The Strad has selected Quatuor Diotima’s recording of Beethoven’s late string quartets as a Strad Recommends pick in its July 2026 issue, with critic David Threasher praising a gripping, cogent, untiring account of the Grosse Fuge among the set’s highlights.
Threasher notes that although Beethoven has long featured in the ensemble’s concert repertoire, this recording marks the first time in the quartet’s thirty-year career that it has committed his music to disc. The review highlights the group’s clarity throughout, both in the close-mic’d balance captured in a French farmhouse studio and in well-judged tempos that avoid excess in the slower movements.
The Strad praises the ensemble’s use of Jonathan Del Mar’s recent urtext edition, noting acutely reactive responses to Beethoven’s dynamic markings, while warming vibrato and expressive portamentos keep the performances from turning cold or analytical. The disc closes with the Grosse Fuge placed ahead of the replacement finale, preserving the last music Beethoven wrote for the album’s final moments.
Beethoven: The Late String Quartets is out now on PENTATONE.
