All of that is spot on. To me it's all about the group's sound. Of course, they need to be good musicians in their own right but a group of talented people don't always add up to a crack ensemble. That magic is rare. And it doesn't always communicate despite what the players may be feeling (as anyone who's ever played in a band could tell you!).
I like the early Juilliard Quartet's version because they were in a period where Happy Birthday would have sounded fabulous. They just had that indefinable fire and cohesion missing from most versions of the quartets that I've heard. I'm listening again to the Danish Quartet's version of Op. 131 (in the first post) and, for me, while there are moments of brilliance (particularly in the up-tempo movements; the scherzo, in particular) they lack the power of the unity of voices in the Juilliard version. They play beautifully but, to me, the Juilliard group were on another level. But, as they say, to each his own.
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