Monday, October 18th, 2010
The Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet was formed by Vienna Philharmonic members in 1934 and gave concerts throughout Austria under the auspices of the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft. After 1946 they toured internationally and were one of the first quartets to establish a large LP discography in the early 1950s with important recordings of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms, most of which were recorded on the Westminster label.
Schubert’s only String Quintet was written in 1828, the year of the composer’s death. As is the case with the Eighth and Ninth Symphonies, it was rediscovered many years later. Its shadowy, romantic atmosphere is emphasized by the choice of two ‘celli. This CD on the Klassic Haus label (KHCD-2010-039), derived from a red label Westminster LP, displays the virtuoso abilities of the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, with Günther Weiss playing second ‘cello. The sound is full and spacious, the performance satisfying, and would be a fine addition to any chamber ensemble CD collection. There is a MP3 sample that you may click on below the CD artwork (above). Enjoy! – Curt Timmons