Some three and half years ago, in one of my first issues as editor, we blazed a headline, “The most exciting age ever for string quartets.” It caught readers’ imagination – it was the highest-selling edition that year aside from our Awards issue. Now, in 2010, it is clear that some of the new generation of string quartets, who were only then beginning to emerge, have pulled ahead of their rivals. None more so than the Pavel Haas Quartet. The spotlight may currently be on France’s Ebène, who won our Recording of the Year prize recently in a surprise result (given that they were little-known and up against some much bigger names), but still our money is currently on the Czech foursome. Consider – the Pavel Haas won a Gramophone Award with their debut disc and were nominated the very next year for the follow-up (and came within a whisker of making the double). The Ebène’s successor to their own prize-winner was, according to our reviewer, a touch disappointing. Which is not to say that the Frenchmen aren’t worth watching closely and this issue we identify four “other” young quartets, including the Ebène, to keep an ear out for. But the Pavel Haas are special indeed and so, as they return after an enforced absence during which they changed a group member (for the second time!) I wanted to find out more about them. What is this special alchemy that seems to ensure, despite the personnel changes, that they hit gold every time? Taking advantage of their international touring schedule, David Patrick Stearns, the eminent music critic of the Philadelphia Enquirer and a frequenter of these pages, was dispatched to catch up with them in his home town and find out what lends such power to their bows. As for the review of their new Prokofiev album, you’ll have to wait until next issue. (I haven’t heard it yet but, personally, I can’t wait!) Editor-in-chief James Jolly and I have also put pen to paper to come up with a look back at the past decade in classical music. Identifying the 10 areas that have shaped the music world’s course over these years has been a fascinating and revealing process. It occurred to us that not since the 1950s with the dawn of the jet age and the jump from 78s to LPs, and then from mono to stereo, has there been such a ground-shifting period. It’s incredible how much has changed, how recently and how quickly. But some things of course stay the same – there’s yet another great new recording from Bernard Haitink! james.inverne@haymarket.com