“…The recording is up to the usual extremely high standards set by BIS. The sound is free of noise and hiss, and there is extreme clarity throughout, which helps support the fast/quiet combination of the Chiaroscuro Quartet that makes many of the movements on this disc so revealing and rewarding. There is no dynamic compression either, which again makes transparent the skill and control of the musicians…”

“… whether gut strings and period bows are generally your bag or not, you need to add this to your listening pile forthwith.”

The Strad Recommends

“Revelatory middle-and late-period Beethoven from the Chiaroscuro.”

Guardian Top 10 Classical Picks for 2023

“The period-instrument quartet’s recording of Beethoven’s Ops 74 and 130 offers many rewards” ****

“… The group’s hallmark delicacy, poise and attention to minute detail are there in spades, with all the range and inventiveness one could wish for…” ****

International Classical Music Award 2024 Nomination in the Chamber Music category

Joker Crescendo

Sound 10      Booklet 10      Repertoire 10     Interpretation 10

“…These are readings of great musicality, with the instruments of the quartet placed in absolute balance. As with the first volume, quartets 10 and 13 are given readings of great sensitivity, and those who have begun collecting the new sequence will be impatient for volume 3.”

“…The warmth and earthiness of the instruments’ tone produces results that are haunting in the tenth quartet and shattering in the thirteenth.” ****

Choc du Classica