The Takacs Quartet make their first offering to Schubert year: the distinctive character of their new recording of the final string quartet certainly justifies its place in a catalogue bulging with 14 existing versions. For me, it doesn’t oust the Alban Berg or the 1992 Melos Quartet from their place at the top of the league, though there is much to admire in this boldly physical and heartfelt reading.
The discriminating quality of every accent, hairpin crescendo and sforzando, and the lean, light resonance of the Takacs’ playing emphasizes the instability and highly-strung character of the first movement, with its shuddering tremolandos and violent lurches between major and minor. The split chord at the end of the second idea (1'19'') was a passing irritation: other listeners may well find that details like this add to the sense of physical effort and excitement in this performance.
The Andante un poco moto is played at a true ‘walking’ pace: the steady trudge which looks ahead to Winterreise and the sheer arm weight given to the double-dotted chords throws into effective relief the sighing pairs of notes and the sforzando yelps in violin and viola. Like the Melos and the Lindsays, the Takacs make the third movement’s Trio more of a lullaby than a landler, with a hint of portamento in the cello and a gentle lilt of rubato throughout.
The Takacs plunge themselves into the hurtle of hell in the racing finale, with a sf which almost stops the music in its tracks. A touch more singing tone in the violin’s soaring lead to the dancing D major episode (2'12'') and thereafter, and more sense of moment at the ben marcato chords at 3'28'' would have given this robust performance even brighter definition.
The Takacs’ choice of the Notturno is a real bonus: Andreas Haefliger graces the performance of this lone Adagio for the Piano Trio, D897 with warm and properly impassioned playing.'