Zehetmair Quartett - Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Béla Bartók (2001)

The Hartmann, completed in 1933, shows the influence of Berg's Lyric Suite as well as Bartók's 1928 quartet, with which it shares this outstanding disc. Hartmann went into "inner exile" after the Nazi takeover, refusing to allow his work to be published or performed in Germany. Performed abroad, the quartet won a Swiss prize in 1936. It's a powerful work, with a dark, tragic opening that gives way to furious outbursts and energetic declamations. Making an immediate impact, it should not be missed, especially in the Zehetmair Quartet's spontaneous, tingling performance. The Bartók is much better known and faces sturdy competition from the Takács, Emerson, Juilliard, and Vegh Quartets. But those are encased in complete sets and the Zehetmair's performance warrants duplication because it combines technical perfection with an interpretive freedom that gets to the heart of this masterpiece. Vivid engineering helps make this essential for lovers of modern chamber music. -- Dan Davis