Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59 & 74

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ("Harp"), Op. 74
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Turner Quatuor [members of]

2. String Quartet No. 9 in C major ("Rasumovsky 3") Op. 59/3
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Turner Quatuor [members of]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Turner Quartet is a period-instrument group that equals more traditional quartets in personality, warmth, and innate feeling for Beethoven's peerless works. They zero in on the right tempo for any given passage, display a comparable sense of structure and rhythmic drive, as well as a masterful sense of dynamics. In the "Harp Quartet," they capture the ghostly opening beautifully, albeit with the clipped-phrase endings that tell you their Beethoven interpretations look forward from an earlier style. The slow movements of both works are done lovingly, although the plucked cello in the Andante of Op. 59 No. 3 is not nearly as prominent as in less understated performances. Throughout, the Turner's instrumental blend is impeccable, and they negotiate the faster movements with admirable swing and precise articulation. Harmonia Mundi's excellent sound is an added attraction to performances that, while they don't supplant the Italiano, Emerson, Talich, and Vegh Quartets, can be welcomed as viable alternative recordings of these inexhaustible pieces. --Dan Davis

Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59 & 74, Music, Turner Quartet, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Quartet for Four String Instruments
Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Music of the Spheres - My Very Highest Recommendation.
 Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 74, Op. 95
  2. Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/6 & 59/1
  3. Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14 & 15
  4. Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 130; Grosse Fuge, Op. 133
  5. Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances

ASIN: B000003CXH
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

  1. I. Allegro
  2. II. Molto Adagio: Si Tratta Questo Pezzo Con Molto Di Sentimento
  3. III. Allegretto
  4. IV. Finale: Presto
  5. I. Introduzione: Andante Con Moto/Allegro Vivace
  6. II. Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
  7. III. Menuetto Grazioso
  8. IV. Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Music of the Spheres - My Very Highest Recommendation........2006-01-06

I have listened to CDs of Beethoven's quartets by four different groups: Alban Berg, Julliard, Kodaly, and Cleveland. They are all excellent. However, if the other quartets all deserve five stars out of five, then the Cleveland Quartet deserves a sixth star. All four groups play together seamlessly and capture all of the energy and passion of Beethoven, but the Cleveland Quartet also has an extra touch of lyrical magic, smooth refinement, and coherent unity in the quality of their performance.

I have listened to this CD several times in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. In the allegro movements, such as the first movement of the second Razumovsky quartet, there is a wonderful interaction between the violins playing the melody and the cello that is providing such a strong rhythm, anchoring the melody and, at the same time, seemingly playing in opposition to it; both instruments are very distinct and play both with, and against each other in a perfect blend of harmony and, in the more rapid passages, a flawless tension that conveys a sense of passion and even urgency in the music. The second movement (Molto Adagio: Si Tratta Questo Pezzo Con Molto de Sentimento) is a piece of chamber music heaven played with an exquisite tenderness, creating an ethereal atmosphere that lets the listener savor every note. In fact, the CD booklet states that at least three separate witnesses who knew Beethoven "claimed, in one place or another, that the idea for this movement came to the composer while he was gazing at th enight sky, contemplating the music of the spheres."

The sound quality is superbly clear, rich, and full, and evokes for me the impression of highly polished wood, like the superb instruments played by these incredibly talented musicians: William Preucil plays a Stradivarious violin from 1701; Peter Salaff, a J.B. Guadegnini violin from 1783; James Dunham, a Gaspar da Salo viola from 1585; and Paul Katz, an Andrea Guarneri cello from 1669.

The CD booklet is well-written and informative, with a lengthy, detailed essay in three sections, with the first section discussing in a general manner Beethoven's composition of all of his string quartets, followed by two separate sections that discuss each of the two quartets on this CD. The essay is in English, with a German and French translation. This is followed by a separate, detailed essay (only in English) on the Cleveland String Quartet. The CD booklet even includes on the final page some exceptionally detailed technical information regarding the microphones, console, digital recording processor, microphone & interconnecting cables, monitor speakers, power amplifiers, and even the control room acoustic treatment and digital editing. Given the exceptional quality of the sound engineering on this CD, as with the vast majority of Telarc CDs, the detailed technical information is understandable. Surely, everyone involved in making this recording, from the musicians to the sound engineers, had every reason to be proud of this accomplishment. Out of several hundred classical music CD's, I would select the Cleveland Quartet's recordings of all of the Beethoven Quartets, including the Razumovsky Quartets, as amongst my very best, "desert island" CDs. This CD has my unqualified and very highest recommendation.
Beethoven: String Quartets Opp. 59 "Razumovsky" & 74 "Harp" [Argentina]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Beethoven: String Quartets Opp. 59 "Razumovsky" & 74 "Harp" [Argentina]
    Amadeus Quartet
    Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    Deutsche Grammophon: MusicDeutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
    ASIN: B00004Z1B8
    Release Date: 2000-09-13

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro
    2. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
    3. Adagio Molto E Mesto-Attacca
    4. Theme Russe: Allegro
    5. Poco Adagio - Allegro
    6. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
    7. Presto- Attacca:
    8. Allegretto Con Variazioni
    Beethoven: The Middle String Quartets (Opp. 59, 74 & 95)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Beethoven: The Middle String Quartets (Opp. 59, 74 & 95)

      Manufacturer: Pantheon
      ProductGroup: Classical
      Binding: Audio CD
      ASIN: B000M3DCYG

      Product Description

      CD1)~~1-4. Quartet in F major, Op. 59, No. 1~~~~CD2)~~1-4. Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2~~5-8. Quartet in C major, Op. 59, No. 3~~~~CD3)~~1-4. Quartet in E flat major, Op. 74~~5-8. Quartet in F minor, Op. 95.
      Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/5 & 59/1
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/5 & 59/1

        Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        Borodin String QuartetBorodin String Quartet | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000025M4O
        Release Date: 2001-01-09

        Tracks:

        1. Str Qt in A, Op.18 No.5: I. Allegro
        2. Str Qt in A, Op.18 No.5: II. Menuetto
        3. Str Qt in A, Op.18 No.5: III. Andante Cantabile
        4. Str Qt in A, Op.18 No.5: IV. Allegro
        5. Str Qt in F, Op.59 No.1 'Rasumovsky': I. Allegro
        6. Str Qt in F, Op.59 No.1 'Rasumovsky': II. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
        7. Str Qt in F, Op.59 No.1 'Rasumovsky': III. Adagio Molto E Mesto -
        8. Str Qt in F, Op.59 No.1 'Rasumovsky': IV. Theme Russe: Allegro
        Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 95 & 59/1
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Excellent performances astutely programmed
        		 Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 95 & 59/1

        Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        Similar Items:
        1. Ligeti: String Quartets 1 & 2
        2. Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18
        3. J.S. Bach: The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo

        ASIN: B0009PEYEO
        Release Date: 2005-11-08

        Tracks:

        1. I Allegro Con Brio
        2. II Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
        3. III Allegro Assai Vivace Ma Serioso
        4. IV Larghetto Espressivo - Allegretto Agitato - Allegro
        5. I Allegro
        6. II Allegreto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
        7. III Adagio Molto E Mesto
        8. IV Allegro (Theme Russe)

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Excellent performances astutely programmed.......2006-03-30

        The Artemis Quartett is a fine ensemble, one that places the composer and the music at hand first before the personalities of the performers. This quartet does not differentiate between violin 1 and violin 2, alternating the parts between the two members at will - a trait that speaks well for the ensemble effect they so beautifully achieve.

        Another interesting aspect of this performing group is the intelligent manner in which they program. On this fine CD release they offer two Beethoven quartets both in the key of F - String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ("Serioso"), Op. 95 and String Quartet No. 7 in F major ("Rasumovsky 1"), Op. 59/1. The similarities of key enhance the listening experience.

        Both of these quartets are given performances of accuracy but also of fresh passion. The recording technique places the quartet in the room with us with near perfect balance left to the virtuosity of the players rather than the technical strategies of the recording crew.

        This warmly rich recording is one of the finest available and is recommended especially for those who are just beginning to appreciate the chamber music of Beethoven. Grady Harp, March 06
        Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/6 & 59/1
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Perfect Balance of Harmony and Tension
        		 Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/6 & 59/1

        Manufacturer: Telarc
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
        CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
        All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
        4-for-3 Classical4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
        4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
        Similar Items:
        1. Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 74, Op. 95
        2. Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3
        3. Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18/1-3
        4. Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4 & 5

        ASIN: B000003CWF
        Release Date: 2003-11-25

        Tracks:

        1. Allegro Con Brio
        2. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
        3. Scherzo: Allegro
        4. La Malinconia: Adagio; Allegretto Quasi Allegro
        5. Allegro
        6. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
        7. Adagio Molto E Mesto
        8. Theme Russe: Allegro

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Perfect Balance of Harmony and Tension.......2005-11-29

        I have listened to CDs of Beethoven's quartets by four different groups: Alban Berg, Julliard, Kodaly, and Cleveland. They are all excellent. However, if the other quartets all deserve five stars out of five, then the Cleveland Quartet deserves a sixth star. All four groups play together seamlessly and capture all of the energy and passion of Beethoven, but the Cleveland Quartet also has an extra touch of lyrical magic, smooth refinement, and coherent unity in the quality of their performance.

        I have listened to this CD several times in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. From the very first note of the first track, the CQ play with a commanding vitality. Their performance of the first movement - Allegro con brio - of the Op. 18/No. 6 Quartet is absolutely electrifying. In the first movement - Allegro - of the first Razumovsky quartet, Op. 59/No. 1 there is a wonderful interaction between the violins playing the melody and the cello that is providing such a strong, swinging rhythm, anchoring the melody and, at the same time, playing in opposition to it; both instruments are very distinct and play against each other in a perfect blend of harmony and tension. The third movement of Op. 59/No.1 - Adagio Molto e Mesto - is a piece of chamber music heaven played with an exquisite tenderness that lets you savor every note.

        The sound quality of this digital recording made in July of 1991 and May of 1992 is superbly clear, rich, and full, evoking the impression of highly polished wood, like the wood of the photo of the violin on the cover of the CD insert and the wood of the superb instruments played by these incredibly talented musicians: William Preucil plays a Stradivarious violin from 1701; Peter Salaff, a J.B. Guadegnini violin from 1783; James Dunham, a Gaspar da Salo viola from 1585; and Paul Katz, an Andrea Guarneri cello from 1669.

        The CD booklet is well-written and informative, with a lengthy, detailed essay on each of the two quartets on this CD. The essay is in English, with a German and French translation, followed by a separate, detailed essay (only in English) on the Cleveland String Quartet. The CD booklet even includes on the final page some very detailed technical information regarding the microphones, console, digital recording processor, microphone & interconnecting cables, monitor speakers, power amplifiers, and even the control room acoustic treatement and digital editing. Given the exceptional quality of the sound engineering on this CD, as with the vast majority of Telarc CDs, the detailed technical information is understandable. Surely, everyone involved in making this outstanding recording, from the musicians to the sound engineers, had every reason to be proud of this accomplishment. Out of several hundred classical music CD's, I would select the Cleveland Quartet's recordings of all of the Beethoven Quartets, including these two quartets, as amongst my very best, "desert island" CDs. Very highly recommended. Time = 64:14.

        Music Track:

        1. Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 5, 9 and 10
        2. Bortnyansky: Sacred Concertos, Vol. 4
        3. César Franck: Organ Works
        4. Celebration!
        5. David Moritz Michael: Parthien 10-14
        6. Debussy: Estampes
        7. Dedication
        8. Dinner Party Classics: Favorites for an Elegant Evening
        9. Dvorák and Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos
        10. Ein Deutsches Requiem Op 45

        Music Track

        music track

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