The Wihan Quartet open Schubert's last string quartet with a strong emphasis on its monumentality. They are sure and steady, and sometimes broaden their slowish tempo even further. The 22-minute- long performance of the opening movement helps bring the total timing to more than 52 minutes. A sense of deliberation persists in the slow movement as well, before the arrival of the upbeat Scherzo and the swirling finale. Fascinating as the results are, I'm not sure the players fully surmount the self-imposed challenge of maintaining tension, especially in the first movement. They allow the only completed movement from a Quartet in C minor, D703, to flow with much greater ease.
url.ie/6c45