The Takacs String Quartet has long been among the elite of the elite, consistently cited as one of the top quartets in the world. Bay Area music aficionados have long been a little spoiled by the quartet's presence here, year after year, which is due to violist Geraldine Walther residing here. We should consider ourselves lucky.
Among the hundreds of chamber music acts that come through the area, this concert at San Francisco Performances is the one to make time for. The group has been refining its interpretations of the Benjamin Britten string quartets (in time for the composer's anniversary) and of course the Haydn Op. 76/5 and Dvorak's “American" Quartet are welcome every time they get programmed. But it doesn't really matter what the Takacs are planning – whatever it is, they'll play the heck out of it.