The Cleveland Quartet
"Schubert: Death and the Maiden" (Vinyl)

Such a (in)famous quartet should make any string quartet wary about making an attempt at recording it. It's no small matter to infer that your recorded interpretation of such an important work in the literature for string quartet will stand muster against the greatest quartets of the ages.

Thankfully, the Cleveland Quartet WAS one of the great quartets of the ages. I was reminded of this while listening to the record.
There have been so many examples of exceptional modern American string quartets (and that continues to this day) but there was something about the entrainment and commitment to an idea with this ensemble that stands out any time I hear one of their recordings.