Over the years, many recordings have done considerable justice to these most dynamic masterworks of the modern chamber repertoire, but for some time, the readings by the Mandelring quartet have come to be regarded as definitive. And as a reminder of their considerable status, here is a generously priced box set containing the set in CD incarnations rather than in the SACD versions which have previously been available. If you’re a CD collector rather than a surround sound aficionado, there need be no hesitation – this is probably the finest complete set of the Shostakovich quartets now on the market.