Two of the strengths of the Heath Quartet are their ability to hold together Bartók’s more sectional structures, such as the first movements of the Fourth and Fifth quartets in convincing single spans, and their acute characterisation of some of his more extreme inventions…this fine release should not disappoint

Their playing isn’t as glossy, perhaps, as other recent entrants into this field, such as the Jerusalem Quartet, but they have a powerful understanding of the music’s structure, coupled to superlative technical skill. Sensibly, they don’t try to fake a Hungarian accent: instead, their awareness of the music’s roots is incorporated into a wider expressive language.

Taut, incisive accounts of all six works from the intrepid young British quartet, who positively crackle with energy in the allegros and endow the slow movements (particularly the sequence of ‘mesto’ sections in the Sixth Quartet) with an almost orchestral depth of tone. The folk-inspired movements are especially effective, with just the right sort of rough edge to the timbre.

The Heath Quartet play each with an electrifying intensity, maintaining an irresistible impetus and negotiating abrupt character changes with aplomb.

their performances deserve to be considered alongside the best … they are fine accounts … The careful balancing of textures and clarity of the part writing are regularly impressive

The true joy of this survey by the Heath Quartet, taken from live recordings at the Wigmore Hall, is the pungency of performances that capture the essence of Bartók, from the desperation of youthful, unrequited love in the First Quartet, to the anguish of the last, written as war loomed. There is a freshness and immediacy running through every performance … This is a substantial achievement by the Heath Quartet, which offers new insights into one composer’s fascinating body of work

This complete cycle of the six Bartok string quartets finds the Heath Quartet at the top of its game … the players exhibit almost superhuman concentration and stamina … The string tone throughout…is flawless, and ensemble work is exemplary … if there were any argument for yet another recorded cycle of the Bartok quartets entering a crowded market, this is it

This is another winner from the Heath Quartet. While each piece is impeccably prepared, balanced and executed, theirs is no one-size-fits-all approach...this is an utterly convincing and very welcome cycle.

I’d call this a radical re-think of the Bartók quartet cycle … Where the Heath Quartet scores is in its flexible approach, and the ease with which tempos relate to each other, especially in the largely romantic First Quartet, a work that in the wrong hands can seem episodic

everything the critics enthused about at the time [of the Wigmore Hall concerts] is present and correct: the sense of music on the edge, performances impeccably prepared but surfing a wave of adrenaline. The combination of Beethovenian intensity of No. 1 to the rustic folk rhythms and thrusting propulsion of No. 2, all the way to the eerie sadness and desolation of No. 6 … a fine achievement … the performance of the 6th and last quartet is quietly devastating.