They mean well, their hearts are in it, and they clearly have the chops. But ultimately, the Prazák Quartet's and Kocian Quartet's recording of Mendelssohn's ineffably evanescent String Octet doesn't quite make the grade. Because for all their good intentions, the Prazák and Kocian quartets' performance does not quite capture the work's ineffable evanescence, its sense of youthful impetuosity and masterful lucidity or its feeling for achingly lovely melodies and strongly effective rhythms. This is not to say that their performance isn't effective enough in its own terms -- the players tear into the opening Allegro moderato, ma con fuoco, with plenty of vim and vigor. But it is to say that their performance isn't effective enough on the work's own terms -- the opening Allegro is moderato enough, but not ma con fuoco enough. Similarly, the groups' joint performance of Mendelssohn's Piano Sextet with pianist Jaromir Klepac is convincing as an almost piano concerto, but not as a piece of chamber music, which, of course, it is what it is. There are plenty of better recordings of the Octet in the world -- try the Melos Ensemble or the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields -- and even a few better recordings of the Piano Sextet -- try the Chamber Music Ensemble of Lincoln Center or the Bartholdy Quartett.
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