

*Better*

*Ying* - this is a frustrating performance. The Yings are caught perfectly in clear, responsive recorded sound however they bring some unnecessary touches to this one. Some exaggerated slides and strange dramatic choices of phrasing and dynamics slightly spoil this for me so it sometimes sounds mannered and slightly artificial so the flow is interrupted. It's still the better of these two recordings but without the additional fussing this could be much better. Don't get me wrong it's good though.

To sum up, this quartet could do with more competition so we could get the best of both worlds. Who knows what the future may bring.


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