Infinite Voyage

“… a carefully planned, carefully balanced recital… It’s a wonderful disc in many ways, but one is extremely sorry to have to bid goodbye to the Emerson String Quartet.”

“… Ms Hannigan, who performs in all the works except for the Berg, is a marvellous interpreter of this music…”

Interpretation ****     Sound Quality ****     Repertoire Value ****      Booklet ****

“…  Hannigan and the Emerson String Quartet are on the same page in their interpretation; the expressive density is impressive… An impressive overall performance …”

“…The Emersons will be missed, but what a legacy!”

Critics’ Choice 2023

“… played with exceptional expressive conviction.”

International Classical Music Award 2024 Nomination in the Assorted Programs category

Recommended

“…I cannot think of a more fitting way to wish the Emerson String Quartet farewell, if indeed this is to be their last new recording. Alpha have done their part, too, with outstanding sound …”

“…Chausson’s Chanson Perpétuelle, an eight-minute-long scena for voice, piano, and string quartet whose text meditates on lost love and oblivion. Far from doom and gloom, Hannigan, Chamayou, and the Emersons deliver a beautiful, precise, wonderfully blended reading that sends the esteemed ensemble out exactly as their most ardent fans might have hoped: on the top.”

Sound 9      Booklet 10      Repertoire 10     Interpretation 10

Performance ***      Recording ***

“… Much the finest experience comes in Schoenberg’s quartet, where the Emerson Quartet’s playing masterfully combines forensic technical precision and expressive warmth. And Hannigan’s identification with Schoenberg’s extraordinary and exploratory music is complete and memorable.”

**** Excellent Album

Editor’s Choice – November 2023

“A beautiful parting gift from one of the world's greatest string quartets.” ****½

Editor’s Choice – Chamber Section

The Strad Recommends

“An affecting farewell from one of the major quartets of today …”

Guardian Top 10 Classical Picks for 2023

“This wonderful parting gift from the quartet features warm lustrous performances of Schoenberg’s Second Quartet (with soprano Barbara Hannigan) and Berg’s opus 3, plus two beautifully rendered rarities by Hindemith and Chausson.” ****