# Dvorak - String Quartet 8 op.80 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I'd forgotten just how good the 8th Quartet's andante is. What a joy to reacquaint myself with it. Not many recordings and there was only one I found unbearable (the Kohon Quartet's intonation was just painful). Here's the rest.....

Recommended

Stamitz (but pretty slow) 
Albion
Chilingirian

*Highly desirable (all superb) *

*Vogler* - beautifully phrased performance in sensational sound. 
*Dvorak Quartet (1964) *- bags of character in the Janacek / Vlach Quartet tradition. Lovely Andante. 
*Panocha* - a bit more character in the Andante would have put this beautifully played account at the top. 
*Vlach Prague *(Naxos) - classy, spirited with a very fine 1st movement, in particular. 
*Kocian* - lovely use of dynamics and a lilting performance.

*Top pick*

*Prague* - that Andante is just perfect but the whole performance is just right with historic Czech performance stylings and gorgeous phrasing. This is possibly my fave performance from the fine Prague cycle.


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