Beethoven Quartet

In one of the more ironic twists on the music scene, the Soviet-based Beethoven Quartet became more closely associated with the quartets of Shostakovich than with those of its namesake. It gave the world premieres of most of Shostakovich's quartets, six of which are dedicated either to the quartet collectively or to individual members. The composer himself performed and recorded with the ensemble, and many Shostakovich mavens regard the Beethoven Quartet performances of the 15 Shostakovich quartets as benchmarks against which to judge all others. Dedicated and committed as the...