“The Arcadia Quartet take us through different emotions with lovely textural colour and a technical adroitness that is quite outstanding, especially their bowing skill. Each of the players display exceptional musicianship and agility creating gravity and substance producing commanding performances.”
Chimeo, 2023
… That the four musicians certainly have the tools to present these works adequately is undeniable. They do not rush through the works, but they penetrate them intellectually and present the form of the works in a well-dosed manner. But they also don’t fail to get emotionally involved either... this recording at the start of the complete series offers a more than successful performance of the works of this composer. The quality of the recorded sound is not inferior.
Pizzicato.com.lu, January 2021
The Arcadia’s evident enthusiasm for the music is perfectly conveyed here with playing that maximises the emotional range explored in each work, as well as exploiting to the full the music’s tonal and textural varieties and its underlying sense of unease.
BBC Music Magazine, January 2021
… What cannot be denied is the immaculate ensemble of the Arcadia – which, along with a wellnigh perfect balance and David Fanning’s insightful notes, makes this first instalment a tempting proposition for those new to the cycle.
Gramophone Magazine, March 2021
Het is gewoon perfect. De leden van het mij tot nu toe onbekende strijkkwartet spelen levendig en hun betrokkenheid is voelbaar. Simpel gezegd: ze spelen de sterren naar beneden.
Basia con fuoco, March 2021
… joy comes through clearly in their [Arcadia Quartet] performance; their enthusiasm for this music is clear to hear in their strongly articulated, nuanced and inspired playing. (…) If you do not know Weinberg, this recording is a good place to start, and with a performance like this by the Arcadia Quartet you cannot go wrong.
MusicWeb-International.com, April 2021
The Arcadia Quartet combines precision and passion. The ensemble also explores the richness of color in the music of Mieczysław Weinberg with great sensitivity, which can be heard in the successful first string of his complete recording of all Weinberg quartets.
Deutschlandfunk, May 2021
[Fifth Quartet] After the introduction in IV, I nearly fell out of my chair in awe when one of the violins repeated the main theme, resembling a flute or duduk (the Armenian double reed instrument) rather than a violin. Never have I heard a violin produce such a tone; I’m still gobsmacked. That passage alone is worth the price of the disc.
American Record Guide, July/August 2021 issue
The performances by the Arcadia Quartet are first-rate, giving a wide-ranging overview of Weinberg’s progress as a composer.
Financial Times, May 2022