# New string quartets (ensembles)



## Kjetil Heggelund

So, who is the new hot thing in the string quartet world? Chiaroscuro? Cuarteto Casals? Artemis? 
Thought a new string quartet thread could be appropriate


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## Quartetfore

The Elias Quartet seems to be one of them. their complete set of the Beethoven Quartets has had very good reviews in the English press.


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## Ras

*The Danish String Quartet - maybe one of them...*

Surprise, surprise… in Denmark it is taa-daaaa…..: *The Danish String Quartet (formerly known as The Young Danish String Quartet)*. It's still the same members and since they are younger than me I feel they are still young.

Their latest release is a coupling of Bach, Beethoven and Shostakovich.

They performed all of Beethoven's String quartets in concert captured by the Danish Radio station DR P2 a few months ago.

This is their latest release on ECM:


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## Art Rock

The Dudok Quartet from Amsterdam is a name to keep an eye on. They have released a couple of albums that were well received. I've heard them live about 4 years ago, and I was quite impressed.


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## Josquin13

We're currently living in a renaissance for string quartet playing.

I don't know about hot tickets, but here's a list of 20 current string quartets that I've liked (& in no particular order):

1) Takacs Quartet--they're particularly excellent in Beethoven & Haydn: here's a link to their very fine Op. 76 set: 



2) Gewandhaus Quartett--a great Beethoven cycle on NCA, along with superb Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schumann & Haydn: 



3) Cuarteto Casals--Cuarteto Casals uses antique bows, with modern strings, & are especially good in Mozart & Haydn (a terrific Op. 33 set): 



4) Jerusalem Quartet:










5) Merel Quartet--Alfred Brendel has spoken highly of this group. Hearing them in Mozart & Beethoven, it's not hard to understand why: 



6) Elias Quartet: 



7) Artemis Quartet--in recent years, the Artemis Quartet has been revitalized by the addition of Latvian violinist Vineta Sareika, formerly of Trio Dali: 



8) Ebene Quartet: 



9) Zemlinsky Quartet: 



10) The Danish String Quartet: 



11) Artis Quartet: 



12) Quatour Van Kuijk: 



13) Quatour Parisii: 



14) Danel Quartet: 



15) Brentano Quartet: 



16) Heath Quartet: 



17) Maggini Quartet: 



18) Pacifica Quartet: 



19) Carpe Diem String Quartet:










20) Pellegrini Quartet: 




There's also the Doric Quartet, whose playing I don't know well, and the Prazak Quartet.

On period instruments, the Schuppanzigh Quartet is my favorite period string quartet, as they've made some of the finest Haydn SQ recordings I've ever heard. But I've also liked a number of other period SQs as well:

1) Schuppanzigh Quartet:






















2) Quatour Mosaïques: 



3) Quatour Cambini-Paris: 



4) Chiaroscuro Quartet:










5) Festetics Quartet: 



6) London Haydn Quartet: 



7) Apponyi Quartet: 



8) Quatour Turner: 



9) Edding Quartet: 



10) Quatour Terpsycordes: 




Among current SQs that seem to specialize in modern & contemporary music, the Jack, Arditti, & Pellegrini Quartets are first rate:














Two favorite groups of mine that have called it quits in recent years:

Chilingirian Quartet: 



Parkanyi Quartet (formerly the Orlando Quartet):


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Wowie! That's a lot to catch up on. I listened to the Chilingrian quartet this morning, sorry to hear they quit. Thank-you for such an informative post with links and all! Cheers


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## Itullian

Quartetto di Cremona.
Their new Beethoven cycle is fantastic.

The Belcea Quartet is another good one.
They have very good Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok cycles.


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## starthrower

Asasello Quartet established in 2000.


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## starthrower

The Calidore's are a young quartet less than 10 years old. I heard them play live a few years ago. They have a beautiful sound.


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## Quartetfore

I have recordings made by anumber of the groups listed, and I must say that I like each and every one. a name missing is the Pavel Haas Quartet. there "Dvorak and Smetana recordings are to my mind out standing, and their Schubert "Death and the Maiden" very exciting
I think that we are living in sort of a Golden Age of the Genre, I think that it would be very interesting to see twenty years from now what groups are still preforming, and who has fallen by the the way side.


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## Portamento

Quartetfore said:


> I have recordings made by anumber of the groups listed, and I must say that I like each and every one. a name missing is the Pavel Haas Quartet. there "Dvorak and Smetana recordings are to my mind out standing, and their Schubert "Death and the Maiden" very exciting
> I think that we are living in sort of a Golden Age of the Genre, I think that it would be very interesting to see twenty years from now what groups are still preforming, and who has fallen by the the way side.


This is the elephant in the room for me. Nearly impeccable Dvořák and Janáček.


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## Guest

congrats for josquin's great list; i would add 
-Borodin qt in the new line-up, aurel qt in great tacet sound, diotima qt, keller qt, hagen qt (in new line-up)
-for contemporary music there are great quartets: del sol qt, brooklyn rider, jasper sq, the calder qt, the ying qt, mandelring qt, leipziger string qt, maggini qt


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## sourmilkmoon

I am familiar with them and agree. Though I must say all these suggestions arguing to keep me busy.


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## xankl

Another thanks to Josquin for a great list of recommendations to check out. I was familiar with some but others have been very enjoyable discoveries.


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## AeolianStrains

Quartetfore said:


> I have recordings made by anumber of the groups listed, and I must say that I like each and every one. a name missing is the Pavel Haas Quartet. there "Dvorak and Smetana recordings are to my mind out standing, and their Schubert "Death and the Maiden" very exciting
> I think that we are living in sort of a Golden Age of the Genre, I think that it would be very interesting to see twenty years from now what groups are still preforming, and who has fallen by the the way side.


I've been eyeing them since the Death and the Maiden thread. I may have to take a plunge on them soon.


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## eugeneonagain

Here's the Von Quartet playing Ginastera's 2nd quartet in 2016.

I actually like the quartet better than its re-imagining as _Concerto for Strings_. Love the _Liberto e rapsodico_ and the final _Furioso_.


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## BlackAdderLXX

starthrower said:


> The Calidore's are a young quartet less than 10 years old. I heard them play live a few years ago. They have a beautiful sound.


It doesn't seem to be bad form here on TC to bump a thread from a year or two ago, so here goes...

Thanks for posting this @starthrower. This performance blows me away. These guys are fantastic. They play with such passion, and they blend so well together. A new favorite quartet to be sure.


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