Beethoven: String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 No. 3

“The playing is insightful, probing, masterly.” The Observer, 21st April 2013

“A welcome singing approach to the three key Beethoven quartets … life-enhancing radiance. Fine sound, too, that is both well balanced and tonally neutral.” The Strad, April 2013

“these well-considered readings of two early Opus 18 works respect the composer’s debt to Mozart and Haydn without ironing out Beethovenian temperament. It’s in the Opus 135 quartet, his last, that the Artemis are most in tune with the composer’s questing, undying spirit, in a performance free of mawkish reverence” Financial Times, 4th June 2011 ****

“The Artemis Quartet plays the opening of Op. 135 with rich warmth, classical poise, and just the right kind of reverence...They don’t hurl themselves at the second movement, instead allowing Beethoven’s ingeniously worked rhythms to propel the piece from the inside...The two Op. 18 Quartets here, numbers 3 and 5, are delivered with apparently effortless grace and effervescent athleticism, and the recording frames everything to perfection.” Andrew McGregor, bbc.co.uk, 13th June 2011

“Their combination of rhythmic control and dynamic accent shapes a line where tensions, relaxations, changes of pace and mood produce a dramatic force that is far from amiable or cheerful...consistently superb ensemble, grounded by a strong cello line and refined by an internal balance where every voice tells...You are always made aware of greatness.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2011

“the accounts are eminently musical and stylish...Although these are modern instruments, the Artemis favours an astringent, sometimes vibrato-free tone that seems absolutely right for Beethoven...It certainly makes one want to hear more Beethoven from these players.” International Record Review, July/August 2011

“…this new Tokyo set just about pips all rivals to the post. The reason is primarily one of balance, not only within the group itself but also in terms of overall musical judgement - whether relating to tempo, dynamics or emphases, or simply the way the players combine a sense of classical style with an appreciation of Beethoven's startling originality.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2008

“this release makes one look forward to the Tokyo's completion of what is, so far, a formidable traversal.” International Record Review

“Enjoyable as other digital recordings of Beethoven's first quartets by (for example) the Takács and Lindsay Quartets are, this new Tokyo set just about pips all rivals to the post.
The reason is primarily one of balance, not only within the group itself but also in terms of overall musical judgement – whether relating to tempo, dynamics or emphases, or simply the way the players combine a sense of classical style with an appreciation of Beethoven's startling originality. Even as early as No 1's pensive opening, you notice how skilfully rests are being gauged, contrasts in colour and inflection, too: the way the clipped first motif leads into its sweetly imploring extension a couple of bars later. The Scherzo's skipping gait, incisive but lightly dispatched, is another source of pleasure, and so is the seemingly effortless swirl of the closing Allegro. The old quartet cliché about 'leaning together' is here a principal attribute.
At times it could be just one person playing.
The qualifying ma non tanto of the C minor's opening Allegro is pointedly observed: dramatic impact is sustained while composure is maintained.
The crispness of the Andante scherzoso and the cannily calculated crescendi at the start of the finale is oustanding. Few ensembles have characterised the A major's cantering first idea as happily as the Tokyos do here, while the ethereal and texturally variegated middle movements anticipate the very different world of Beethoven's 'late' quartets. Beautifully blended recordings, too: if you're after a top-ranking digital set of Op 18, you couldn't do better.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The Tokyo Quartet here produce a sumptuous, beautifully blended sonority and perform with outstanding music insight, unanimity and polish.” The Strad, February 2008

“Robert Simpson disagreed with writers who believed that Beethoven's backward glances to Haydn and Mozart in his Op 18 set were so obvious as to distract attention from his own individuality. The Takács disagree, too. They concede the tradition, but those glances are far from obvious. From the beginning this is Beethoven through and through. The opening bars of Op 18 No 1 are soft yet terse. The answering calls are conciliatory, but the suspense is palpable.
And, in a trenchant Allegro con brio, every sforzando is used to raise the tension, especially in the development. There are no concessions to surface beauty, and the message isn't subdued.
The Takács are particular about dynamics. The fortissimo chord near the finish of the slow movement is startling, and the build up from pianissimo is as impressive as the drop back to the end. The Adagio, though directed to be both impassioned and tender, tends to be fervent, while fine inflections to the line ensure that the fairly swift tempo doesn't appear hurried. Conversely, the Adagioma non troppo of No 6 is compassionately slow, but continuously mobile: these musicians don't overlay textures with fatty tissue. Despite wide separation, ensemble is always close-knit. Just how close may be appreciated in the Scherzos, which are tight and cohesive. That of No 4 has, in addition, precise give and take between the contrapuntal lines. The Takács play them in a way that leads the ear on without ignoring the expressive demands of the unusual marking Andantescherzoso quasi Allegretto.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“It’s been well worth the wait for these performances. Restoration has done what it can for the boxy originals, but the energy and drive of the playing will make up for that.” MusicWeb International, March 2012