Leipzig String Quartet - Press Excerpts
"If there is a Leipzig sound, this is it!"
The New York Times"...sensational playing...trailblazing programming and perfect interpretation." Frankfurter Allgemeine
"...the great composers meet their match in these master chamber musicians who have skyrocketed to fame in record time..."
Gramophone"Certain musical evenings leave an indelible impression. Last night...everything, but absolutely everything was perfect." Le Devoir, Montreal
"The Schubert quartet in G major ...worthy to stand alongside the Juilliard version and even the Busch Quartet's masterly account ...Best category! Classic CD
"One of the most sophisticated and imaginative ensembles recording at the moment." BBC Radio 3
"...an extraordinary range of colour and expressive effect." Manchester Evening News
"With this recording (Schoenberg Op. 7), the dispute over emotional and intellectual interpretations, especially in the field of the Second Viennese School, can be declared superfluous." Fono Forum
"These performances seem to have everything...the Leipzig Quartet sound is closest to the well-known recordings of the Berg Quartet. Yet their playing is recorded in a more lively ambience and with more presence." (Beethoven 132 & 127) Fanfare
The Leipzig Quartet gave a superbly integrated concert -- integrated both in the selection of material and in the style of performance. They play with precise ensemble sound and restrained emotional power. Washington Post
...this quartet's blend is defined by the warm, burnished, dark-hardwood-colored inner voices of the second violin and viola. It's a heavy sound, yet not immobile, for they keep the tempos moving briskly and they execute immaculately. L.A. Times
"That rapt performance (of Schönberg No.3) was but one highlight of this ensemble’s visit. Immaculate articulation and a silken, luxurious tone characterized everything these musicians did."
Baltimore Sun"Every time I closed my eyes , I could see Brahms smiling and nodding approval. I have a number of other Leipziger Quartet recordings, and I have never failed to be impressed with their perfectly balanced ensemble and gorgeous sound. But this time they have really outdone themselves."
Fanfare ( Brahms SQ Bb and Sextet in Eb)"...the Leipzig Quartet, whose combination of passionate intensity, lyrical grace and felicity of detail now make them a first choice." BBC Music Magazine ( Mendelsohn, Vol. II)
"All major quartets are exceedingly comfortable with the essential quartet literature... But the Leipzig seemed to add something else: that elusive quality that Americans call "roots"...It was possible not to care about anything more than the fabulous sound and sense of style." Houston Chronicle
"The Leipzig players don’t have quite the renown of the other three [Emerson, Tokyo, Borodin], but they are in much the same league. ...The contrast was fascinating. The Tokyo Q. projected passion and precision while the Leipzig musicians emphasized classical elegance and reason."
The Ottawa Citizen"...their playing is equally remarkable for its delicacy and lyrical sweep... And with their meticulous care and balance, the Leipzigers have you marvelling at the sheer inventiveness of Mendelssohn’s textures." (Op. 44/1,2) The London Telegraph