SLS 879 Shostakovich String Quartets Nos. 1-13 The Borodin Quartet 6LP Box Set
£
49
$
65
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
EMI/Melodiya SLS 879 Shostakovich String Quartets Nos. 1-13 The Borodin Quartet 6LP Box Set. Condition is Used. Dispatched with Royal Mail 1st Class.
IMHO this is the definitive recording of what was at the time of issue the complete string quartets of Shostakovich. Whilst the Borodin quartet was not the composer’s most favoured string quartet (the Beethoven Quartet held that honour) he did rate them highly and valued their skills and performances. There is a famous story told by one of its members of how Shostakovich asked them to play the eighth quartet for him (my own favourite) in his apartment. When they finished, Shostakovich was quietly weeping. They said nothing, packed up their scores and instruments and quietly left. That is the power of this music. Rated by many musicologists as the finest string quartet cycle since Beethoven, barring only perhaps that of Bartok.
The sound quality is high too. I have these recordings on CD and in FLAC format, but the LPs still sound the best on good equipment.
The box has a few surface scuffs as is typical of EMI Melodiya box sets from this period and of this design, but is solid and sound and the LPs are in VG+ to near mint condition. Also, I added Nagaoke No. 2 poly inner sleeves to the existing EMI paper/poly sleeves for extra protection against damage and static.
This is a superb SLS set of sublime and incredibly moving music from perhaps the greatest composer of the twentieth century.
price rating
