Jerusalem Quartet

"No surprise, then, that Shostakovich’s eighth quartet stood out on this program, too, for the vigour of the interpretation, which kept one on the edge of one’s seat, and the overall quality of playing from all four musicians in dazzling coordination...The mood swung back and forth from a glowing lament in the second movement to an airheaded gallop in the third and back to mournful tension in the fourth. The fifth movement, which brings the themes back together, was a tour de force of biting tone and rhythmic precision." (The Washington Post, March 2012)

“These artists aren't stratified. Bowing varies from precise attack to breathy delicacy; and lines are supple, contoured through flexure of phrase and the easing or tightening of pace without ever disrupting pulse. Sound and balance throughout is realistic.” (Gramophone, May 2011)

"This was concentrated Slavic heart-on-sleeve writing with every last bit of emotion wrung from the score by the players. Energetic, sprightly playing alternates with more affectingly sober moments to create a whole greater than its parts. Not surprisingly, the group’s performance received another standing ovation. It was a good night.” (Buffalo News, March 2012)

“For this sublime disc the Jerusalem Quartet chooses one 'Italian' work, one 'Haydn' and one 'Prussian'. The playing in the three-movement early piece is alert and very beautiful: the wistful Andante is touchingly done, at a plausible tempo…the performance of K589 is the best since the old Boskovsky (Decca). Generous with repeats and sympathetically recorded, this CD sends violist Amichai Grosz off to the Berlin Philharmonic on a considerable high." (The Strad, April 2011)

“…four superb musicians playing much in the Russian/central European tradition of full-blooded beauty of tone, they're well matched and evidently comfortable together in a close-knit ensemble. Their fine balance, musical 'discussion' between players and evident passion for the music are all top-notch.” (Classic FM Magazine, April 2011)

“These are commanding readings: virtuosic in their pin-point accuracy of intonation and exceptionally clean articulation of the rapidly executed passages, aptly animated in faster movements and tonally attractive while avoiding a wide vibrato...[the Jerusalem's playing] is straightforward, free from mannerisms and rhythmically sturdy yet never rigid.” (International Record Review, March 2011)

“The Jerusalem Quartet’s approach, balancing full-blooded tone with exemplary contrapuntal clarity and a sure sense of structural direction...” (BBC Music Magazine, March 2011)

“Passion, precision, warmth, a gold blend: these are the trademarks of this excellent Israeli string quartet. Highlights? The finesse of phrasing in K458’s minuet; the exquisite tone of the ensemble’s cello (formerly played by the great Jacqueline du Pré); and the slow movements that reach ever deeper into Mozart’s heart.” (The Times, February 2011)

"The playing is painstakingly thorough, carrying the message that every moment can be made to count, that even the slightest detail can be engrossing. And in the two later works that pays rich dividends." (Irish Times, February 2011)

“Their wonderfully full and vibrant sound is channelled through rhythms and phrasings that are crisp, tight-reined, and naturally flowing. Every deft switch of mood is caught to near-perfection, especially in those roguish Presto finales. And the slow movements have a dry-eyed warmth of expression that sounds just right.” (BBC Music Magazine, February 2010)

 “The Jerusalem Quartet's latest recording of Haydn Quartets is an absolute triumph. Their playing has everything you could possibly wish for. Miraculously honed intonation and perfect ensemble is matched throughout by an innate understanding of Haydn's mercurial and immensely varied musical language. Recorded in superb sound, it has to be one of the best Haydn recordings to be released in his anniversary year!” (BBC Music Magazine, August 2009)

 “If Haydn himself were able to listen to his celebration this year, he would undoubtedly be thrilled with the Jerusalem Quartet`s readings of his music. This ensemble performs as one mind, yet within its unity of purpose the individual strands are allowed to weave their way into the narrative. Superlatives are inadequate in describing just how fine this playing was from one of the young, yet great quartets of our time.” (The Strad Magazine, May 2009)

“To describe exactly how these players achieved such mesmerising results - an imaginative use of raw, unison down-bows in the trio of Op 74 No 3, "The Rider"; the impeccable phrasing and intonation displayed across the group - risks getting into the realms of comparing fetlocks or crankshafts.” (The Observer, February 2009)