Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 16 & 17

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 17 in B flat major ("Hunt"), K. 458
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

2. String Quartet No. 16 in E flat, K. 428 (K. 421b)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Tracks:

String Quartet No.14 In G Major, K.387 (Allegro Vivace Assai)
String Quartet No.14 In G Major, K.387 (Menuetto: Allegretto Trio)
String Quartet No.14 In G Major, K.387 (Andante Cantabile)
String Quartet No.14 In G Major, K.387 (Molto Allegro)
String Quartet No.17 In B Flat Major, K.458 (Allegro Vivacee Assai)
String Quartet No.17 In B Flat Major, K.458 (Menuetto: Moderato Trio)
String Quartet No.17 In B Flat Major, K.458 (Adagio)
String Quartet No.17 In B Flat Major, K.458 (Allegro Assai)
String Quarter No.15 In D Minor, K.421 (Allegro)
String Quarter No.15 In D Minor, K.421 (Andante)
String Quarter No.15 In D Minor, K.421 (Menuetto: (Allegretto) Trio)
String Quarter No.15 In D Minor, K.421 (Allegretto Ma Non Troppo)
String Quartet No.16 In E Flat Major, K.428 (Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
String Quartet No.16 In E Flat Major, K.428 (Andante Con Moto)
String Quartet No.16 In E Flat Major, K.428 (Menuetto: Allegretto Trio)
String Quartet No.16 In E Flat Major, K.428 (Allegro Vivace)
String Quartet No.20 In D Major, K.499 (Allegretto)
String Quartet No.20 In D Major, K.499 (Menuetto: Allegretto Trio)
String Quartet No.20 In D Major, K.499 (Adagio)
String Quartet No.20 In D Major, K.499 (Allegro)
String Quartet No.18 In A Major, K.464 (Allegro)
String Quartet No.18 In A Major, K.464 (Menuetto Trio)
String Quartet No.18 In A Major, K.464 (Andante)
String Quartet No.18 In A Major, K.464 (Allegro)
String Quartet No.19 In C Major, K.465 (Adagio Allegro)
String Quartet No.19 In C Major, K.465 (Andante Cantabile)
String Quartet No.19 In C Major, K.465 (Menuetto: Allegro Trio)
String Quartet No.19 In C Major, K.465 (Allegro)
String Quartet No.21 In D Major, K.575 (Allegretto)
String Quartet No.21 In D Major, K.575 (Andante)
String Quartet No.21 In D Major, K.575 (Menuetto: Allegretto Trio)
String Quartet No.21 In D Major, K.575 (Allegretto)
String Quartet No.22 In B Flat Major, K.589 (Allegro)
String Quartet No.22 In B Flat Major, K.589 (Larghetto)
String Quartet No.22 In B Flat Major, K.589 (Menuetto: Moderato Trio)
String Quartet No.22 In B Flat Major, K.589 (Allegro Assai)
String Quartet No.23 In F Major, K.590 (Allegro Moderato)
String Quartet No.23 In F Major, K.590 (Andante)
String Quartet No.23 In F Major, K.590 (Menuetto: Allegretto Trio)
String Quartet No.23 In F Major, K.590 (Allegro)

Album Details

Before Signing with EMI and Recording all of Mozart String Quartets at Least Once and Often Twice, the Alban Berg Quartet Recorded Nearly Half of them First for Teldec and Many Regard them Still as their Freshest and Most Vital Performances. This Four CD Budget Box is an Outstanding Bargain and all Unfamiliar with their Earlier Performances and who Simply Treasure These Quartets Are Strongly Encouraged to Give this Set a Listen.

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't get any better than this........2006-09-30

I am assuming if you are reading this, I don't really have to say anything technical about Mozart or these GREAT late string quartets.
I am only writing this review to let you know...
For anyone who is disappointed with the performance and sound quality of The Berg Quartet's EMI Mozart collection of these same quartets, this is a horse of a different color.
Recorded in the early 90s for Teldec before the Berg's signed with EMI, These performances are sublime.
You would not belive this is the same group that made those horrid EMI records.
This is THE Bergs we all know and love and nobody before or since has made Mozart's string quartets sound this good.
Perfect intonation, TONE, blend, dynamics and yes, PASSION.
I've had many collections of these works and this leads the field. BY FAR.
THIS ONE HAS IT ALL....
And the Teldec sound stage is the cleanest and crystal clear you'll ever hear.
With wonderful front to back depth and air around every note.
Demonstration sound with great imaging and transparency.
You can "literally" step inside this recording. Well you know what I mean.
It really doesn't get any better than this.

A bargain - and perfectg ensemble.......2005-10-18

The Alban Berg Quartet are legendary and these CD's contain some of their best work. They seem like one instrument and it is difficult to imagine a closer ensemble.

Particularly affecting are the slower movements, where Mozart's sublime music is allowed time to breathe and expand as it should.

BUY THESE DISCS AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Penguin Guide "Recommended Recording".......2005-05-08

This 4-CD set contains Mozart's most monumental (and last) quartets, including the six quartets dedicated to his dear friend and colleage Joseph Haydn, the lone "Hoffmeister quartet" and the last "Prussian" quartets. All are masterpieces of the genre, especially the "Haydn's" which Mozart (uncharacteristically) toiled long and carefully to compose out of respect and admiration for his elder friend. Upon hearing these performed, Haydn pronounced to Mozart's father the now-famous quote about young Mozart being the greatest composer he knew in person or by reputation. As the pioneer of the modern quartet, Haydn knew great quartet writing when he heard it and he was right - these turned out to be among Mozart's greatest chamber works. (the quintets perhaps being the only greater works).

The Austrian Alban Berg Quartet executes these quartets with their characteristic and supreme suppleness, precision and elegance. "Polished" is a common description I see concerning their style. The music here sounds really, really great - for the perfectly honed compositions of Mozart to the impeccable performances of the Berg to the clear, vibrant sound quality. I normally favor the Quatuor Mosaiques for quartets, but here for Mozart's quartets, I think The Alban Berg Quartet is hard to beat. Indeed, this is what Penguin Guide concluded who awarded this set with a "Recommended Recording" and described it as "one of the most distinguised sets of the late quartets that has not been surpassed." What also makes this set so valuable is that it contains the last three quartets in addition to the Haydn Quartets - an obvious but not so common coupling. So, all the above factors make this set highly desirable and a fabulous value. (I think Teldec "left some money on the table" here ...). PS: Their complete cycle of Beethoven's string quartets also get rave reviews for similar reasons.

Highest quality for the lowest price........2004-01-10

I hesitate to express my wonder at the price of this set, should some company executive realize his mistake.

Here are 4 discs featuring ALL of Mozart's mature quartets performed by one of the world's finest quartets (in my opinion, the finest). The recordings were made in the 1970s, but the sound quality is excellent - not too "close" or "dead", nor too much reverb. Just right for chamber music for strings alone.

The performances are wonderful. If you're looking for a performance that is passionate or that idiosyncratically interprets the music, look elsewhere. The Berg Quartet is much better than that in that they allow Mozart to speak for himself. The A major and C major quartets from the "Haydn" set are particularly good. The overall quality of this entire set is so excellent that I would recommend this recording over all others for an example of what quartet playing should and ought to be.