# 10 greatest string quartets (ensembles)



## Heliogabo

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/guides/artist-guides/top-10-string-quartets

What do you think? 
Are your favorites here? What other quartet ensembles would you add to this list? What other recordings?


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## Heliogabo

I would add Guarneri, Emerson and Julliard quartets.


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## TurnaboutVox

I'd certainly agree with:

Quartetto Italiano
Talich Quartet
Alban Berg Quartett
Kronos Quartet
Takács Quartet
Pavel Haas Quartet

I'd have to admit to not having heard any of the Busch Quartet's recordings, and although I may have heard some of the Quatuor Ébène's recordings on Spotify, I can't remember much about them.

I haven't really liked what I've heard by the Hagen Quartet all that much, and I have found the Quatuor Mosaïques' Haydn quite difficult to appreciate (my problem rather than their fault, I suspect)



Heliogabo said:


> I would add Guarneri, Emerson and Julliard quartets.


I agree, these three would also be there or thereabouts.

Some of my favourites are:

Arditti Quartet (much modern and contemporary repertoire, including Birtwhistle, Carter, Dillon, Manoury)
LaSalle Quartet (Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, Zemlinsky, Penderecki, Lutoslawski)
Tokyo Quartet (Beethoven, a miraculous analogue Bartok cycle)
Leipzig Quartet (Mozart, Schumann)
Cuarteto Latinoamericano (Villa Lobos, Ginastera, Revueltos)
Maggini Quartet (Britten, Bridge, Vaughan Williams, Walton, Arnold, Rawsthorne and other British composers)


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## tortkis

In the list, I particularly like Kronos and Mosaïques. An important omission is Arditti Quartet, I think.
Taneyev Quartet's recordings of Taneyev & Myaskovsky are wonderful.
For contemporary string quartets, I like Jack Quartet and Bozzini Quartet.


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## Heliogabo

From the list I've never heard the last theee (Mosaique, Ebene, and Pavel Haas)

But it is true that there's a lot of important omissions: I agree with Arditti, La salle, Tokyo, and Cuarteto latinoamericano as well. Never heard Leipzig, Maggini, Jack and Bozzini quartets.
For the contemporary quartets I like a lot Doric string quartet (Korngold, Walton, Schumann)


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## D Smith

No Emerson, Guarneri, Cuarteto Latinoamericano or Cleveland? Just goes to show the futility of ranking such a rich variety of groups to a 'top ten'. Can't be done.


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## ptr

I find it quite puzzling that there are no Russian quartet on this list, seems like a disqualification to me? The original Borodin Quartet and the Taneyev Quartet are both missing!
Also, any such list should feature the Vegh Quartet and the old Budapest Quartet.

/ptr


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## Che2007

Where are the Arditti quartet?!

The Jack Quartet are pretty good too...


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## haydnfan

Vegh, Smetana, Juilliard, Amadeus, Guarneri, Melos, Auryn, and Tokyo are all missing. I would take off Kronos, Hagen and Mosaiques.


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## Haydn man

What about The Lindsays?
Their Haydn alone is worthy of a place in my top 10


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## Vronsky

Emerson String Quartet is one of the best. I have this recording, a superb performance.


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## scratchgolf

The Kronos are extremely important for their attention to modern and contemporary music. I'm a huge fan of the Pavel Haas Quartet but I'm surprised by their inclusion on this list. I think Emerson and Tokyo are snubs for sure. Juilliard doesn't belong on this list and their omission is fine with me. Oops. In my humble opinion, of course.


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## tortkis

Heliogabo said:


> For the contemporary quartets I like a lot Doric string quartet (Korngold, Walton, Schumann)


I haven't heard Doric yet but have been interested in the Korngold album. I'm going to listen to it tonight.

BTW, I found that Doric releases an album of Brett Dean's string quartets. (Download will be available on September 25 in US.) I enjoyed Dean's viola concerto and this looks interesting.


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## Steatopygous

I simply can't take seriously a list that leaves out the Amadeus. Whoever compiled it is just ignorant. 

Of the comments above, I particularly agree with the Tokyo, Guarnieri, Julliard, Emerson, the Borodin and the Lindsays, all well represented in my concert-going and my recordings collection. I thought to myself, aha, I'll put (most of)these down, only to find that - as usual - I was beaten to it.


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## Heliogabo

tortkis said:


> I haven't heard Doric yet but have been interested in the Korngold album. I'm going to listen to it tonight.
> 
> BTW, I found that Doric releases an album of Brett Dean's string quartets. (Download will be available on September 25 in US.) I enjoyed Dean's viola concerto and this looks interesting.


I don't know Dean's music, but the sampling sounds really fine.


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## Steatopygous

Heliogabo said:


> I don't know Dean's music, but the sampling sounds really fine.


Going off topic, but Brett Dean is a really fine Australian composer. Formerly a viola player with the Berlin Philharmonic, and also the saviour of the Australian National Academy of Music when it was threatened by funding cuts (he headed it for a few years), he has won the Grawemeyer Award for his violin concerto The Lost Art of Letter Writing. Other fine works include his opera Bliss, Testament and his viola concerto. Well worth exploring. Still only 53, so there is much to anticipate. 
PS I'm not Brett or his mum.


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## howlingfantods

Hollywood SQ seems like another glaring omission not mentioned yet.


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## Rangstrom

You can almost make a more interesting list off of the omissions (and Budapest and Yale haven't been mentioned yet). Certainly the Emerson and Tokyo would be on the top of my list.


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## Avey

scratchgolf said:


> the kronos are extremely important for their attention to modern and contemporary music. I'm a huge fan of the pavel haas quartet but i'm surprised by their inclusion on this list. I think emerson and tokyo are snubs for sure. ....


*Oh my god you STOLE MY POST*

Also, reflections on the ranking:

(1) Who is the Busch quaret?! Seriously, who are they?

(2) Kronos is *PROFOUNDLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE I FIRST HEARD REICH'S DIFFERENT TRAINS BY THEM AND HERE I AM TODAY EXPOUNDING IN CAPS TO ALL OF YOU*


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## Avey

Um, anyways, I will add:

*Doric Quartet*

They are the reason I love Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Well, OK, I heard other music before their recording. Still, they are a significant stepping stone to go BEYOND the this-work-was-enjoyable-but-about-that-other-guy-I-know-alot-more-about phase 
(1) Simply, they chose to record Erich Wolfgang Korngold's quartets, which are remarkable; and (2) they make Korngold's quartets sound extraordinary, like remarkably passionate, which they are meant to be and inevitably are!

Further, and maybe more importantly: Their Chandos recording of William Walton's quartets (the un-keyed 1922 work and the A minor quartet) is, aside from two other Emerson recordings, my favorite CD ever. They are the reason I discovered Walton. They are the reason I continue to believe in contemporary ensembles and interpretations. That set is perfect. I am not one to rank recordings; though, if I did, this recording would undoubtedly be visible to even the skim-readers.

Also, because I just posted about them: *Belcea Quartet*. Who knows Britten? THEY DO!


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## Tedski

Avey said:


> (1) Who is the Busch quaret?! Seriously, who are they?


Seriously, that's like a baseball fan asking, "Who's Rogers Hornsby?"


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## Steatopygous

Tedski said:


> Seriously, that's like a baseball fan asking, "Who's Rogers Hornsby?"


Who is Rogers Hornsby? I think you're making that name up.
And you've even persuaded Google to take part in the trick!

PS: I do know and highly esteem the Busch Quartet. Real trail blazers.


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## PeterF

Here are my ten as of today. Based on listening over time, the list can change at any time.
Quartetto Italiano
Tokyo Quartet
Smetana Quartet
Guarneri Quartet
Julliard Quartet
Kodaly Quartet
Prazak Quartet
Zemlinsky Quartet
Mandelring Quartet
Quartetto Di Cremona


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## GreatFugue

As far as lesser-known performers: The Éder Quartet's Shostakovich quartets and Vlach Quartet Prague's Dvorak quartets (both from Naxos) are quite good, but these are the only performances I've heard from those groups. Still would highly recommend those recordings though.

I'd rate the Kodály Quartet highly as well based on their Haydn quartets and a recording of Schubert's Trout quintet I have (also Naxos).

The Emerson Quartet has been on or near the top of my list ever since I heard their late Beethoven quartets (in particular Opus 130) as well as their Shostakovich.

I usually try to find something enjoyable in every performance I hear no matter who it is.


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## Heliogabo

Sure, Éder quartet Shostakovich's recording on naxos are quite good. Same Kodaly's on Haydn, haven heard their Schubert, but it must be very good.


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## EdwardBast

Seconding ptr: The Borodin should definitely be on the list. Just got the complete Beethoven Quartets by them, and of course already have their Shostakovich.


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## Scififan

The Busch Quartet
Vegh Quartet
Endellion Quartet
Budapest Quartet
Hollywood Quartet
Kodaly Quartet
Hungarian Quartet
Italian Quartet
Emerson Quartet
Lindsey Quartet


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## Brahmsian Colors

The string quartets I have enjoyed most (no necessary order): Raphael Ensemble, Melos Ensemble, Budapest String Quartet, Guarneri Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Tokyo Quartet, Fitzwilliam Quartet, Borodin Quartet (both original and later), Alban Berg Quartet, Vienna Philharmonic Quartet.


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## Pugg

Alban Berg Quartet, Melos Ensemble, Quartet Italiano and from now ................. Pavel Haas Quartet.


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## majlis

Hollywood - First Borodin - Taneyev - Guillet - Oistrakh - Primrose - Shneiderhan - Yale - Fine Arts - Koeckert - First Budapest.


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## Mal

Haydn man said:


> What about The Lindsays?
> Their Haydn alone is worthy of a place in my top 10


Yup, their Dvorak isn't bad either.


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## sbmonty

I lack the experience to comment, but how do you feel the Pražák compare?


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## Quartetfore

Mal said:


> Yup, their Dvorak isn't bad either.


A few days ago I "burned" burned their recording of the Borodin #1, and I thought it very good.


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## Quartetfore

Quartetfore said:


> Mal said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, their Dvorak isn't bad either.
> 
> 
> 
> A few days ago I "burned" burned their recording of the Borodin #1, and I thought it very good.
Click to expand...

Only one burn of course


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## Vaneyes

*Greatest* involves historical research/time spent, and I doubt if it would accomplish anything for me or others. *Favorites *is a more worthwhile endeavor. Jus' sayin'.


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## Retrograde Inversion

Vaneyes said:


> *Greatest* involves historical research/time spent, and I doubt if it would accomplish anything for me or others. *Favorites *is a more worthwhile endeavor. Jus' sayin'.


Yes, I propose a moratorium on that overused word.


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## Heliogabo

Vaneyes said:


> *Greatest* involves historical research/time spent, and I doubt if it would accomplish anything for me or others. *Favorites *is a more worthwhile endeavor. Jus' sayin'.


Yes, I'm totally accord with you on this. OP was about and article (no more available) which used the word "greatest".


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## msr13

Mentioned once earlier, my favorite is the Cleveland Quartet. Their Beethoven Cycle rocks. Especially the Grosse Fugue.


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## TurnaboutVox

My personal favourites, simply based on having enjoyed their recorded or live performances:

Quartetto Italiano (Beethoven, Webern, Schumann, Brahms, Borodin, Debussy, Ravel, Mozart, Schubert)
Quatuor Talich (Beethoven, Mozart Quintets)
Alban Berg Quartett (Beethoven, Stravinsky)
Tokyo Quartet (Bartok, Beethoven)
Melos Quartet (Ravel, Debussy, Cherubini)
Fitzwilliam Quartet (Shostakovich, Delius, Sibelius)
Maggini Quartet (Britten, Bridge, Bax, Maxwell Davies, Arnold, Alwyn, Walton, Vaughan Williams)
Quatuor Diotima (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Boulez, Manoury, Poppe etc.)
Leipziger Streichquartett (Mozart)
Arditti Quartet (Ferneyhough, Macmillan, Birtwhistle, Dillon, Harvey, Stroppa, Cerha etc.)
Quatuor Mosaïques (Haydn)


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## Cellofreak2020

Pavel Haas is one of my absolute favorites!


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## Merl

Can i throw in the Panochas for their incredible Dvorak and Martinu cycles?


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## PlaySalieri

I like the budapest - even circa 1950s - I know people say they play out of tune a bit but they have this special sound - mainly when they play Mozart - which I find very attractive.


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## David Phillips

Has anyone mentioned the Capet Quartet? A French outfit formed in 1910 who made their handful of 78s on or before 1928. Deliciously Olde Worlde styling with the odd smudge and sliding between notes. The perfect antidote to today's note-perfect whizz-kids.


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## Savino

howlingfantods said:


> Hollywood SQ seems like another glaring omission not mentioned yet.


Amen to that statement.


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