Amadeus Quartet plays Schubert Quintet in C

From their sensational debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1947 the Amadeus Quartet were one of the world’s most acclaimed quartets, in heavy demand both in the concert hall and in the recording studio, particularly in the Austro-German repertoire.  In 1968, when this concert took place in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall they were at the height of their fame.

All the players were Jewish refugees from Vienna and their common base in the rich, elegant Central European romantic tradition brought unusual homogeneity and sophistication to their music making, honed by decades of playing together without any change in personnel.  They produced an incredibly warm and rich blend of sound which contrasts with the crisper articulation favoured by many modern quartets.

The Amadeus Quartet made famous studio recordings the Schubert Quintet a couple of times  – in mono in 1954 for HMV and in 1965 for Deutsche Grammophon.  This live recording, however, captures a more spontaneous and intimate reading of this masterpiece.

The 5-player string ensemble of two violins, viola and two cellos was popularised by Boccherini in the 1770s, but later composers such as Mozart favoured two violas.  Schubert only wrote one work for this form, at the very end of his life, and he returned to Boccherini’s formula, no doubt wanting to achieve a richer, deeper sound.  As with many of Schubert’s late works (for example the Ninth Symphony and the D960 Piano Sonata), this quintet is a long work.  But in its depth and range of expression it is one of the most sublime works in Western classical music.

The Amadeus Quartet is joined by the renowned cellist William Pleeth, who blends perfectly with the quartet’s style to help create a very special musical experience.

The recording was made from the relay of a concert given at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, broadcast on January 1 1968.

The recording is from the Jon Tolansky Collection at Music Preserved.

Remastered by Roger Beardsley and Paul Baily.