Tchaikovsky’s contradictions as a composer are neatly captured and untangled here by the Heath Quartet. In the Quartet No 1, the warmth of their playing hits the ear first, but what is really impressive is how naturally they make the changes of pace and mood unfold in the opening movement. Its slow movement, based on a folk song Tchaikovsky had heard in Ukraine, is the Andante Cantabile, more often heard as a standalone piece – and the Heaths’ playing, at once folk-like in its simplicity and hymn-like in its reverence, also makes it stand out, albeit as the convincing heart of a larger work. That kind of haunting atmosphere is created again by the lovely, mournful viola solo in the elegiac slow movement of No 3. But even if these introspective moments are the breath-holding high points of this disc, the Heaths’ upbeat playing is irresistible too, catching the epic scale of No 3 particularly well.
