Takács Quartet Essentials

The Takács Quartet is, without question, one of the finest string quartets of our time. The seamless teamwork of its musicians and their unanimous characterization of the music they perform is fully evident in their inward yet deeply felt account of the slow movement of Dvořák’s String Quartet Op. 106 that opens this playlist. Recorded as recently as 2022, it shows how the Quartet has maintained its standard even through several changes of membership since its founding in 1975. The originally all-Hungarian group first made its reputation playing Haydn—one of the earliest recordings here is the slow movement from Haydn’s Op. 76 No. 1 made in 1988. Yet the Takács soon forged partnerships with leading musicians, their 1990 recording Chausson’s Concert for Piano, Violin, and String Quartet involving the starry lineup of Joshua Bell and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. You may also hear superb performances with such musicians as viola player Lawrence Power in Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 3, and pianist András Schiff in Brahms’ Piano Quintet.