Mozart Quartet No. 20 & Quartet No. 22 - Vienna Philharmonic Quartet
In recordings of Mozart’s String Quartet No. 20 in D major, K.499, and String Quartet No. 22 in B flat major, the Vienna Philharmonic Quartet brings a level of authority and stylistic assurance that reflects its close ties to one of the most storied orchestral traditions in the world. Drawn from leading members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the ensemble embodies a distinctly Viennese approach to sound and interpretation, one shaped by generations of musicians who have treated Mozart not as a historical monument but as a living presence at the heart of their repertoire.
The most immediately striking aspect of the ensemble is the homogeneity of its tone. The four instruments blend into a warm, rounded sonority that avoids both excessive brilliance and aggressive edge. This cultivated warmth is especially effective in Mozart, where clarity must coexist with lyricism. The Vienna Philharmonic Quartet achieves this balance with remarkable consistency, allowing melodic lines to sing while maintaining a transparent texture. The inner voices, often overlooked in less sensitive performances, are given real weight, so the music unfolds as a genuine conversation rather than a hierarchy led by the first violin.
Artist(s): Ensemble – The Vienna Philharmonic Quartet
Viola – Rudolf Streng
Violin – Otto Strasser, Willi Boskovsky
Cello – Emanuel Brabec
Recording Info: Recorded 15 March 1961 in the Sofiensaal, Vienna
Engineer - James Brown
Producer - Erik Smith
Sourced from Decca "Wideband" original pressing
Components used for this transfer: Analog: Transferred using a VPI - HW-40 Anniversary Direct Drive Turntable - Cartridge used Ortofon MC Anna - Merrill Jens Phono Preamp
Digital: Merging Anubis Analog to Digital Converter powered by Teddy Pardo Linear Power Supply, clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Software: Merging Pyramix v15
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components with Shunyata Sigma-X Power Cords.
All components are grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
Quartet In D Major, No. 20, K.499 "Hoffmeister"
1 Allegretto 7:06
2 Menuetto, Allegretto 3:19
3 Adagio 8:46
4 Allegro 5:01
Quartet In B Flat Major, No. 22, K.589 "2nd Prussian"
5 Allegro 6:02
6 Larghetto 7:06
7 Menuetto, Moderato 6:41
8 Allegro Assai 3:19
This Title is in the Vinyl Record Restoration Series. You can find information about the series in this Blog Post HERE
Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master
then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using
Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
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