While the
Dartington String Quartet as a whole and first violinist Colin Sauer in particular could play in tune more often in their 1973 coupling of
Shostakovich's Fourth and Ninth string quartets, the drive, power, and dedication of their performances is more than enough to compensate. Besides, the
Dartington is only really out of tune when the dynamic levels rise above fortissimo and Sauer is only consistently out of tune when playing more than two octaves above middle C. Most of the time, they're tight, tough, and right on the sweet spot. So one could perhaps think of their intonation as less a technical flaw than an interpretive choice. And the
Dartington's performances are truly wonderful. It has a sure feel for
Shostakovich's astringent harmonic idiom and a persuasive way with his anguished themes and forms. The Fourth is superbly argued and intensely dramatic, while the Ninth is marvelously shaped and hauntingly melodic. So if one can redefine out of tune as harsh and edgy, this disc will be a pure pleasure, especially as captured in Amon Ra's amazingly transparent but still warmly atmospheric stereo sound.