On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:26:18 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> Dan Koren schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 22:40:20 UTC+2:
> > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:41:12 AM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > >
> > > Just looked them up on wikipedia, and read the
> > > following about Ralph Evans of the Fine Arts Quartet:
> > >
> > > "Ralph Evans (born 1953) is an American violinist,
> > > best known as first violinist of the Fine Arts Quartet.
> > >
> > > The son of Jewish refugees from Russia and Germany,
> > > Evans began his musical studies at the age of five at
> > > the Vienna Academy of Music."
> >
> > Evans is/was the second first violinist of the Fine
> > Arts. The ensemble I heard was the original one
> > led by Leonard Sorkin with George Sopkin as cellist.
>
> I assumed (given the date of the recording) that they
> were not the same formation as with Schnabel, but I
> didn't look into it further.

You seem to be mixing things up again. The original
thread was about KV 465. The reference to Schnabel
was about the Trout grilled with the Pro Arte Quartet,
a ompletely different ensemble from the Fine Arts.

See what happens when one skips one's daily pills?

dk

On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:29:38 PM UTC-7, Dan Koren wrote:
> On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:26:18 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > Dan Koren schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 22:40:20 UTC+2:
> > > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:41:12 AM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Just looked them up on wikipedia, and read the
> > > > following about Ralph Evans of the Fine Arts Quartet:
> > > >
> > > > "Ralph Evans (born 1953) is an American violinist,
> > > > best known as first violinist of the Fine Arts Quartet.
> > > >
> > > > The son of Jewish refugees from Russia and Germany,
> > > > Evans began his musical studies at the age of five at
> > > > the Vienna Academy of Music."
> > >
> > > Evans is/was the second first violinist of the Fine
> > > Arts. The ensemble I heard was the original one
> > > led by Leonard Sorkin with George Sopkin as cellist.
> >
> > I assumed (given the date of the recording) that they
> > were not the same formation as with Schnabel, but I
> > didn't look into it further.
>
> You seem to be mixing things up again. The original
> thread was about KV 465. The reference to Schnabel
> was about the Trout grilled with the Pro Arte Quartet,
> an altogether different ensemble from the Fine Arts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Arts_Quartet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Arte_Quartet

dk

Herman schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 23:55:09 UTC+2:
> On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:37:22 PM UTC+2, Dan Koren wrote:
> > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:28:32 AM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > >
> > > Fine Arts is really great... omg, beautiful.
> > > And such a beautiful work btw.
> > This may not be the same recording I
> > heard during the 1960s. AFAIK the
> > Fine Arts recorded this repertoire
> > multiple times.
> >
> It would appear you don't even listen to the links you're posting?
> "Fine Arts Qt" is a franchise.
> The current link is of the quartet profiting from the name and reputation of the postwar ensemble.
> They have had about twenty different members since the original 4.
> I have listened to the first movement, it's just a regular eighties USA string quartet. No great shakes.

Can you explain to me, what you think is not so good about this? Or maybe rather what is better about the others, pointing to specific moments in the recording (by giving me the time of said sections in youtube videos)? I'd be interested. How would you rank Emerson, Hagen, this Fine Arts and Amadeus and Budapest (just for fun)?

> It's just the blind leading the blind here.
> It would be a better idea to recommend the 1953 Budapest recording.

It does seem good from what I heard (as pointed out before) - will not listen later when I have more time at my hands, and I'm a bit more awake...

> However, it's useless to pretend there is a single recommendable recording.

I still like to ask myself questions like "which version I'd like to take on a desert island" - there is always a recording, if you ask yourself enough, that you like more than the others I guess...

> One might do better to just go out to a string quartet recital and listen to a live performance.

One day my friend.

On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:34:24 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> Herman schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 23:55:09 UTC+2:
> >
> > However, it's useless to pretend there
> > is a single recommendable recording.
>
> I still like to ask myself questions like
> "which version I'd like to take on a desert
> island" - there is always a recording, if you
> ask yourself enough, that you like more
> than the others I guess...
>

Travel to desert islands is not advisable.

No airports, one needs to get there by
ship, then swim to the shore. No power,
no internet, batteries eventually run out,
even before one manages to hear the
full Ring. Desert islands are really bad
places. And you won't be able to post
to r.m.c.r. or any other newsgroups.

dk

Dan Koren schrieb am Freitag, 12. Mai 2023 um 07:29:38 UTC+2:
> On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:26:18 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > Dan Koren schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 22:40:20 UTC+2:
> > > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:41:12 AM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Just looked them up on wikipedia, and read the
> > > > following about Ralph Evans of the Fine Arts Quartet:
> > > >
> > > > "Ralph Evans (born 1953) is an American violinist,
> > > > best known as first violinist of the Fine Arts Quartet.
> > > >
> > > > The son of Jewish refugees from Russia and Germany,
> > > > Evans began his musical studies at the age of five at
> > > > the Vienna Academy of Music."
> > >
> > > Evans is/was the second first violinist of the Fine
> > > Arts. The ensemble I heard was the original one
> > > led by Leonard Sorkin with George Sopkin as cellist.
> >
> > I assumed (given the date of the recording) that they
> > were not the same formation as with Schnabel, but I
> > didn't look into it further.
> You seem to be mixing things up again. The original
> thread was about KV 465. The reference to Schnabel
> was about the Trout grilled with the Pro Arte Quartet,
> a ompletely different ensemble from the Fine Arts.

Yes, indeed I was mixing things up. While I'm not well acquainted with the different ensembles, this should have been obvious to me; I don't know why, but in my mind yesterday I thought the quartet Schnabel played the trout with was called Fine Arts as well...

I think I might have to add Berg Quartet's into my consideration again. I am very sure that I do not like Emerson and Juilliard here; feels like I will opt for one of the Amadeus' recordings.

>
> See what happens when one skips one's daily pills?

No need to make drama just because I mixed this up...

>
> dk

Dan Koren schrieb am Freitag, 12. Mai 2023 um 07:56:11 UTC+2:
> On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:34:24 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > Herman schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 23:55:09 UTC+2:
> > >
> > > However, it's useless to pretend there
> > > is a single recommendable recording.
> >
> > I still like to ask myself questions like
> > "which version I'd like to take on a desert
> > island" - there is always a recording, if you
> > ask yourself enough, that you like more
> > than the others I guess...
> >
> Travel to desert islands is not advisable.

But asking the question is - at least imo.

Reminds me of this quote of the movie "Last Samurai" (not a favourite of mine and the quote is a bit off as well haha):

"The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life."

>
> No airports, one needs to get there by
> ship, then swim to the shore. No power,
> no internet, batteries eventually run out,
> even before one manages to hear the
> full Ring. Desert islands are really bad
> places. And you won't be able to post
> to r.m.c.r. or any other newsgroups.

Yes, but think about the good stuff: No Ribbon-Bullies.

>
> dk

Marc S schrieb am Freitag, 12. Mai 2023 um 09:02:56 UTC+2:
> Dan Koren schrieb am Freitag, 12. Mai 2023 um 07:29:38 UTC+2:
> > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:26:18 PM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > > Dan Koren schrieb am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2023 um 22:40:20 UTC+2:
> > > > On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 10:41:12 AM UTC-7, Marc S wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Just looked them up on wikipedia, and read the
> > > > > following about Ralph Evans of the Fine Arts Quartet:
> > > > >
> > > > > "Ralph Evans (born 1953) is an American violinist,
> > > > > best known as first violinist of the Fine Arts Quartet.
> > > > >
> > > > > The son of Jewish refugees from Russia and Germany,
> > > > > Evans began his musical studies at the age of five at
> > > > > the Vienna Academy of Music."
> > > >
> > > > Evans is/was the second first violinist of the Fine
> > > > Arts. The ensemble I heard was the original one
> > > > led by Leonard Sorkin with George Sopkin as cellist.
> > >
> > > I assumed (given the date of the recording) that they
> > > were not the same formation as with Schnabel, but I
> > > didn't look into it further.
> > You seem to be mixing things up again. The original
> > thread was about KV 465. The reference to Schnabel
> > was about the Trout grilled with the Pro Arte Quartet,
> > a ompletely different ensemble from the Fine Arts.
> Yes, indeed I was mixing things up. While I'm not well acquainted with the different ensembles, this should have been obvious to me; I don't know why, but in my mind yesterday I thought the quartet Schnabel played the trout with was called Fine Arts as well...

*this was before I saw your post btw.

>
> I think I might have to add Berg Quartet's into my consideration again. I am very sure that I do not like Emerson and Juilliard here; feels like I will opt for one of the Amadeus' recordings.
> >
> > See what happens when one skips one's daily pills?

and: as opposed to y'all I am pretty much a newbie wrt classical music - give me a break.

You need to take some chill-pills...

> No need to make drama just because I mixed this up...
>
> >
> > dk

I've checked out Smetana and Quartetto Italiano: very bad.
Hagen - I don't like.
Emerson - No like either.

1st movement Budapest very good imo.
1st movement Amadeus very good imo.

Alban Berg quartet is generally very good imo (just relistened to second movement) - might end up being my favourite after all. Much better than Fine Arts - ahem - Herman is right about them not being special (not just 80s; at least with this formation - the other I have never heard), but as opposed to Emerson they sometimes seemed more musical to me (keep in mind, that I listened to them half a day apart and I'm in no way accustomed with this work or with the ensembles; and I also listened to Alban Berg Quartet while taking a walk, and to the Fine Arts yesterday evening at home - which made me listen more attentively; and I guess that's when I realized what a beautiful work this really is.

So ya, my ranking would probably be:

Berg 1)
Budapest/Amadeus 2) as of yet undecided.

The others I don't really like. Would like to listen to the older Fine Arts - would be interesting.