"Im Innersten" is by far the most beautiful, troubling, all-containing string quartet written after 1950, that I know of to this date, and at the same time belongs to the most extraordinary works of new music ever. This rendition is preferred over that by the Arditti Quartet on Montaigne, because the other pieces there (the fifth and eighth) are not that interesting because of their disruptive incoherence (the rushed fifth) or their distractiveness (the papernoised eighth). The third here is concentrated early Rihm, in absolute mastery, with one of the 'most beautiful spots' of all new music (in the second movement). But actually all of it conveys genious, from the very first to the last minute: the scratching, grinding finale for example is wonderful. And then there's the fourth string quartet, almost as fulminating as its predecessor: 20 minutes of amazing music, with some Janaceck moments, but then still like Rihm - surpises, quiet moments and pusating activism inclusive. The first and second fall away a little compared to these, youthwork, but mature all the way.