Oslo String Quartet - Minor Major (2017)

For its 2017 audiophile release on 2L, the Oslo String Quartet presents a study of contrasts between Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, “Serioso,” and Franz Schubert's String Quartet No. 15 in G major. Apart from the obvious difference in duration -- Beethoven's work is compact and comparatively brief, running to just over 17 minutes, while Schubert's quartet lasts over 40 minutes -- these works diverge in tonality, opposing minor against major keys. Yet when one listens closely, the ambiguity of these relationships becomes more apparent, since both works shift back and forth between major and minor modes, revealing a deeper internal complexity of tonal and harmonic relationships. Yet the clearest distinction may be drawn between Beethoven's taut development of concise motifs and Schubert's extended melodic approach, marking a decisive change from Classical concision to Romantic expansiveness. This Pure Audio package offers two formats, a Blu-ray audio disc as well as a hybrid SACD, so the reproduction is close to ideal, and every detail of the quartet's exquisite playing is fully audible with credible presence and luminous acoustics. Highly recommended.