No, the Alexander Quartet is not technically perfect. One can find slips in ensemble and flaws in intonation. And no, it's also not interpretively ideal. One might conceivably prefer a Russian or at least an eastern European group in the quartets of Shostakovich. But no, neither of these things ultimately matter that much because, despite the technical flaws and interpretive faux pas, the Alexander is definitely on to something in its 2006 three-disc set of the first seven Shostakovich quartets plus his Piano Quintet and a pair of his Preludes and Fugues transcribed for string quartet. There's something light and witty in the First Quartet, something big and heroic in the Third Quartet, something warm and tender in the Sixth Quartet, and something strong but sweet in the Piano Quintet with pianist Roger Woodward. That something is the quality often called common humanity and it informs every note of the performance. Take just the Fourth Quartet. While one might reasonably prefer the energy of Borodin or the anxiety of the Beethoven quartets' performances, the power, terror, and grace of the Alexander Quartet's performance makes it in nearly every way the equal of its Soviet forbearers. Producer Judith Sherman has captured the sound of the Alexander Quartet with incredible fidelity and her recordings are every bit the equal of the best of the big labels. One important additional note: in keeping with the name of the label, each disc ends with an amazingly evocative recording of a foghorn -- an addition that could give the unwary listener a coronary.
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