Higher Truth The Wihan Quartet plays Schubert - heard by ANDREW SCHARTMANN '... one of the most important interpreters ...'

Ever since their prodigious performance of Beethoven's quartet cycle in 2008, the Wihan Quartet has established itself as one of the world's preeminent ensembles. Their latest recording, which features outstanding interpretations of Schubert's Quartettsatz (D 703) and G major Quartet (D 887), brings the fiery panache of Beethoven to the highly troubled works of his Viennese contemporary -- a highly tenable aesthetic position, given the anxiety of influence that can be observed throughout Schubert's music.

This Beethovenian thrust, so to speak, is felt most strongly in moments of frenetic uncertainty, which abound in Schubert's late work; time and time again, the music plays tricks on our expectations, resulting in an ever-changing emotional landscape. The momentous first movement of the G major Quartet is a locus classicus of such temperamental variance...

FRANZ SCHUBERT

WIHAN QUARTET

NIMBUS RECORDS

CHAMBER MUSIC