Yup! Just pick one and start listening. Italiano has a very refined and classical sound. Emerson's favor swift tempos. Tokyo and Alban Berg are both very well played and reliable sets.
I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago and decided on this Smetana Quartet set. I enjoy and recommend it.
I just put on a disc from the Tokyo RCA set and for a bargain box you can't go wrong. The sound is beautiful on this set. And wonderful playing
The Quartetto Italiano's set has been and still is an old favourite, but it may sound a bit dated to some, so let me add a few "modern" recordings that I think are excellent (complete sets only):
Of all the versions of this symphony no.2, i have Nanut, Inbal, Abravanel, Boulez, Klemperer, Bernstein(first) and Kubelik. My favourite is Kubelik with the Sinfonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunk. Great performance from both orchestra and choir and very good sound. The version of Abravanal is this one from 1995.
From 1962. Biggs plays the Flentrop organ at the Busch-Reisinger Museum at Harvard University. Producer: John McClure.
16th-18th Century music, issued in 1970. Producer: Hellmuth Kolbe. Engineers: Ed Michalski & Milton Cherin. This copy was at both of the stores I frequent, first The Great Escape & then at McKay.
Disc 2: No, 29, 38, and 39. Aaah...rich string tone, tympani that doesn't sound like bongos...I'm a happy man.
I was looking at my community college music appreciation cassettes and remembered I wanted to get this disc; Allelulia nativitas was the excerpt. I'm not sure why I never bought it. I was swept away on first listen in class.
I wasn't familiar with this. Thanks for posting. Been reading about Rochberg and listening to this on youtube. Very interesting. Big reason I like this thread is all the new things (to me) that come past.
Rochberg is excellent. Naxos has issued a number of his works. I particularly like hi 50 minute (!) Violin Concerto and 5th Symphony.
A wonderful set of Preludes and Fugues for guitar. They are mostly tonal with the exception of No.19. They densely written and must be very challenging to play but Colucci is firmly up to the task.
1st Listen (Beethoven: 9 Piano Sonatas, Emil Gilels SHM-SACD); I don't own these recordings on any other media, so it's hard to compare this version with anything, but I do like what I hear...the recordings sound clear and lucid with a hint of warmth. The piano sounds closely miced and there is a great deal to recommend in the playing.