Brahms - String Quartet 1 [Takacs String Quartet]This booklet i took from an original single disc issue of the first two Quartets, and put it with the two disc re-issue of the three Quartets and Piano Quintet with the back inlay card, the original booklet scanned here is so much better, a very clever shot, looking up in a Concert Hall? balcony, the brown marble column, and the detail in the wooden railing is lovely, plus the poses of the Quartet, and the blue of the back inlay works well against the brown, a wonderful set of the Brahms String Quartets.
The Takacs String Quartet was formed in 1975, and has intensively recorded for the Decca Record Label, these recordings are from the early nineties, since then the Takacs Quartet have had two new members, and now they record for the Hyperion Record Label, and in fact in 2007-2008 they re-recorded these String Quartets.
The first movement again took me by surprise, it's full of vigour and power, Brahms's textures are quite thick, and the Quartet are relentless in their drive, there's hardly a moment to slow down and enjoy a major key respite, it starts off in a whirlwind [0:00-0:14], the first violin comes in with something lyrical [0:22-0:42], but it's also sad because it's in a minor key [C Minor], near the beginning there's an agitated section, the main string is always pressed by others playing agitated in the background [1:03-1:58], within this section the strings become more forceful towards the end [1:40-1:58], this is for me the most exciting part of the movement, and there's an exposition repeat at [2:46], and the same agitated section repeats [3:27-4:42], with the forceful section at the end again [4:24-4:42], and again at [8:58-9:16], other little memorable parts are the going down the scale, from high violins to low cello in rapid succession four times [6:54-7:02], this movement is a real tour de force, i love its relentlessness!.
Here's the first movement being played on YouTube.
