The Pavel Haas Quartet’s recording of the Dvorak G major and “American” Quartets won the Gramophone Award for Chamber music for 2011, and not only that, the disc won overall Recording of the Year. Their next disc, Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”, and the Quintet (with with Danjulo Ishizaka) won the Gramophone Award for Chamber music for 2014. And now today it is announced that their follow-up, their recording of the two Smetana Quartets, has won the Gramophone Award for Chamber music for 2015 (here is the Gramophone review of this latest disc). This surely is the most astonishing achievement: at a time when there are so many really fine quartets playing (not to mention other chamber ensembles), for three recordings in a row to be judged the finest of their year is truly remarkable. But, to my ears, truly deserved.
You can stream all their Supraphon recordings on Apple Music. But the PHQ live can be even better. I count myself fortunate to have been able to hear them in concert now a number of times. And there are tickets in the cupboard for three of their London concerts in the coming months …