Arditti String Quartet - Alban Berg: Streichquartett Op.3, Lyrische Suite (2000)

Alban Berg wrote twice for string quartet, and both results stand tall in his output. On this Naive disc, a reissue of an earlier Montaigne release, the Arditti Quartet perform these pieces. The lineup of the Ardittis at this time was Irvine Arditti and David Alberman (violin), Levine Andrade (viola) and Rohan de Saram (cello).
The String Quartet op. 3 (1910) was written when Berg was using free atonality for greater expression. In spite of the composer's wider choice of pitches, these works are very Viennese: tempo di valse, Romantic swells and the feeling that in listening one is eating a rich piece of cake. Granted, I discovered classical music through the avant-garde and only later worked back to 19th century and earlier, but anyone who enjoys Mahler should find Berg's opus number three accessible and entertaining.
The Lyric Suite (1925-26) uses the 12-tone method, but it's important to note that the result is only a slight change from the sound of the first quartet. The sonorities are slightly more "angular" or whatever, but we're still in a recognizable Vienna with recognizable themes. Cast in six movements, this has a variety of changing moods: I. Allegretto giovale, II. Andante amoroso, III. Allegro misterioso, IV. Adagio appasionato, V. Presto delirando, VI. Largo desolato. What I love about this work is how effusive the writing is. Even in movements that might be intended as tragic, there's a real joie de vivre in the Lyric Suite.
Berg wrote a vocal part for the last movement of the Lyric Suite, but it remained secret until long after his death. This recording does not contain that vocal part, but interested listeners can turn, for example, to a Nonesuch disc where the Kronos Quartet and Dawn Upshaw perform the reconstruction. That said, the purely instrumental work does not feel like it's lacking anything and is richly enjoyable.
The sound is excellent and the liner notes informative. Any lover of 20th century music should seek out this disc. It's baffling there are no other reviews for what I think is a cornerstone of a classical music collection.