Oct. 22, 2007
There are a few great recordings of Béla Bartók's six string quartets available, by such esteemed quartets as the Emerson, Takács, and Penderecki quartets, among others, so listeners who want a terrific set have a fair number to choose from. Still, the highest honors go to the long-unavailable but classic 1963 recording on Columbia Masterworks by the Juilliard String Quartet, the second of the group's three versions and far and away the best set by anyone, before or since. This legendary cycle was briefly available on CD in Japanese and German reissues, though both imports are now out of print; and String Quartets Nos. 3, 4, and 6 were included as a volume in the Juilliard's 50 Years box set, also discontinued. Because of the scarcity of these recordings on CD, it's high time to see a reissue of all six masterpieces in the Great Performances series, preferably with the label's trademark DSD remastering.