“… the Vilnus players deliver well-executed performances, exhibiting excellent ensemble throughout. The recording is also quite fine, with a great balance between direct and hall sound…”
Mark Novak – Fanfare – May/June 2021
“… It (Quartet No 1] is extremely classical in conception and gesture, in the traditional four movements, though it is tonally quite adventurous … and the abrupt contrasts of the second-movement Allegro – Moderato – Allegro are genuinely striking… the Quartet No 2 is darker in tone, while essentially lyrical… The Vilnius Quartet miss none of the nuances, and Ondine’s recording team have done them full justice. A fascinating discovery.”
Ivan Moody – Gramophone magazine – June 2021
“… The Lithuanian Vilnius Quartet, founded in 1965, gives wonderfully sympathetic performances, beautifully recorded with a full, resonant sound quality on a gorgeous CD.”
Terry Robins – thewholenote.com – 7 May 2021
“… Karnavicius composed two profoundly romantic pieces, with music that is luminous, sometimes virtuosic, but often very lyrical. The two introverted, soulful Andante movements leave a particularly strong impression. The musicians from Vilnius put a great deal of reflectiveness into these two movements and are thus able to effectively display the great beauty of the quiet passages. But also in the other movements the performance is of the highest tonal purity, of the greatest possible precision and rhythmically well defined as well. In addition, the four musicians also play very expressively and with much spontaneity to keep the listener’s attention intensely during 75 minutes.” ****
Remy Franck – Pizzicato.com – 3 April 2021
“… I’m indebted to the fine notes by Beata Baublinskiene for biographical matters and we are all the beneficiaries of the finely recorded performances – refined, elegant, passionate when required – of the Vilnius String Quartet. These are première recordings too.”
Jonathan Woolf – MusicWeb-International.com – 5 April 2021
“… They [Vilnius String Quartet] play with engagement; not at all detached and one senses a fervent belief in Karnavicius’ music that rears up to meet and reward the players’ confidence.”
Rob Barnett – MusicWeb-International.com – 18 March 2021