Schubert: String Quartet No. 12 in C minor, D703 ‘Quartettsatz'

“The superlative technical skills of these young Russian-Israelis, and a tendency to squeeze out every drop of expression, can actually obstruct the music they play so brilliantly. Thus, the natural sweetness of the D minor andante’s major-key variation is so overemphasised as almost to negate its purpose. That, however, is the obverse of their great virtues. Death and the Maiden is a haunted work, and the way they seize on the tiniest detail to increase the tension - a pianissimo tremolo, a brief, explosive forte - is often thrilling. They need only relax a little to be genuinely outstanding.” Sunday Times, 25th May 2008 ***

“[The Jerusalem Quartet's] recording of Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet finds them at their most uncompromising, with an epic, angry interpretation of a work usually considered elegiac and consolatory. From the furiously articulated opening chords, this is first and foremost a howl of rage against encroaching mortality. The integrity of the performance is never in doubt, and the playing is often breathtaking in its commitment and fire, but the unremitting bleakness of it all can be as forbidding as it is impressive. Its companion piece, the C Minor Quartetsatz, is similarly interpreted in the starkest of colours, with the dialogues between the first violin (Andrei Pavlovsky) and cello (Kyril Zlotnikov) sounding not so much like duets as duels. An admirable disc, though one that's also hard to like.” The Guardian, 9th May 2008 ***

“Passion and a feverish energy characterise this young Israeli quartet. First up is Schubert’s magnificent Quartettsatz, and the temperature continues for Death and the Maiden. Yet they’re never undisciplined – the cellist even keeps his head playing Jacqueline du Pré’s cello (loaned by Daniel Barenboim). Other groups get closer to Schubert’s tender side, but for racing blood, go to Jerusalem.” The Times, 9th May 2008 ****

“The youthful Jerusalem Quartet… are to be heard on an outstanding disc… Their mastery of rubato is as refined as that of any contemporary group, and this disc is as near to perfection as one can possibly find.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2008 *****

“Like the augmented Alban Berg Quartet in their EMI recording of Schubert's Quintet, the Artemis and Truls Mørk keep romantic expressiveness, dramatic urgency and a classical sense of architecture in fine equilibrium.” The Telegraph, 12th April 2008

“The Artemis Quartet combines fullness, quality and great transparency of sound and well-moulded suppleness of line with an overwhelming musical eloquence ... With Truls Mørk as second cellist the ensemble achieved an unprecedented inner breadth and a dark-hued and subtly shaded fullness of sound.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“[Artemis Quartet and Morks'] playing is energetically graceful and blessed with a spectacular dynamic range (very helpful in the long paragraphs of the C major Quintet, D 956). Nothing is more feverish than the opening Quartettsatz; and nothing sounds more beautiful than the Quintet’s adagio. A starry extra cellist, Mork plays very much as one of the team.” The Times, 11th April 2008 ****

“…though Truls Mørk, the extra cellist, does his best to contribute some bite. My impression is that the players are too seduced by the surface glories of the music to see what lies underneath.” BBC Music Magazine, June 2008 **

"Absolute shining tone, with a real sense of excitement and creativity" In Tune, BBC Radio 3, April 2006