LUCKY B******! ;) The original four? Mann was the teacher of someone I dated at Juilliard. Closest I got! Anyway I'm going to start a separate thread for the discussion a bit later. Or if you feel inclined tonight start one (pick any single quartet piece/ensemble on Spotify). I'll chime in soon. Let's leave this one open for future suggestions/observations.

Idk tbh around 2002

You pick. I’ll wait for the thread.

The original four -

https://i.ibb.co/59FBhD8/jsq1.jpg

Violinists Robert Mann, Robert Koff, Raphael Hillyer and cellist Arthur Winograd, circa 1948.

I'll start the Beethoven thread later today (NFL Sunday ;)).

I have the set of Beethoven piano concertos with Gilels, accompanied by Szell/Cleveland, and it's pretty disappointing. Stifled, ultra-disciplined, typical "studio" recordings. Gilels is one of the very greatest Beethoven interpreters and these are some of his weakest recordings, evidently thanks to Szell.

For the record, there's a live recording of Gilels and Szell playing the 3rd at the Salzburg festival and it's electric.

Most critics are not worthy of passing judgement upon the artists they criticize. That being said, a genuine and deserving critic is indeed indispensable. There was a time when we had artists like Brahms, Schumann, Berlioz acting as music critics on the side.