Coupling the Op.130, as it now stands, with its originally
intended finale, the formidable Grosse Fuge, is not a novelty
but is always worthwhile. It renders a single quartet disc such
as this short value in terms of timings, but it adds a colossal
focus and drama.
Vertavo prefers a rather withdrawn, slow and tapered introduction,
phrasally speaking. Their unison bowing is light, flexible,
enshrining a certain irresolution, as if they feel a lack of
definite purpose is at the heart of the writing, and much of
the writing to come. Others may feel a lack of melodic definition.
Nevertheless this is a nuanced, flexible view very much at odds
with, say, the Busch or, more recently, the Budapest or Fine
Arts, to pick two others almost at random. The Presto that
follows is very mellifluous – a hallmark of their playing –
but in the rather washy acoustic their phrase endings rather
slide away and aren’t clipped or defined. Their homogenous approach
is again dextrous but one I find rather wan and lacking in drama
and rhythmic impulse. It’s rather too dainty.
The Andante is well phrased, and once again homogeneity is the
calling card, a real tonal blend, but there’s something too
manicured about the Alla danza tedesca. It sounds as
if it’s been rehearsed to death and the smoothing out tends
to sap spontaneity. The Busch take a similar tempo but are in
a different realm of expression. Vertavo take a vigorous tempo
in the Cavatina where inner voice vibrato increases in
accordance with the intense depth of expression, though it’s
surely not nostalgia that leads me to note that the Busch and,
in their different way, the Léner offer profoundly more moving
performances at slower tempi. The finale is bright and energetic
– I liked it best of all the movements. And the Grosse Fuge
is both well paced and tenaciously played. Their organ-like
unison at the start is certainly remarkable.
In many ways this is a laudable traversal; well prepared, and
technically generally very sound. But it strikes me overall
as over-nuanced.
Jonathan Woolf
Vertavo 
