The Bottom Line
- Mendelssohn's String Quartets are rarely performed
- Quartets inspired by Beethoven and Schubert
- Riviting, committed performances
- What cons?
Description
- Released: April 2005, Cedille Records
- 3 disk set
- Total Play Time: 212:41
Guide Review - Pacifica Quartet - Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets
The Pacifica Quartet came into existence in 1994, and has since toured around the globe, collecting top honors and awards along the way. The Pacifica String Quartet became active community members in their home town of Chicago by establishing the Music Integration Project, a program which provides musical performances and teacher training to inner-city elementary schools.
Mendelssohn's string quartets were heavily influenced by Beethoven and Schubert. (I hear a bit of Haydn too.) There are seven complete quartets and four unpublished quartet movements, which are grouped as Op. 81, but are actually independent of each other. Mendelssohn's string quartets are often forgotten, or at least played less, which is quite tragic. The Pacifica Quartet has done a brilliant job at bringing Mendelssohn's string quartets back to the spotlight where they belong.
