The Pavel Haas Quartet’s recording of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 has been selected as the best recording of this piece in the Building a Library section of the September issue of BBC Music Magazine. Building a Library is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 each Saturday as part of Record Review.
“Listening to the Pavel Haas’s overwhelming recording from 2019, I could well believe they were an entire string orchestra, not just four players. The impressive power and resonant quality of their sound is one of the reasons this recording stands out from many other superb versions, but it’s what the ensemble does with its rich palette that matters. The star Czech quartet have not only thought deeply about how to play this music… but also why they want to. There’s a total commitment to Shostakovich’s vision, with every interpretative decision somehow thoroughly considered yet entirely spontaneous in the moment.”