S0499. BUDAPEST STRING QUARTET: The Early String Quartets (Beethoven). 2-Bridge 9342, Live Performances, 1943-62, Library of Congress. Specially priced. - 090404934223

CRITIC REVIEW:

“These recordings, among the earliest of this music, were made in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress where the Budapest Quartet performed all the Beethoven quartets many times between 1938 and 1962. According to the notes, these performances were chosen from more than 100 surviving recordings of these concerts….The Budapest had an enviable reputation in those days; they were considered the best or nearly the best in this repertory. Their performances exuded energy and vitality rather than note-perfect accuracy.”

- Kurt Moses, AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE, March/April, 2012