Pacifica Quartet - Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets

Flawless performances, expert musicianship and perfect blend and balance all packaged in a three disk set. What more could you ask for in a classical music album? The highly distinguished Pacifica Quartet is vibrant, sensitive and extremely talented. Can Mendelssohn's String Quartets get any better than this? I think not.

I have never heard Mendelssohn's string quartets, and after listening to the Pacifica Quartet's recording, I believe I have been spoiled. Every once in a while you'll come across a classical music album with such breathtaking performances, you will never be able to find a better album of the same music. The Pacifica Quartet has done just that; they have set the bar for Mendelssohn's 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 There are seven complete quartets and four unpublished quartet movements, which are grouped as Op. 81, but are actually independent of each other.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.