Supraphon. And the Pavel Haas Quartet

Listening to Bedrich Smetana's two string quartets as recorded in 2014 by the Pavel Haas Quartet, I marvelled at Supraphon's recording. A perfect balance between the four instruments. A perfect perspective for the sound -- not too distant, not too close. A perfect balance between pianissimo and fortissimo. An avoidance of the high violin “glare” that so disfigures so many digital recordings.

All this, of course, subject to my playback equipment, which is not state-of-the-art, but nor is it bargain basement. I know nothing about sound recording of music, except that in the 1950s and 60s EMI with Walter Legge and Douglas Larte did great things, as did DGG in the 1960s and 70s; and Supraphon for the past couple of decades. Recording “classical” music is intrinsically different from recording popular or entertainment music, and one really cannot use the same teams for both. Happily for us, Supraphon appears to have recording technicians who understand orchestral and chamber music. I wish the company would record more of the superb Pavel Haas Quartet; the current market selection is a bit limited.