Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 6 in G major, Op. 101

“Vivid, profoundly intelligent accounts of six of Shostakovich's Quartets. The Jerusalems prove eloquent exponents of these works' tragic intensity and bittersweet lyricism.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 ****

“their sense of the musical argument is always impressive, shining through their objective but never over-slick approach. The Pacifica Quartet only seem to draw breath, like Shostakovich, between movements. As a result, the continuous Fifth Quartet just keeps coming at you...The Sixth Quartet has never seemed more genuinely tender, and the aphorisms of the Seventh are full of determination...Lovely, cultured musicianship throughout.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2012 *****

“The Pacificas play them with clairvoyant unity of purpose, combining motivic lucidity and naturalness of expression in a way that gives these often difficult masterworks a compelling logic.” Financial Times, 18th November 2011 ****

“Its release coincides with their electrifying performances at Wigmore Hall last week. Listen to these and you'll wish you had been there.” The Observer, 16th October 2011

“Outstanding Shostakovich from the Mandelring - In this second volume of Shostakovich's quartets, the Mandelring Quartet makes it abundantly clear that it is building one of the outstanding cycles in today's catalogue. The sound engineer's exemplary internal balance earns the final accolade, and as an added bonus you can enjoy a short DVD showing the Mandelring players at work.” The Strad

“One of the best chamber music records for some months.” South Wales Echo

“The Emersons have played Shostakovich all over the world, and this long- pondered intégrale sets the seal on a process that has brought the quartets to the very centre of the repertoire – the ensemble's and ours. While some listeners will miss the intangible element of emotional specificity and sheer Russianness that once lurked behind the notes, the playing is undeniably committed in its coolness, exposing nerve endings with cruel clarity.
The hard, diamond-like timbre of the two violins (the leader's role is shared democratically) is far removed from the breadth of tone one might associate with a David Oistrakh, just as cellist David Finckel is no Rostropovich. But these recordings reveal surprising new facets of a body of work that isn't going to stand still. The Fourth Quartet is a case in point, more delicate than most rivals with the finale relatively pressed, less insistently Jewish. The Fifth sometimes seems closer to Ustvolskaya or American minimalism than the mid-century Soviet symphonic utterance we're used to; the Emerson's almost hectoring mode of address and unfluctuating tempo are maintained for as long as (in)humanly possible. The very vehemence of, say, the finale of the Ninth tends to blunt the harmonic sense of the music, leaving something more visceral and rosiny than the argument can stand. To get the unique feel of this set, sample one of the encore pieces, the 'Polka' from TheAge of Gold. Little humanity and wit, but can you resist the explosive brilliance of the technique? DG's recording is exceptionally vivid if somewhat airless, the separation of the instruments being achieved at the expense of tonal blend.
Given that all the quartets were taped live with only remedial patching, the audience is commendably silent: their enthusiastic applause is retained for Nos 1, 2, 9 and 12 only. This is a Shostakovich cycle for the 21st century.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Over the years, many recordings have done considerable justice to these most dynamic masterworks of the modern chamber repertoire, but for some time, the readings by the Mandelring quartet have come to be regarded as definitive...If you’re a CD collector rather than a surround sound aficionado, there need be no hesitation -- this is probably the finest complete set of the Shostakovich quartets now on the market.” london24.com, 17th June 2011

“These are wonderful performances. The Mandelring Quartet don’t overplay the savagery and shocks - their approach is lyrical, sane and effortlessly musical. They can deploy the big guns when necessary...but they always care about the line, the musical argument...There’s no self-pity, no indulgence. Recorded between 2005 and 2009 and now reissued in a bargain box, these are near-definitive readings of intense, beautifully crafted works.” The Arts Desk, 30th April 2011