String Quartets Op 11 & Op 22

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Endellion String Quartet

2. String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 22
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Endellion String Quartet

3. String quartet, in B flat (in 1 movement)
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Endellion String Quartet

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: I: Allegro Con Brio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: II: Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro Molto) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: IV: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': I: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': II: Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 59 No. 1 In F Major 'Rasumovsky': III: Adagio molto e mesto : IV: Allegro (Th russe) - Alban Berg Quartett

Tracks:

Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: I: Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: II: Adagio cantabile - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: IV: Allegro molto, quasi presto - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: I: Allegro con brio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: II: Adagio, ma non troppo - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: III: Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: IV: Adagio (La Malinconia) - Allegretto quasi Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: I: Allegretto - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: II: Vivace - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: III: Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo - Alban Berg Quartett
Op. 135 In F Major: IV: Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro - Alban Berg Quartett

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: I. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: II. Andante con moto
III. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: IV. Presto
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: I. Allegro
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: II. Menuetto & Trio
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: III. Andante cantabile
Op. 18 No. 5 in A Major: IV. Allegro
Op. 95 In F Minor: I. Allegro con brio
Op. 95 In F Minor: II. Allegretto ma non troppo
Op. 95 In F Minor: III: Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso

Tracks:

Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: I. Allegro ma non tanto
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: II. Scherzo (Andante scherzoso quasi Allegretto)
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: III. Menuetto (Allegretto) & Trio
Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: IV. Allegro
Op. 130 in B flat Major: I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Op. 130 in B flat Major: II. Presto
Op. 130 in B flat Major: III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
Op. 130 in B flat Major: IV. Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai)
Op. 130 in B flat Major: V Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo)
Grosse Fuge In B Flat Major, Op. 133
Op. 130 in B flat Major: VI. Finale (Allegro)

Tracks:

Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': I: Allegro
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': II: Molto Allegro
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': III: Allegretto
Op. 59 No. 2 In E Minor 'Rasumovsky': IV: Finale (Presto)
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: I: Maaestoso - Allegro
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: II: Adagio ma non troppo, molto cantabile
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: III: Scherzando vivace
Op. 127 In E Flat Major: IV: Finale

Tracks:

Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': I: Introduzione (Andante con moto) - Allegro vivace
Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': II: Andante con moto quasi allegretto
Op. 59 No. 3 In C Major 'Rasumovsky': III: Menuetto (Grazioso) & Trio
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: I: Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: II: Allegro molto vivace
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: III: Allegro moderato
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: IV: Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: V: Presto
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: VI: Adagio quasi un poco andante
Op. 131 In C Sharp Minor: VI: Adagio quasi un poco andante

Tracks:

Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': I Poco adagio - Allegro - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': II. Adagio ma non troppo - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': III. Presto - Beethoven
Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': IV: Allegretto con Variazioni - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: I: Allegro sostenuto - Allegro - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: II: Allegro ma non tanto - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: III: Molto adagio - Beethoven
Op.132 In A Minor: IV: Alla marcia, assai vivace - Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful Beethoven cycle.......2007-06-18

This is a fine recording, remastered for the reissue. Intelligent, driving, finely played. Excellent musicianship. Buy it. You won't be sorry you did.

A LONG TIME COMING AT THIS PRICE .......2007-06-02

On LP I own any number of complete Beethoven String Quartets by the great masters of that genre. I bought them all as a teenager and in college. When I started buying CDs a complete Beethoven set for over $100 by a great quartet became out of my price range at the time. To find the Berg Quartet, (a favorite group of mine), surveying these great works at this price from Amazon is one of the best bargains going.

I went immediately to Op. 135 and found it marvelous in concept, execution and recording. I've now listened to almost all the quartets, and the consistency is wonderful. Because I'm in the business I'm using only high end professional equipment for playback and the sound is truly "You Are There". The recordings capture the upper overtones of all the instruments without the least harhsness, no mean feat. The blend of the group and the hall is articulated in a way that happens on only a very few recordings. Ocassionally one can hear a minor difference in what might be placement of microphones, even from movement to movement. This could, in fact, be the result of a temperature or humidity change in the recording venue. You have to pay very close attention to notice this and it does nothing to diminish these sonic wonders) Worth thrice the price.

What more can be said?.......2007-02-03

There are many wonderful performances of these remarkable pieces. Which is the finest? Only God, in his wisdom, will ever be able to answer such a question, but I'm sure with his celestial headphones on he'll be listening to the Alban Berg Quartet. For me this quartet is able to "read" each individual quartet with such clarity, from the light hearted humor of the Op.18 to the intense and darkly passionate Op.95 through to the strangely happy yet unearthly Op.135, with many other wonderful moments, that I can hardly imagine any better. You won't go wrong buying this.

With the Best of the Best.......2006-12-14

I know it's saying a great deal with the excellent full sets of these quartets to choose from, but these overall are my favorites. The playing is excellent, balanced and perfectly toned. There are unquestionably the deep emotional commitment of the Vegh Quartet, the intelligence of the Juilliard, the parlor intimacy of the Talisch and the muscular intensity of the Italiano. And the serious collector needs to listen to these sets, or selections of, for a rounded understanding of these works. But for a consistency of quality and feeling throughout a traversal of all the quartets I believe the Berg set wins an arguably close contest--at least for me.

What sound problems????.......2006-11-14

I am only writing this review in dispute of RB Townsend remarks below.
I have been listening to this mostly Live set for a few years now on high end Audiophile equipment and notice NO problems with sound at all.
It is clear, clean, crisp, transparent and rich with no "glare" at all.
if it is "well lit", this would suit Beethoven's strings perfectly.
An absolutely stunning performance with a Superb sound stage and sound.
All the other reviewers and the buyers who agree with their assessments (a hundred of them) can't be wrong.
With all due respect, Perhaps Mr. Townsend is listening to this on an Aiwa bookshelf System. Perhaps.

Average customer rating:

Streamlined from Russia -- not for everyone
What an artificial performance it is!
Disappointing for the Emerson String Quartet
A genuine surprise.
Excellent music, excellent renditions

Dvorák, Tchaikovsky, Borodin: Quartets
Antonin Dvorak , Alexander Borodin , Eugene Drucker , Lawrence Dutton , David Finckel , and Philip Setzer
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Debussy, Ravel: Streichquartette
Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956
Mozart: String quartets K. 465 "Dissonance", K. 458 "The Hunt" & K. 421
Antonin Dvorak: Quintet For Piano, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello, Op. 81/Quartet For Piano, Violin, Viola And Cello,Op.
Bach: The Art of Fugue

ASIN: B000001GO3
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': I. Allegro ma non troppo
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 2. Lento
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 3. Molto vivace
String Quartet No. 12 In F Major, Op. 96 'American': 4. Finale: Vivace, ma non troppo
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 1. moderato e semplice
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 2. Andante cantabile
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 3. Scherzo: Allegro non tanto -- Trio
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: 4. Finale: Allegro giusto - Allegro vivace
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 1. Allegro moderato
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 2. Scherzo: Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 3. Notturno: Andante
String Quartet No. 2 In D Major: 4. Finale: Andante - Vivace

Amazon.com

The Emersons offer one of the very best accounts of the popular American Quartet on disc. It is dramatic, exuberant, persuasive, and right to the point--a well-paced reading full of ravishing details (like the dueting of the violins in the slow movement) that has been beautifully recorded. Originally made for Book-of-the-Month Club in 1984, the recording was later picked up by DG and first released in the U.S. in 1990. For this reissue, it has been coupled with equally well-played accounts of quartets by Borodin and Tchaikovsky, which makes for an especially well-filled CD. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Streamlined from Russia -- not for everyone.......2007-07-01

The string quartets of Dvorak and Borodin are among the lushest and easy-to-listen music in the genre, romanticism for every ear. Because of the hummable tunes in the Borodin 2nd (lifted wholesale to become part of the Broadway musical, Kismet) and the folsy vigor of Dvorak's "American" Quartet #12, most performers emphasize this lushness. Not the Emersons, whose readings here are clean and streamlined. They don't dig deep into the wood the way the Alban berg Qt. do. Their is the patented Emerson virtuosity at work, though, with impeccable intonation and matched timbres.

For me, the effect was refreshing, particularly in the Borodin, which hwere gets a performance that never threatens to become gooey. The Dvorak is a mite too efficient and far removed form its folk inspiration, yet still impressive technically. Its buoyancy creates a great deal of enjoyment. I've never been able to warm up to Tchaikovsky's quartet writing, but here again the Emersons go for clean lines over Russian luxuriousness.

In all, a very appealing CD that groups three favorites in vintage Emerson Qt. performances. Very good sound, too.

What an artificial performance it is!.......2007-02-17

Dvorak is just okay. Not a superior performance to their rivals, but it's just about the average. Nothing special. Nothing to comment.
Tchaikovsky? Again, no noteworthy point to make here.
Borodin? This is certainly one of the poorest performance of this music on the CD that I've ever heard. The problem is the Notturno movent.
here we have something very unpleasant music making here. The Emersons probably think that the movement is to be played with full of emotion and involvement. They may be right. But, playing this popular movement with emotional involvement does not mean that it is to be played very slowly and dully. What are they aiming at? What are they "thinking" when they treat this movement in a totally no-brainer way?

They are probaly perfect in terms of their technical flawless. But I always witness thet they do not seem to have found the way to play certain music. In short words, no attachment, no careful studying of the score, no soul. There only remains an artificial performance of the music. Good pretenders, but single CD from them has never moved me.
Beethoven quartets set was another joke.

Well.... but I cannot live without their Schostakovich. Yes, they are all not that bad anyway.

BTW, if it comes down to Borodin's second quartet, the Cleveland Quartet is my first pick.

Disappointing for the Emerson String Quartet.......2006-07-19

The Emerson String Quartet, no matter what some believe, is technically and artistically one of the best quartets in the world. This album, however, is not one of their best. The playing is somewhat lethargic, and the quartets themselves, while being somewhat popular (particularly the Borodin), are not masterpieces within the genre.

The Dvorak is fine, a 4 star effort. The Tchaikovsky is only average. The Borodin is, well, something else. The Emerson plays it to appeal to a crowd who can only appreciate "pops classical styling."

When listening to the Borodin all I hear is the advertisement for the World's Most Beautiful Music" collection, (just send in your $ for some CD's containing classical music played by various studio orchestras.) This, I find, is perhaps the most distracting aspect of the music. I don't hear the quartet. I hear the advertisement instead. So perhaps I am being unfair to the Emerson String Quartet on this one. It might be the same as thinking about "A Clockwise Orange" when listening to Beethoven's ninth.

But even barring the Borodin, the other two quartets just don't quite measure up to what I expect to hear from this wonderful quartet.

A genuine surprise........2006-03-16

Though I'd heard of Borodin before, I hadn't realized what a wonderful composer he truly was. The second movement of his second quartet is revelatory, and this recording of it (compared to others I've heard since) is definitive for its clarity, tenderness, and directness of expression.

Excellent music, excellent renditions.......2005-06-28

Most people viewing this item probably haven't heard of Borodin before, and I must assure such people that the Borodin quartet on this recording is more than worth listening to! The star of these three compositions is, of course, the American quartet, which is legendary. Though I haven't listened to any other performers playing the quartet, the Emerson Quartet's sound is exquisite, with each detail executed to perfection. You can't expect much else - the Emerson Quartet is always great.

I usually don't like Tchaikovsky, but the quartet on this recording is wonderfully melodic. And together, these three quartets on one CD make for one great purchase.

Great sound, great performance, great music - at a great price. What else could you ask for?

Average customer rating:

This set or the Auryn Quartet set?
Buy it for the right reasons
Great Music for a Good Price

Schubert: The String Quartets

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Dvorák: The String Quartets
Schubert: 8 Symphonies
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B00002DEH3
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

String Quartet (In Various Keys), D 18 (No.1): Andante - Presto vivace
String Quartet (In Various Keys), D 18 (No.1): Menuetto
String Quartet (In Various Keys), D 18 (No.1): Andante
String Quartet (In Various Keys), D 18 (No.1): Presto
String Quartet in C major, D 32 (No.2): Presto
String Quartet in C major, D 32 (No.2): Andante
String Quartet in C major, D 32 (No.2): Menuetto. Allegro
String Quartet in C major, D 32 (No.2): Allegro con spirito
String Quartet in B flat major, D 36 (No.3): Allegro
String Quartet in B flat major, D 36 (No.3): Andante
String Quartet in B flat major, D 36 (No.3): Menuetto. Allegro non troppo
String Quartet in B flat major, D 36 (No.3): Allegretto
Quartet Movement In C Minor, D 103: Grave - Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet in C major, D 46 (No.4): Adagio - Allegro con moto
String Quartet in C major, D 46 (No.4): Andante con moto
String Quartet in C major, D 46 (No.4): Menuetto. Allegro
String Quartet in C major, D 46 (No.4): Allegro
String Quartet In B Flat Major, D 68 (No.5): Allegro
String Quartet In B Flat Major, D 68 (No.5): Allegro
String Quartet In D Major, D 74 (No. 6): Allegro ma non troppo
String Quartet In D Major, D 74 (No. 6): Andante
String Quartet In D Major, D 74 (No. 6): Menuetto. Allegro
String Quartet In D Major, D 74 (No. 6): Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet In D Major, D 94 (No. 7): Allegro
String Quartet In D Major, D 94 (No. 7): Andante con moto
String Quartet In D Major, D 94 (No. 7): Menuetto. Allegro
String Quartet In D Major, D 94 (No. 7): Presto
String Quartet In B-Flat Major, D 112 (No. 8): Allegro ma non troppo
String Quartet In B-Flat Major, D 112 (No. 8): Andante sostenuto
String Quartet In B-Flat Major, D 112 (No. 8): Menuetto. Allegro
String Quartet In B-Flat Major, D 112 (No. 8): Presto
String Quartet In G Minor, D 173 (No. 9): Allegro con brio
String Quartet In G Minor, D 173 (No. 9): Andantino
String Quartet In G Minor, D 173 (No. 9): Menuetto. Allegro vivace
String Quartet In G Minor, D 173 (No. 9): Allegro

Tracks:

String Quartet In E-Flat Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 1, D 87 (No. 10): Allegro moderato
String Quartet In E-Flat Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 1, D 87 (No. 10): Adagio
String Quartet In E-Flat Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 1, D 87 (No. 10): Scherzo. Prestissimo
String Quartet In E-Flat Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 1, D 87 (No. 10): Allegro
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D 804 (No. 13) 'Rosamunde': Allegro ma non troppo
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D 804 (No. 13) 'Rosamunde': Andante
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D 804 (No. 13) 'Rosamunde': Menuetto. Allegretto
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D 804 (No. 13) 'Rosamunde': Allegro moderato

Tracks:

String Quartet In E Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 2, D 353 (No. 11): Allegro con fuoco
String Quartet In E Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 2, D 353 (No. 11): Andante
String Quartet In E Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 2, D 353 (No. 11): Menuetto. Allegro vivace
String Quartet In E Major, Op. Post. 125, No. 2, D 353 (No. 11): Rondo. Allegro vivace
String Quartet In D Minor, D 810 (No. 14) 'Death And The Maiden': Allegro
String Quartet In D Minor, D 810 (No. 14) 'Death And The Maiden': Andante con moto
String Quartet In D Minor, D 810 (No. 14) 'Death And The Maiden': Scherzo. Allegro molto
String Quartet In D Minor, D 810 (No. 14) 'Death And The Maiden': Presto

Tracks:

Quartet Movement In C Minor, D 703 (No. 12): Allegro assai
String Quartet In G Major, Op. Post. 161, D 887 (No. 15): Allegro molto moderato
String Quartet In G Major, Op. Post. 161, D 887 (No. 15): Andante un poco moto
String Quartet In G Major, Op. Post. 161, D 887 (No. 15): Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio. Allegretto
String Quartet In G Major, Op. Post. 161, D 887 (No. 15): Allegro assai

Customer Reviews:

This set or the Auryn Quartet set?.......2004-06-06

I read, in a book on string quartets, the statement: "More than half of the best string quartets had been written when Schubert died in 1828". I agree, but would put the percentage at more like 75 or 80%. The author went on to include all of Schubert's, even those that he wrote as a teenager. I was surprised by this comment, but now, having now heard his complete string quartets, I have to agree. Even his early ones are superb!

To the recordings: I was just a bit disappointed. The sound seems a bit harsh in places, not as warm as sets I have by the Quartetto Italiano (Beethoven), Melos Quartet (Mozart) and Aoelian Q (Haydn). No doubt they are technically very correct, and show real liveliness - the violins just sound a bit scratchy in places.

The only other complete set seems to be the Auryn Quartet recording, highly recommended by the Penguin guide, but twice as expensive. Naxos offers 12 or the 15 quartets on 5 separate CDs. I'd liked to have heard the Auryn recording before I'd made the decision to purchase this one - who knows, I might have made the same decision anyway.

Buy it for the right reasons.......2002-10-04

I agree with the other review, but there is an alternative to this set, by the Auryn Quartet, and it is also excellent. So, buy this set for the right reasons, whatever those are, such as: the sound quality of this Chamber Ensemble (extremely warm)
or the overall feel of their playing (caring, respectful). Buy the set from the Auryn quartet if you care more about the sound quality of the recording (it is noticeably better) or if you happen to like a younger, slightly more aggressive approach.
Frankly I have both sets, and love both.

Great Music for a Good Price.......2002-05-02

I bought this set in Dec. '01 and it has since become a favorite in my collection. Schubert is a great composer and in my opinion, the quartets are where he really shines.

Sadly, it is hard to find recordings of all but the last four. In total, there are fourteen plus two fragments- one incomplete and one lost. They are all here and at such a good deal!

The first two discs (first five quartets and a fragment) really stand out. These were quartets Schubert composed as a student and they capture well the energy of youth and have a beautifully simple quality that always makes Schubert stand out. The middle discs track his early career with a more mature motif development revealing a taste of the boldness to come from his later quartets. Not as melodic as the first quartets in my opinion, but a treat nonetheless. Then ah! the last three discs. "Rosamunde," "Death and the maiden," Quartettstatz and C 703. Can you possibly go wrong? Don't answer that. You know it doesn't get better!!

Now we come to recording quality. Well, the Melos Quartet recorded these in the mid 70's. They've been digitally touched up and well done. Still, not convincing enough to sound like new. Treble and Mid is alright but the Bass is really lacking and overall, it still lacks the full sound of recordings from the Emerson and Tokyo quartets. Still, with touchup, these recordings sound more like late 80's- Not Bad!

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 73: V. Moderato - Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: II. Andantino - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 4 In D Major, Op. 83: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No .5 In B flat Major, Op. 92: I. Allegro non troppo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: II. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 92: III. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: II. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6 In G Major, Op. 101: III. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No.6 in G Major, Op. 101: IV. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: I. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 zIn F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: II. Lento - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 108: III. Allegro - Allegretto - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: I. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: II. Allegro molto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: IV. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 110: V. Largo - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: I. Moderato con moto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: II. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: III. Allegretto - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: IV. Adagio - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major, Op. 117: V. Allegro - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: I. Andante - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: II. Allegretto furioso - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: III. Adagio - - D. Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 118: IV. Allegretto - Andante - D. Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Introduction: Andantino - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: II. Scherzo: Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: III. Recitative: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: IV. Etude: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: V. Humoresque: Allegro - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: VI. Elegy: Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 122: I. Finale: Moderato - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major, Op. 133: II. Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Allegreto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor, Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo - Dmitri Shostakovich

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: I. Allegretto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: II. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 In F Major, Op. 142: III. Allegretto - Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: I. Elegy. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: II. Serenade. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: III. Intermezzo. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: IV. Nocturne. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: V. Funeral March. Adagio molto - Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 15 E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: VI. Epilogue. Adagio - Dmitri Shostakovich

Amazon.com

The Fitzwilliam Quartet is English by birth but shows a lot of Russian soul in these works, which were recorded in consultation with the composer. Their technique is flawless, their immersion in the music total, their interaction with one another and with the music spontaneous and intense. Priced competitively with the Borodin Quartet, they do not have any added attraction to match the Piano Quintet in that set, but this close-up stereo recording is significantly better. Highlights of the set include the relaxed, folk-flavored No. 1; the tense, autobiographical No. 8, which recalls the terrors of World War II, quotes a lot of Shostakovich's earlier works, and mourns for the "victims of fascism and war"; the contrasts of quiet beauty and fierce intensity in No. 10; and the bold structure of No. 15, Shostakovich's last quartet, in which he looks at death, steadily and without blinking. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Hum a little Shostakovich.......2007-02-19

I enjoyed these performances and would have purchased this album, but there is a persistent hum on some of these CDs and, once noticed, it became impossible for me not to notice it.

Not just a bargain--a must-have.......2007-02-05

There are perhaps several complete Shostakovich cycles one would like to own for these amazing pieces, and this is one of them. Not every single quartet is perfect, but that is to be expected. What these players excel in is an emotional depth that is perhaps left behind in the sheer brilliance of the Emerson SQ's playing.

Their tempi are excellent: fast when necessary, and painfully slow where Shostakovich asks for it. Perhaps my favorite point of their playing is the articulation, which is broader than most recordings I hear. Typically, they only play short when asked to in the score, and I think this sounds better than, for instance, if the opening of the Fifth Quartet, a work of enormous gravity and passion, is taken lightly.

Get this one. Highly recommended.

lusterless.......2006-11-05

The only qualm I have with this set is that the String Quartet No. 9 is a lusterless endeavor when compared to other renditions. The intensity and suffering just isnt there.

Rating this bargain set against the Emersons at full price.......2006-03-09

For many buyers the choice for a complete cycle of the Shostakovich quartets will come down to three: the Borodin, Emerson, and Fitzwilliam quartets. I own the latter two and can offer a comparison.

Fitzwilliam: This set, made between 1975-77 in a church in Surrey, has the advantage of price. Although the 15 quartets are spread out over 6 CDs as compared to 5 for the Emersons, Decca offers this cycle at roughly half the cost of the DG cycle (it's much cheaper than that, even, on the used market). The performances eschew Russian soul, grit, and emotional extremes such as one hears from the Borodin Quartet. The Fitzwilliam Quartet sounds soulful but stops short of impassioned. As much as it is possible, they make this music friendly and easy to listen to without sacrificing all of its bite and sarcasm. They are not a virtuoso group (English critics actually praise them for this lack, as if the Emersons' technical mastery was a sign of glibness), so individual solo lines, of which there are many in these quartets, sound medium well played, not dazzling. Decca's sound as transferred to CD can be a bit shrill and congested but is certainly good enough. One large missing ingredient is tonal variation--the Fitzwilliam doesn't search out the peculiar tonalities that are implied in Shostakovich's string writing, which can be eerie, ghostly, brutal, and caustic by turns.

Emerson: Recorded in Aspen at intervals between 1994 and 1999, these are live performances from the music festival and are thus not ideal sonically. What's most lacking is solidity and body. Even so, the recorded sound is considerably more detailed than in the Fitzwilliam set, or any other of the four I listened to. When this cycle was first issued in 1999 it swept the field for good reason. The Emersons are head and shoulders above any other quartet for sheer virtuosity in this music. Not that virtuosity is required very often, but the many solo lines are rendered with exquisite technique, and the Emersons pay very close attention to changes in tonality. As a result, these performances are more varied and interesting to listen to than any competitor that I sampled (including the Fitzwilliam, Brodsky, Borodin, St. Petersburg, and Shostakovich quartets on various labels).

The drawbacks are price (it's hard to find even a used set for under $70) and the prevalent accusation, from some quarters, that the Emersons lack Russian soul--they are supposedly too cool, detached, and efficient. Yet this charge can be turned around to say that the Emersons make Shostakovich sound more modern by removing a layer of sentiment. It's really up to the listener to decide, yet I found that cool detachment is not prevalent here--not by any means--and the reviewer below who thinks that the tempos are uniformly too fast is not aware of the field; the Emersons are not extreme in their allegros, at least not very often, and when they play a movement for virtuosic speed, it's almost alwaays to good effect.

I bbught this set because I heard the Emersons play Shostakovich in concert on two occasions, and I was deeply struck by how much better these quartets sound when they are given superlative musicianship. I am not one to believe that Shostakovich was a great master of quartet writing compared to Bartok, Schoenberg, and Janacek among moderns. But he found an idiom, often spare and therefore one-dimenisonal, that is easy to absorb. The Emersons go a step further and give that spare idiom all kinds of shading and colors that often make it sound better than it is.

In sum, I did what many collectors befoe me have done. I gave away the Fitzwilliam set, which was a good stop gap for many years, and relish the Emerson set as a great achievement, especially for a non-Russian ensemble.

A triumph of creativity over censorship.......2006-01-22

It is extremely difficult for a westerner, living in today's modern democracies, to have the full grasp of the extent of censorship and control of the Stalinist regime. During most of his creative life, Shostakovich was under surveillance, and some of his works were publicly censored by the self-intitled followers of the "Socialist Realism". The tension of censorship is reflected in his body of symphonies. The uneveness and limitations of some of his symphonies are a reflection of his limitations under Stalin. His string quartets, however, are mostly free from these limitations. For one, it is extremely difficult to establish what is "socialist realism" in a string quartet. Since Shostakovich was not a follower of serialism, he could afford to translate into the string quartet medium most of his tortured inner self. These quartets are filled with humanism. They are not easy listening in the sense of Hadyn and Mozart. They are rather deep, touching pieces, like the late Beethoven, Schummann, or Bartok. These recordings by the Fitzwilliam Quartet have an immense authority at a reasonable price. Lovers of string quartet cannot afford to be without the entire Shostakovich set, and anynone buying this collection will enjoy a lifetime of rewarding listening.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven Mastery
An excellent collection for the Beethoven aficionado
Trying to understand what the Emersons want to achieve
Where's the Beef? It's a Great Cut
GETTING THERE

Beethoven: The String Quartets

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041KV
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Andante con moto
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op18. No. 3 In D Major: Presto
6 String Quartet Op18. No. 1 In F Major: Allegro con brio
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Scherzo: Allegro molto
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 In G Major: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 In G Major: Adagio cantabile - Allegro - Tempo I
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 In G Major: Scherzo: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 In G Major: Allegro molto, quasi Presto

Tracks:

6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: Allegro ma non tanto
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: Andante scherzoso quasi Allegretto
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: Menuetto: Allegretto
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 4 In C Minor: Allegro: Prestissimo
6 String Quartets Op. 18 No. 5 In A Major: Allegro
6 String Quartets Op. 18 No. 5 In A Major: Menuetto
6 String Quartets Op. 18 No. 5 In A Major: Andante cantabile
6 String Quartets Op. 18 No. 5 In A Major: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: Allegro con brio
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: Adagio ma non Troppo
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: Scherzo: Allegro
6 String Quartet Op. 18 No. 6 In B Flat Major: La Malincolia: Adagio - Allegretto quasi Allegro

Tracks:

3 String Quartets Op. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 1 In F Major: Allegro
3 String Quartets Op. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 1 In F Major: Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
3 String Quartets Op. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 1 In F Major: Adagio molto e mesto--attacca:
3 String Quartets Op. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 1 In F Major: Theme russe: Allegro
3 String Quartets Op. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 2 In E Minor: Allegro
3 String Quartets Op. 59('Razumovsky') No. 2 In E Minor: Molto Adagio: Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
3 String Quartets Op. 59('Razumovsky') No. 2 In E Minor: Allegretto -- Maggiore (Theme russe)
3 String Quartets Op. 59('Razumovsky') No. 2 In E Minor: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

3 String Quartet 0p. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 3 In C Major: Introduzione: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
3 String Quartet 0p. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 3 In C Major: Andante con moto quasi Allegretto.
3 String Quartet 0p. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 3 In C Major: Menuetto grazioso -- attaca:
3 String Quartet 0p. 59 ('Razumovsky') No. 3 In C Major: Allegro molto
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 74 ('Harp'): Poco Adagio -- Allegro
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 74 ('Harp'): Adagio ma non troppo
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 74 ('Harp'): Presto - Piu presto quasi pretissimo - attacca
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 74 ('Harp'): Allegretto con Variazioni
Quartet In F Minor, Op. 95 'Quartetto (O) serioso': Allegro con brio
Quartet In F Minor, Op. 95 'Quartetto (O) serioso': Allegretto ma non troppo: attaca
Quartet In F Minor, Op. 95 'Quartetto (O) serioso': Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
Quartet In F Minor, Op. 95 'Quartetto (O) serioso': Larghetto espressivo -- Allegretto agitato -- Allegro

Tracks:

Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 127: Maestoso -- Allegro
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 127: Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Andante con moto - Adagio molto espressivo - Tempo I
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 127: Scherzo: Vivace
Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 127: Allegro -- Allegro comodo
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Adagio, ma non troppe e molto espressivo - attaca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Allegro molto vivace - attaca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Allegro moderato - attaca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Piu mosso - Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice - Allegretto - attacca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Presto - attaca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Adagio quasi un poco andante - attaca
Quartet In C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: Allegro

Tracks:

Quartet In A Minor Op. 132: Assai sostenuto - Allegro
Quartet In A Minor Op. 132: Allegro am non tanto
Quartet In A Minor Op. 132: Andante - Molto adagio - Andante - Molto adagi: Mit innigster Empfindung
Quartet In A Minor Op. 132: Alla marcia, assai vivace - Piu allegro - attaca
Quartet In A Minor Op. 132: Allegro appassionato - Presto
Quartet In F Major Op.135: Allegretto
Quartet In F Major Op.135: Vivace
Quartet In F Major Op.135: Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
Quartet In F Major Op.135: Grave, ma non troppo tanto - Allegro

Tracks:

Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Presto
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Andante con moto, ma non troppo
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Grosse Fuge (Op. 133) Overtura: Allegro - Meno mosso e Moderato - Allegro - Fuga: (Allegro) - Mino mosso e moderato - Allegro molto e con brio - Allegro
Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 130: Finale: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven Mastery.......2007-04-20

A cornerstone of any comprehensive Beethoven recording collection, Deutsche Grammophon 's recording of the Emerson String Quartet performing Beethoven's string quartets not only possesses excellent sonic characteristics, but also proves to be a rich performance by one of the outstanding string quartets of this generation. The technical accuracy of the Emerson's performance, coupled with the recording mastery of DG, provides a rewarding listening experience for any Beethoven fan, and perhaps particularly so for those interested in studying Beethoven's efforts within the string quartet genre. If you are a student of string quartets in general and Beethoven in particular, or if you are just looking for a great recording of all of Beethoven's string quartets, this set will undoubtedly become a valuable addition to your collection. Like me, you'll also likely find that these recordings will bring you years of enjoyment as you work through each of these stunningly performed pieces by the Emerson String Quartet.

An excellent collection for the Beethoven aficionado.......2006-08-22

The Emerson String Quartet combine a strength of performance at the same time giving the listener subtle shades of color producing one of the supreme recordings of Beethovens string quartets ever. They've almost done the unattainable, by producing a new approach to this old musical literature, while maintaining integrity. They bring a level of thought to these performances that have rarely been matched. Enthusiastic and sensitive interpretations rolled into one.

This box set (autographed by each member, thank you very much) is my favorite interpretation. The Budapest, Busch, Guarneri, Talich and Vegh quartets are also very good, but these provide technical brilliance and are faithful to the score, while being heartwarming and intellectually inspiring. Also, these are definitely not cold readings, but ecstatic one's. I found them refreshing and different, and still deeply moving and of course, thrill with excitement.

The main reason I recommend these recordings is because they're carefully edited performances, so well edited in fact, that I never heard a single edit, and I'm a headphone listener. They recorded many takes (versions) so that they (the Emersons & producer Max Wilcox) could cherry pick the best parts within each movement, creating "the magic take" or at least something very close. I also read that they'd like to enjoy hearing these recordings someday, without worrying...could we have done it better? Sure, they could have done the "one take" perfectly (I've seen them live), but perfect doesn't necessarily mean...magical. They utilized the recording studio for all it's worth. Bravo!

These musicians have obviously polished their form to a high level of refinement, and anyone interested in the string quartets of Beethoven would likely rate this set as a valuable addition to their collection.

Highly recommended.

Trying to understand what the Emersons want to achieve.......2006-07-30

There's a new intent behind the Emerson's fast, unromantic readings of Beethoven. I don't know the status of Beethoven's metronome markings in the quartets (there were many works for which he left no exact metronome readings), but those for the symphonies are very fast--to the point that their speed seemed impossible for generations. It took a complete change of style, one that discards romantic lingering, nuance, and "deep" phrasing, before the music sounds right at extreme velocity.

The Emersons don't go all the way into period style. They employ vibrato, and they don't use hairpin dynamics, for example. Even so, they achieve their fleet readings by substituting different expressive techniques in place of romanticism: sharp attacks, springy rhythms that often dance in cut time, and a strong emphasis on counterpoint. At times we get a virtual x-ray of Beethoven's complex part writing.

All this seems terribly wrong if you can't adjust to their perspective. To a traditionalist, the Emerson's approach is like Beethoven without the Beethoven, a stylistic non-entity disguised with ear-catching virtuosity and precision. Yet in a world where we already have dozens of traditional Beethoven quartet cycles, the Emerson's set can be listened to as an experiment or a new hypothesis waiting for others to react. My rason for giving only three stars, frankly, is that I don't find enough variety here. Even if you decide to be novel, each quartet desdrves its own personality. Here, only personality fits all. Early, middle, or late, we hear one style of music-making, which ignores the evolution that Beethoven went thourgh over a lifteimte of struggle and innovation.

Where's the Beef? It's a Great Cut.......2006-06-27

After listening to the Beethoven String Quartet cycle I wonder from where most of the negative comments regarding the Emersons come. These are both exciting to listen to and are technically and artistically sound. I won't say, however, that this Emerson String Quartet's production will be to everyone's liking. It is as usual a virtuoso performance performed a bit faster than others.

The quibble over tempo is just that. Some prefer a more upbeat tempo to a slower syrupy one. Both, however, can be well within the tempo markings of the piece. I do not find any of these quartets overly fast but I do find many other versions to be performed overly slow. If your "preferred style" is to have each note stretched out in order to savor the experience then I suggest you look elsewhere. At the price, most of us cannot afford to have several renditions sitting in our libraries.

Because of the vitrium displayed by some reviewers over this set as well as nearly every other Emerson CD sold by Amazon, I obtained copies of several versions of specific late quartets that other reviewers have recommended. I did like the Quartetto Italiano and Takacs as well. Putting this version below The Lindsays, however, may only show that the vitrium against the Emersons is actually most likely directed toward Deutschegrammophone and their high priced offerings.

For me, this album brings back the Beethoven I imagined. Fierce, fiery, tempestuous, and in your face.

I highly recommend this album even at the relatively steep price here. I also highly recommend that you listen to some of these side by side with other interpretations if possible. You may prefer the other more traditional interpretations. But if you have listened to other Emerson recordings and found you like their style, you won't be disappointed with these.

GETTING THERE.......2005-10-21

This set divides opinion sharply, and I expect to satisfy nobody by sitting on the fence, as I honestly must. One criticism I have not noticed is that the Emersons take anything too slowly. My own impression, after taking my time over this set and playing a selection of alternatives, is that while they are generally fairly swift in allegros and prestos and don't dawdle over andantes and allegrettos, there are only 3 cases where their velocity seems likely to raise many eyebrows, namely the fugue in the 3rd Razumovsky and the outer movements of the F minor. I find them more or less exemplary in the first 10 quartets, Razumovsky fugue perhaps excepted. That accounts for 10 out of 16 (or 17 if the Grosse Fuge counts separately), which is not bad going at all. There is even one movement, the danza tedesca from op130, which is actually too slow for me.

One touchstone for how you are going to like or dislike this set comes with the very first phrase of the very first quartet. For some reason the first 3 quartets are given in the order 3,1,2, but I played them in their numeric sequence. The florid ornamental phrase at the start of the first quartet gave Beethoven trouble, and the Emersons despatch it with a gliding offhand ease that sets the scene for much else. Their technique is no doubt exceptional, but no quartet of technical slouches gets near a recording studio these days nor has done since the war, and the difference is only marginal. In the 60's there were a number of east European quartets with a particular affinity for Beethoven, and I own a selection of these. In the late quartets I have the Busches on vinyl, in remarkably good sound except for the F major; I have recently acquired the Razumovskys and the `Harp' from the Lindsays to mark their impending retirement, and these are the comparisons I have used. In the Razumovsky fugue the Emersons are unquestionably showing off, but the movement is marked `allegro molto', they are faster than the Lindsays (who should be a safe bet for anyone) by 17% or 18%, and I have no problem, although I expect to play the Lindsays more often. I have in mind readings by Richter of the finale of the Appassionata hurtled through by that great player in contempt of Beethoven's instruction not to do this, to my own disgust but to the obvious delight of many. In the circumstances I would not expect complaints when Beethoven says `allegro molto'. Otherwise tempi in the first 10 works seem unexceptional to me. Both the first movement and the adagio of the first Razumovsky are taken significantly faster than by the Lindsays, but the difference is only of the kind one finds between performances of similar movements by the major exponents of the sonatas.

Things turn more problematical from the F minor onwards. The first phrase of that is abrupt to the point of violence. I'm accustomed to greater decorum from the Hungarian Quartet, but Beethoven had a rough side to say the least and so far I can't make up my mind about the Emersons' approach. The last movement of this quartet was admired by Mendelssohn, and no wonder - he could almost have written it. The Emersons seem outstanding to me in Mendelssohn's quartets, and they seem outstanding to me here. I love the fast tempo, and the conclusion is a wonderful piece of Mendelssohnian gossamer. In the late quartets the Emersons do only one thing wrong for me - the danza tedesca in the B flat should ideally be a whirling waltz as the Busches give it, or if the players didn't want to do that they could have taken a hint from the Hungarians and flipped up the last beat of the first bar in each phrase. In the skeletal and awesome Grosse Fuge, where beauty is not part of the deal, the Emersons are as good as absolutely anyone, but I don't go along with sequencing this movement after the cavatina and stranding Beethoven's new finale after he changed his mind as an extra. This quartet is to a 6-movement format recalling the concerti grossi of Beethoven's revered Handel, and for all the Beethovenishness of the expression the shadow of Handel lies over it. Beethoven's original plan was to append a blockbuster finale, as Bach appended the chaconne to his D minor violin partita, but he decided to keep to a more Handelian model, as in any case the Grosse Fuge is viable as a freestanding work, and I see no reason to dispute his opinion.

The other late quartets are built round long slow movements containing some of the deepest and most beautiful music that any man ever wrote. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way the Emersons express these, but I feel they perhaps have a little more living to do to allow music like this to sink into the depths of their souls, which is where it must penetrate before they can convey its real significance. Never let anyone tell you that the late quartets are obscure. They are clarity itself, and the roughness that is a barrier against coherence in some of Beethoven's middle-period works makes only one partial reappearance in the scherzo of the final quartet. The C# minor is an extended fantasia in 7 continuous movements or sections, although Professor Tovey, for whom the sonata form possessed a sacramental significance that would have made Beethoven laugh, tries to argue that the opening slow fugue and the pastorale following equate in some way to the function of his sonata form, that apparently increasing the significance of the music. The others are to the standard 4-movement format, although there is an introduction in the form of a short and very characteristic march to the finale of the A minor, as such a powerful piece should not be juxtaposed with the Lydian Song. All perfectly clear and perfectly wonderful. To hear what the Emersons have still to rise to, listen to the Lydian Song from the Busches. The main sections are absolutely immobile, and the ecstatic climax is beyond words. Again, the Emersons do very well with the andante of the C# minor, but the final variation with its `glory of trills' in Tovey's great phrase is not a patch on the Vlach Quartet's performance, nor is the finale, where the Vlachs surpass anyone I've ever heard. The lento of the last quartet doesn't have to be taken as slowly as the Busches do it, as the Janacek Quartet prove to me, but it would have done no harm either. And the climactic phrase in the cavatina of the B flat, again well and thoughtfully done by the Emersons, does not hit me in the solar plexus as it does from Adolf Busch.

The recording is excellent, and there is a lengthy and affectionate commentary. With the few exceptions I've mentioned, there is not much to criticise in this set in terms of taste or sense for the composer's style. The smooth glistening tone perhaps lacks a little in the way of variety, but I think that will come when they have internalised this great music in a few years' time. I shall make a point of living long enough to purchase their next set of the Beethoven quartets.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets
Juilliard String Quartet
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006OA6A
Release Date: 2002-11-11

Tracks:

1-4 String Quartet No.1 In F Major, Op. 18 No.1
5-8 String Quartet No.2 In G Major, Op.18 No.2
9-12 String Quartet No.3 In D Major, Op.18 No.3
1-4 String Quartet No.4 In D Minor, Op. 18 No.3
5-8 String Quartet No.5 In A Major, Op.18 No.5
9-12 String Quartet No.6 In B-Flat Major, Op.18 No.6
1-4 String Quartet No.7 In F Major, Op.59 No.1
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5-8 String Quartet No.11 In F Minor Op.95
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5-11 String Quartet No.13 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
1-7 String Quartet No.14 In B-Flat Major, Op. 130
1-5 String Quartet No.15 In A Minor, Op.132
6-9 String Quartet No.16 In F Major, Op. 135

Average customer rating:

A superb Haydn benchmark
Perfect Dinner Music
Delightful Background Music
He truly is the father of string quartets!
A matter of taste?

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Manufacturer: Philips
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ASIN: B0000501PC
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Tracks:

Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: I. Presto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: V. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: I. Presto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: III. Adagio
Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: V. Presto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: I. Allegro
Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: V. Presto
Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: I. Adagio
Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: III. Presto
Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: V. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: I. Presto
Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: III. Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: V. Presto
Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: I. Presto Assai
Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: III. Adagio
Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: V. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: I. Allegro
Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: III. Adagio
Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: V. Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: I. Allegro Molto
Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: V. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: I. Presto
Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: III. Adagio
Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: IV Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: V. Allegro
Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: I. Adagio
Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: III. Presto: Scherzo
Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: IV. Menuetto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: V. Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: I. Moderato
Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: III. Adagio
Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: I. Moderato
Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: III. Largo
Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: I. Moderato
Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: III. Adagio Cantabile
Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: I. Poco Adagio: Theme And Vars
Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: II. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: III. Largo Cantabile
Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: I. Presto
Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: II. Menuetto
Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: III. Adagio
Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: I. Moderato
Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: II. Menuet
Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: I. Moderato
Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: II. Menuet: Poco Allegretto
Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: III. Adagio
Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: IV. Finale: Allegro Di Molto

Tracks:

Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: I. Andante Grazioso
Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: II. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: III. Adagio
Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: IV. Allegro Di Molto
Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: I. Moderato
Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: II. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: III. Adagio Cantabile
Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: IV. Finale: Allegro
Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: I. Moderato
Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: II. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: III. Adagio
Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: I. Presto
Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: II. Menuet
Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: III. Largo
Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: IV. Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Str Qt in E flat, Op.20 No.1: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in E flat, Op.20 No.1: II. Menuet: Un Poco Allegretto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.20 No.1: III. Affettuoso E Sostenuto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.20 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in C, Op.20 No.2: I. Moderato
Str Qt in C, Op.20 No.2: II. Capriccio: Adagio
Str Qt in C, Op.20 No.2: III. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.20 No.2: IV. Fuga A Quattro Soggeti: Allegro
Str Qt in g, Op.20 No.3: I. Allegro Con Spirito
Str Qt in g, Op.20 No.3: II. Menuet: Allegretto
Str Qt in g, Op.20 No.3: III. Poco Adagio
Str Qt in g, Op.20 No.3: IV. Allegro Di Molto

Tracks:

Str Qt in D, Op.20 No.4: I. Allegro Di Molto
Str Qt in D, Op.20 No.4: II. Un Poco Adagio E Affettuoso
Str Qt in D, Op.20 No.4: II. Menuet Alla Zingarese
Str Qt in D, Op.20 No.4: IV. Presto E Scherzando
Str Qt in f, Op.20 No.5: I. Moderato
Str Qt in f, Op.20 No.5: II. Menuet
Str Qt in f, Op.20 No.5: III. Adagio
Str Qt in f, Op.20 No.5: IV. Fuga A Due Soggetti
Str Qt in A, Op.20 No.6: I. Allegro Di Molto E Scherzando
Str Qt in A, Op.20 No.6: II. Adagio
Str Qt in A, Op.20 No.6: III. Menuetto
Str Qt in A, Op.20 No.6: IV. Fuga A Tre Soggetti: Allegro

Tracks:

Str Qt in b, Op.33 No.1: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in b, Op.33 No.1: II. Scherzo: Allegro
Str Qt in b, Op.33 No.1: III. Andante
Str Qt in b, Op.33 No.1: IV. Presto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.33 No.2 'The Joke': I. Allegro Moderato, Cantabile
Str Qt in E flat, Op.33 No.2 'The Joke': II. Scherzo: Allegro
Str Qt in E flat, Op.33 No.2 'The Joke': III. Largo Sostenuto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.33 No.2 'The Joke': IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 'The Bird': I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 'The Bird': II. Scherzo: Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 'The Bird': III. Adagio
Str Qt in C, Op.33 No.3 'The Bird': IV. Rondo: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: II. Scherzo: Allegretto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: III. Largo
Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: IV. Presto
Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: I. Vivace Assai
Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: II. Largo E Cantabile
Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: III. Scherzo: Allegro
Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: IV. Finale: Allegretto
Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: I. Vivace Assai
Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: II. Andante
Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: III. Scherzo: Allegretto
Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: IV. Finale: Allegretto
Str Qt in d, Op.42: I. Andante Ed Innocentemente
Str Qt in d, Op.42: II. Menuet
Str Qt in d, Op.42: III. Adagio E Cantabile
Str Qt in d, Op.42: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in B flat, Op.50 No.1: I. Allegro
Str Qt in B flat, Op.50 No.1: II. Adagio Non Lento
Str Qt in B flat, Op.50 No.1: III. Poco Allegretto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.50 No.1: IV. Finale: Vivace
Str Qt in C, Op.50 No.2: I. Vivace
Str Qt in C, Op.50 No.2: II. Adagio Cantabile
Str Qt in C, Op.50 No.2: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.50 No.2: IV. Finale: Vivace Assai
Str Qt in E flat, Op.50 No.3: I. Allegro Con Brio
Str Qt in E flat, Op.50 No.3: II. Andante Piu Tosto Allegretto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.50 No.3: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in E flat, Op.50 No.3: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: I. Allegro Spirito
Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: II. Andante
Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: III. Menuetto
Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: IV. Fuga: Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: II. Poco Adagio
Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: III. Menuetto
Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: IV. Finale: Vivace
Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': I. Allegro
Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': II. Poco Adagio
Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': IV. Finale: Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: I. Vivace Assai
Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: II. Allegretto
Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: III. Menuet
Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: IV. Vivace
Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: I. Vivace
Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: II. Adagio -
Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: IV. Adagio
Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: I. Allegretto
Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: II. Largo
Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in A, Op.55 No.1: I. Allegro
Str Qt in A, Op.55 No.1: II. Adagio Cantabile
Str Qt in A, Op.55 No.1: III. Menuet
Str Qt in A, Op.55 No.1: IV. Finale: Vivace
Str Qt in f, Op.55 No.2 'The Razor': I. Andante
Str Qt in f, Op.55 No.2 'The Razor': II. Allegro
Str Qt in f, Op.55 No.2 'The Razor': III. Menuetto: Allegretto
Str Qt in f, Op.55 No.2 'The Razor': IV. Presto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.55 No.3: I. Vivace Assai
Str Qt in B flat, Op.55 No.3: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Str Qt in B flat, Op.55 No.3: III. Menuetto
Str Qt in B flat, Op.55 No.3: IV. Presto

Tracks:

Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: I. Allegro Moderato
Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: II. Menuet: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: III. Allegretto Scherzando
Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
Str Qt in b, Op.64 No.3: I. Allegro Spirito
Str Qt in b, Op.64 No.3: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Str Qt in b, Op.64 No.3: III. Menuet: Allegretto -

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

A massive set--67 string quartets on 21 discs in a budget-priced, shelf-friendly, compact box. So the obvious question is: do you need it? The equally obvious answer is a resounding "yes" if you love these endlessly inventive quartets and if you appreciate superbly played performances that capture both the letter and the spirit of Haydn's genius. The Angeles String Quartet isn't as well known as some ensembles that have recorded complete Haydn sets, but they are superior to all, with the arguable exception of the Tatrai Quartet. They demonstrate technical polish and rich, warm sound that's never cloying. And they give these works the forward-moving impetus they need within a classical framework, eschewing both anachronistic Romanticism and the mechanical astringency of period specialists.

The Angeles Quartet is unique in its mastery of early as well as late works, in tune with Haydn's stylistic development and sensitive to the attractions of each of these remarkable pieces. So they infuse the visionary slow movements of the late quartets with the appropriate depth and at the same time revel in the muscularity of the Opus 76 No.2's catchy Menuetto, the humor of the "Joke" Quartet, Opus 33 No.2, and the power of the Allegro con spirito of Opus 76 No.1. Most impressive is their way with the early quartets--no small matter when you consider that the contents of the first six discs precede the Opus 20 set generally considered as signaling the maturity of the form. The Angeles make even the earliest quartets, five-movement divertimentos for four strings, a habit-forming delight. Their playing here is full of exuberance, wittily playful and rough, peasantlike by turns. The sonics are outstanding, too, well-balanced, warm, and lifelike. An indispensable recording. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb Haydn benchmark.......2007-06-28

It takes a lot of time to grasp Haydn's music, because there's much of everything: symphonies, piano sonatas, operas, piano trios, string quartets, choral works, songs, etc. - in sum, more than one thousand individual works. It will probably take more than a year listening to it all, and comprehend it as well (i.e., not as "background music"). Few, if any person, can have a complete grasp of everything he wrote.

But there are nonetheless good reasons trying to grasp Haydn's music, at least partly. This bargain set - 68 string quartets on 21 CDs - is a perfectly good reason. Haydn's string quartets contain some of his finest music. And the present recordings with Angeles Quartet are simply superb. Unlike many period instrument performers, Angeles Quartet avoids meticulous mannerism and plays this music with energy and passion, without loosing structural control. Furthermore, the recordings are excellent, with a rich, creamy and spacious sound. In short, great performances and excellent engineering. A benchmark recording, no less.

There are some rival complete sets: Aeolian Quartet (Decca), Festetics Quartet (period instrument performances, Arcana), Tátrai (Hungaroton), and Kodaly Quartet (Naxos). In terms of sound, the present set is clearly preferable. In terms of performances, the only serious rival is Tátrai Quartet's classic collection from the sixties. But Angeles Quartet is not a second choice. If you hesitate, you need both. Budget and shelf space minded collectors need not hesitate.

Perfect Dinner Music.......2007-05-14

Some might be offended at the idea that music be played in the background to accompany a fine meal, but in fact most of us listen to music in the background. This entire set of 15-CDs is (to my ears) the perfect music to accompany a delicious meal with someone you love. I have owned this CD set for years and never tire of it.

I have found that after listening to it hundreds of times that using iTunes in shuffle mode keeps it fresh.

Delightful Background Music.......2006-03-04

This music is a great buy, and wonderful to listen to while doing desk work or reading.

The Angeles String Quartet does an excellent job, and all of the works are so tuneful that I frequently found myself walking around the house humming the tunes after hearing a quartet for the first time.

He truly is the father of string quartets!.......2005-09-27

This may not be true as far as the instrumentation is concerned, but Haydn is one of the first to explore them as more than a solo violin with a trio accompaniment (second violin, viola and cello), thus giving the chamber music a new dimension.

If you've already explored Haydn's universe through some of his glorious symphonies, these string quartets are an excellent way of further expanding your appreciation of Haydn's music. There are very few dull moments in this lot (and almost all of them are to be found in his early quartets, while there are a few in his very latest works, where he seems to have lost the energy and brio that had established him as one of the best composers of his time). His first works have five movements and ressemble the divertimenti or serenatas. Later on, his quartets took a form which was to become standard, both for Haydn and other composers: four movements - a fast one, a slow one, a minuet and trio and a fast finale.

If one listens to Haydn's string quartes in chronological order, one can feel and appreciate his growth and maturity as a composer. The motives introduced during the first movement are developed over the entire work entity, the increasing use of first movements that are monothematic, the expansion of harmonic usage, the combination of serious with funny, intellectual with ridicule, etc.

Both Mozart and Beethoven wrote famous series of string quartets, but I've always liked Haydn's quartets the most. My personal favorites are op. 76 (especially no 3, which later on became the German National Anthem), op. 64 (especially no 5 called "The lark") and op. 33 (where Haydn introduced special effects, like a birdcall, which gave the third quartet its name).

A matter of taste?.......2005-05-31

It is something unpleasant about the sound here; it is resonant, yes, but not like the Takacs quartet. Comparing to the Takacs' take on op.76/1, 2 & 3, which I love, the Angeles' makes me think of a grey substance, sterile, antiseptic, of no life. Is it the sound quality? Or is it the way the quartet is playing? I think the latter, but it is difficult to figure out what is wrong; in fact I don't find any serious miscalculations. The problem is that the playing feels calculated; it is some kind of contrived perfection, it all feels too concious; I feel something wrong about the accent, the stress of the phrasings... but I give up: Suffice it to say that I regret I bought this collection of boring performances. Three stars for professional playing. If you like some human touch, go for the Aeolian quartet, less perfection, more life.

Average customer rating:

The "Clinker" of the bunch

Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)

ASIN: B00062FLIS
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets Nos. 1 - 3/Souvenir De Florence

Average customer rating:

Great playing, amazing music, unbalanced recording
All-star performance of some sadly neglected music

Tchaikovsky: String Quartets Nos. 1 - 3/Souvenir De Florence

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Borodin: String Quartets Nos 1 & 2
Smetana: Má vlast
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Tchaikovsky: Complete Suites for Orchestra
Beethoven: String Quartets

ASIN: B000000SIT
Release Date: 1993-11-02

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Moderato e semplice
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Andante cantabile
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Scherzo: Allegro non tanto e con fuoco
String Quartet No. 1 In D Major, Op. 11: Finale: Allegro giusta
String Quartet In B Flat Major: Adagio misterioso - Allegro con moto - Adagio misterioso
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegro con spirito
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Adagio cantabile e con moto
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegretto moderato
Souvenir de Florence (Sextet In D Minor, op. 70): Allegro vivace

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Adagio - Moderato assai
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Scherzo: Allegro giusto
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Andante ma non tanto
String Quartet No. 2 In F Major, Op. 22: Finale: Allegro con moto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Andante sostenuto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Allegretto vivo e scherzando
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Andante funebre e doloroso, ma con moto
String Quartet No. 3 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 30: Finale: Allegro non troppo e risoluto

Customer Reviews:

Great playing, amazing music, unbalanced recording.......2005-10-24

My comment will only focus on the recording as I cannot agree more with other reviewers as far as interpretation and music are concerned.

The teldec engineers have focused on the violins and forgotten that a quartet is a balanced ensemble and thus viola and cello are not accompaniement. Their bias damages the final result and suppress the rich interplay Borodin has been renown for. For instance in the fugue of the second quartet last mvt, the cello is barely audible and all ears are on the violins. The result of this takes its toll when the reverberent acoustics saturates the microphones in some powerful zingers shooting.

It also makes the listening tiring as you have to extract the other instruments lines from the soloists... So 4 stars when it should have been a no brainer 5!

(listening was made on professional JBL studio monitors, Bryston amps and Linn source)

All-star performance of some sadly neglected music.......2005-09-23

I am a huge fan of the Borodin quartet. I had heard Schubert's quintet performed by the Emerson Quartet, and after hearing the same piece performed by the Borodin Quartet, I was blown away by how overrated the Emerson ensemble is.
That Tchaikovsky's chamber music doesn't receive the fanfare it deserves is understandable; the composer's orchestral works are so widely acclaimed that it tends to cast a shadow over the rest of his oeuvre. However, these are worth a purchase for sure. Tchaikovsky was a master of music writing for strings, and this medium lets him show off his virtuosic side with more ease than the symphonic medium. My bias towards fugues predisposes me to the 2nd quartet and the Souvenir de Florence and their contrapuntal finales; but that is not to say they stand alone on this 2 disc set. Each of the Quartets, as well as the Souvenir de Florence, are filled with charming melodies, folk music overtones, and the driving, rhythmic and dynamic writing style typical of a composer so celebrated for these techniques. The set also includes the B-Flat quartet, a work without opus but nonetheless a nice addition.
The recording is impeccable, as are all of the Borodin's efforts on the Teldec label. If you find yourself interested in Tchaikovsky's chamberworks after listening to these little-known masterpieces, you should check out his Piano Trio, a monstrous piece at nearly 50 minutes in length but well worth your time.

Beethoven: The String Quartets/ Grosse Fuge

Average customer rating:

The Guarneri Beethoven--A Transcendental Bargain
Studied, unyielding performances in badly dated sound
The Guarneri Quartet Plays Beethoven
A Treasure
The Guarneri Quartet does the best BEETHOVEN

Beethoven: The String Quartets/ Grosse Fuge

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00011MK6U
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato
Scherzo: Allegro Molto; Trio
Allegro
Allegro
Adagio Cantabile; Allegro
Scherzo: Allegro; Trio
Allegro Molto Quasi Presto
Allegro
Andante Con Moto
Allegro
Presto

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Scherzo: Andante Scherzoso Quasi Allegretto
Menuetto: Allegretto; Trio
Allegro; Prestissimo
Allegro
Menuetto; Trio
Andante Cantabile; Variazioni 1-5; Poco Adagio
Allegro

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Scherzo: Allegro; Trio
La Malincolia: Adagio; Allegretto Quasi Allegro: Prestissimo
Allegro
Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
Adagio Molto E Mesto
Theme Russe: Allegro

Tracks:

Allegro
Molto Adagio
Allegretto
Finale: Presto
Introduzione: Andante Con Moto; Allegro Vivace
Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
Menuetto: Grazioso
Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Poco Adagio Allegro
Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Presto: Piu Presto Quasi Prestissimo
Allegretto Con Variazioni
Allegro Con Brio
Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
Allegro Assai Vivace Ma Serioso
Larghetto Espressivo; Allegretto Agitato

Tracks:

Assai Sostenuto; Allegro
Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen An Die Gottheit, In Der Lydischen Tonart: Molto Adagio; Neue Kraft Fuhlend: Andante
Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace
Allegro Appassionato
Grande Fugue Op.133

Tracks:

Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Espressivo
Allegro Molto Vivace
Allegro Moderato
Andante, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile
Presto
Adagio Quasi Un Poco Andante
Allegro
Maestoso; Allegro
Adagio; Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile
Scherzando Vivace: Presto
Finale: Allegro Con Moto

Tracks:

Adagio, Ma Non Troppo; Allegro
Presto
Andante Con Moto, Ma Non Troppo
Alla Danza Tedesca: Allegro Assai
Cavatina: Adagio Molto Espressivo
Finale: Allegro
Allegretto
Vivace
Lento Assai, Cantante E Tranquillo
Der Schwer Gefasste Entschluss: Frage, Ma Non Troppo Tratto; Allegro

Customer Reviews:

The Guarneri Beethoven--A Transcendental Bargain.......2007-01-10

It's been many years since I last attempted a journey through the complete Beethoven Quartets. I'm not sure if my musical tastes have matured that much or whether the playing by the Quarneri Quartet on RCA is that good, but they have now convinced me that these Beethoven Quartets are pieces that I will return to regularly for enjoyment. The Shostakovich Quartets still speak to me on a more personal level, and I still struggle to figure out the middle Bartok Quartets. The Beethoven set by the Alban Berg Quartet on EMI 73606 has served as a great complement to the Quarneri performances, and I now I can highly recommend either one (better both) of these unbelievable bargains to those wanting to better appreciate the Beethoven String Quartets.

Studied, unyielding performances in badly dated sound.......2006-01-12

After a glorious decade of Living Stereo, RCA entered the Dynagroove era with some of the worst sound ever recorded by a major label. The Guarneri suffered badly from this--these Beethoven quartets sound dry, cramped, and charmless. I vividly remember the early excitement over this group. They were heirs to the intellectual style of quartet playing represented by the Budapest Quartet, and as individual musicians, these young graduates of Curtis, who also played every summer at Marlboro, were pre-anointed.

Now the picture is rather different. The Guarneri remains a top-flght group, but they haven't turned into resplendent artists (a TV film documentary from the late Nineties shows that they are thoroughly sick of each other personaly; some members barely speak outside rehearsal.) Their Beethoven doesn't sing and is much too studied. Beethoven quartets must communicate several things at once, and the Guarneri are excellent at some of them: ensemble, individual technique, serious purpose, classical balance. But without spontaneity and inspiration, those qualities lie on fallow ground. One minute of exposure to the Alban Berg's live Beethoven cycle on EMI (not caught in the best sound, either) reveals how much more joyful and singing these great works can be. At the risk of offending the Guarneri's many fans, these readings only go halfway to the mark.

The Guarneri Quartet Plays Beethoven.......2005-08-18

I recently spent several days at home recovering from minor surgery and took the opportunity to revist the Beethoven string quartets and the Beethoven piano sonatas. I thought the quartets would be especially appropriate to hear in recovering from surgery. I looked forward particularly to revisiting the "Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Deity by a Convalscent,in the Lydian Mode", the third movement of the opus 132 quartet which Beethoven wrote when he recovered from an illness far worse than that which plagued me. There is, perhaps, a similar feeling expressed in the slow, hymnlike movement of the second Razumovsky Quartet, opus 59 no.2.

Hearing the music made me appreciate not only my health but also the opportunities I have enjoyed to get to know the quartets. Many years ago, I first heard the quartets live played by the Fine Arts Quartet when it was the quartet-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee. I subsequently acquired the Fine Arts Quartet's excellent recording of the entire cycle. Then, while living in Washington D.C. for thirty years, I have had many opportunities to hear the Juilliard String Quartet, and other ensembles, perform the Beethoven quartets at the Library of Congress, probably the best musical venue in what is a musical capital city.

To rehear the quartets, I chose a recent reissue of the cycle by the Guarneri Quartet. I have never heard the Guarneri's live before, even though the quartet is in residence at the nearby University of Maryland. The group has been playing together since 1965 and is deservedly revered. The ensemble plays with a lyrical, songlike and expressive character, with a flow, a grace, and a feel of gemuitlicheit that brought me new insights into this music. It is an outstanding recording of the quartet cycle. In a detailed review of the Guarneri's performance of the cycle on MusicWeb, Paul Shoemaker justly wrote that "If there's a better version of these quartets, I've not heard it."

As do the piano sonatas, Beethoven's 16 quartets allow the listener to experience the development and deepening of his style from his early period, to the period of maturity, to the final works at the end of his life. But the quartets are evenly divided between Beethoven's three major compositional periods while the piano sonatas are somewhat weighted towards the composer's earlier years. In addition, Beethoven composed his quartets in three rather continuous blocks, giving each group a distinctive character, while the piano sonatas were written more continuously in Beethoven's career and tend to meld and flow more easily from one period to another.

In recovering from an illness, I thought while listening of how the quartets deal in their different ways with human pain. Beethoven composed his first series of six quartets, opus 18, as a young man in his late 20s who was full of hope and optimism, aware of his extraordinary gifts and of his ability to realize them in his music. These works are in the style of Haydn and Mozart but show a Beethoven intent on developing a voice of his own. They are optimistic, powerful works full of confidence but with hints of sadness and depths in the slow movement of the first quartet and in the "La Malinconia" section of the fourth movement of the sixth quartet. In my listening, I spent more time revisiting this first group of quartets than I had anticipated.

The second group of quartets include the three "Razumovsky" quartets of opus 59 written in 1806 together with the "Harp" and "Serioso" quartets written somewhat later. These are large, inspiring works from Beethoven's "heroic" period and the best known of his quartets. They show a composer who has known difficulty and disappointment, in his growing deafness, his health, and in his failure to form a lasting loving and sexual relationship with a woman, who tries to overcome his problems through strength, hope and will. These are large-scale inspiring works. I spent most of my time in this group with the second quartet of opus 59, with the poignant slow movement of the third quarted of opus 59 and, surprisingly, with the radiant lyricism of the "harp" quartet, opus 74.

Beethoven's final compositions consist of the last five quartets, opus nos. 127, 130, 131, 132, 135, together with the "Great Fugue" opus 133. This is deep and complex music in which Beethoven moves beyond suffering and struggle to various forms of recognition and acceptance. In rehearing this music as played by the Guarneri Quartet, I was taken by its lyricism, the many songs, dances, and marches in these quartets interlaced with the more forbidding fugues. The Guarneri Quartet has the rare virtue of not taking itself too seriously. I have already mentioned the "Hymn of Thanksgiving" in the opus 132 quartet. I also listened a great deal to the opus 127 quartet, which opens with inspiring chords and is a mixture of the resolute and the reflective, and to the final quartet, opus 135. This is the shortest quartet of the final five and shows Beethoven finding his answer to human suffering in the form of comedy and laughter rather than tragedy (think of the laughing Buddha). I also thought about the ending Beethoven wrote, after completing opus 135, to replace the "Great Fugue" in opus 130. It seemed to me that he had acted wisely and correctly by bringing this quartet to a light, almost comedic, conclusion.

It is not a pleasant experience to be in recovery, but I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the Guarneri Quartet and to revisit the Beethoven string quartets. This is music that speaks to the heart of listeners at different times and stages of life. I suggest that listeners coming to the quartets for the first time (or after many times) also read a good overview to Beethoven's life and music. I recommend Lewis Lockwood's "Beethoven: The Music and the Life" (2003). This study places Beethoven's achievement in its historical and musical context and includes lengthy treatments of each of the three groups of string quartets.

Robin Friedman

A Treasure.......2004-07-24

Beethoven like it's never played anymore. This is old world quartet playing -- warm, detailed phrasing and an emphasis on tonal beauty. Rather than choosing one blazing tempo and plowing head first through a movement (Emerson, Alban Berg Quartets), the Guarneri utilize a wider dynamic range. They are not afraid to slow down to bring out detail and drama, or speed up to get the blood pumping (the last mvt of op59-3 is the fastest of the 11 versions I have).

The sound quality is superb, one of the best quartet cds I have ever heard. I agree with the reviewer below, it sounds like the players are in your living room. These are late 1960s recordings that RCA originally released on CD in the late 80s on their Gold Seal label. I am aware that many complained about the sound quality of the earlier release. However, this release has been newly remastered in 2003 using 20 bit technology and the results are astounding. Indeed, if you have the older CDs, you may want to buy this one as a replacement. Enjoy.

The Guarneri Quartet does the best BEETHOVEN.......2004-04-30

I have always loved the Guarneri Quartets Beethoven recordings of the 1960s.
Believe me it is a crowded field out there with a lot of wonderful versions, but I've always thought their interpretations were as good if not better than the Quartetto, Lindsey, Italiano, Vegh, Talich or Medici versions. I have found that the Guarneri Quartet has provided an outstanding escort to these wonderful journeys, the genuine straightforwardness of their playing along with their unrivaled execution, and rich intonation helps to make the Beethoven quartets a extremely poignant experience every time I hear them. In a word, these performances are close to perfection. The Guarneri Quartet really understand what the music is about, they are playing more than just the notes.
The recordings are good (thanks to engineer Richard Gardner) and with the fantastic re-mastering job, the recordings now sound superb, with excellent presence and definition. The instruments are closely miked and the sound is nice and dry (it sounds like they are playing in your living room) so that the performances can be fully enjoyed. These recordings are vibrant and exciting! Even the CD layout has been improved so that the great Opus 127 is no longer split over two discs.
Instead of three sets, totaling nine discs and costing well over one hundred, it has been condensed to one complete slim line box set with eight discs and costing about half the price!

Highly recommend!!

Music Track:

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