Guarneri String Quartet and Johannes String Quartet at the Samueli Theater

Were it a car, the Guarneri String Quartet would be a 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III. Only so luxurious a touring vehicle can serve as an analogy to an ensemble with an ultra-plush, million-dollar tone. It has to be a tasteful Rolls, moreover, not some cream-colored, two-toned number, and one in perfect condition and utterly reliable even after 45 years on the road.

By MARK SWED

November 21, 2008