Beethoven String Quartets
Wed, Apr 3 2013, 8:40AM
Hello everybody,
I am considering to buy the LvB String Quartets on CD, so I would like to know your preferences (both as complete recording as separately early, middle and late quartets).
Thank you so much,
C.
Wed, Apr 3 2013, 9:53AM
#2
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Dear Chris,
Thank you for indications and opinions; be sure I will check chamber music dicussion.
However, further recomendations or tips will be wellcome.
C.
Wed, Apr 3 2013, 10:51AM
#3
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
For complete sets the Vegh (on naive) and the Italian (on philips). The Italian quartet are better technically and excellent in the middle and early quartets, the Vegh maybe get to the heart of the matter more in the later quartets. Avoid the limp uninterested Talich quartet.
Wed, Apr 3 2013, 12:50PM
#4
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
There has been extensive exchanges on the thread Chris mentioned, initiated by me.
Having almost all the well-recorded recordings, I can say that almost any one of them has something very interesting and valuable to offer. The most established and accepted worldwide are Vegh (as the innovative and audacious), the Talich (as the very beautifully balanced and quite refined), the Italiano (as an exemplary, solid and meaningful performance), the Amadeus (as the more Germanic and of considerable beauty of tone), the Tacacs (beloved by Gramophone and others too), the Alban Berg (for a more balanced and all round performance).
From the less established or known recordings, try whatever the Hagen has recorded (particularly the latest ones on Myrios label, in superb SACD format) and the modern "reference" of the magnificent Prazak Quartet, on the best Chamber Music label Praga (the only complete set on SACD): superb playing in excellent recordings! The Tokyo String Quartet has been very good in their second cycle on HM (both the middle and late ones are in impressive SACD format too).
Finally, from the "forgotten" ones, you may try the very fine Cleveland, in their very nice recordings on Telarc or the quite solid Alexander Quartet, on the defunct Arte Nova.
Parla
Wed, Apr 3 2013, 6:48PM
#5
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
I am considering to buy the LvB String Quartets on CD, so I would like to know your preferences (both as complete recording as separately early, middle and late quartets).
Unless you are tone deaf, avoid the gloriously out-of-tune Busch Quartets 1930s recordings. Their 19 and a half minute performance of the slow movement of op.132 is as close as one can get to musical hell.
Thu, Apr 4 2013, 5:12AM
#6
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
However, the Italiano is utterly magnificent in their staggering 19 minute account of the slow movement of op. 132, particularly in their recently released live from Royal Festival Hall recording of 1965, on ICA.
Parla
Fri, Apr 5 2013, 11:15AM
#7
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
What a fantastic string quartet the Italians were. Technically and artistically.
Fri, Apr 5 2013, 6:42PM
#8
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
What a fantastic string quartet the Italians were. Technically and artistically.
I absolutely agree Sid. I have still some of their earliest recordings, made for Decca when the were still called the 'New Italian Quartet'. I treasure their recording of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet, with Antoine de Bavier. Very slow but quite magical.
Wonderful that they stayed together for so many years. Completely irrelevant, but according to Norman Lebrecht, the lady violinist was serially married to each of the other members of the quartet!
Chris
Fri, Apr 5 2013, 7:51PM
#9
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Completely irrelevant, but according to Norman Lebrecht, the lady violinist was serially married to each of the other members of the quartet!
Chris
Itatians!
Fri, Apr 5 2013, 8:47PM
#10
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Quartetto Italiano of the older recordings and Takacs of more recent ones offer most in terms of insight and awareness of the character and structure of each quartet. Going further back the Busch quartet offer revelatory and intense readings.
Sat, Apr 6 2013, 10:19AM
#11
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Modern recordings-wise, I'm in love with the first half of Belcea Quartet's new release of the complete cycle. It's extremely focussed and fiercely intense (almost too much so at certain points). Live in studio with great sound too.
Sat, Apr 6 2013, 1:28PM
#12
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Belcea is a fine Quartet, whenever they embark on various String Quartet projects. I have not tried their Beethoven one so far, but I believe they should sound quite convincing.
Likewise, the much less known Quartetto di Cremona have launched their first volume of their complete cycle, in the second complete SACD recording (the first is the magnificent one on Praga with the Prazak quartet), on the prestigious label Audite. This first installment is very impressive as a recording, as one should expect from this label, while the performance is quite convincing, combining refinement with passion and commitment.
Parla
Sun, Apr 7 2013, 8:13PM
#13
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Middle SQs first: 1. Vegh (Naive) 2. Prazak (Praga) Great disappointments for me: Talich (Calliope) and Takacs (Decca). BTW, Lindsays I (ASV) has a great SQ # 7 Op. 59 (first of the three Razumovsky SQs).
Tue, May 14 2013, 10:08PM
#14
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
Early Quartets: Lindsay String Quartet (ASV, 1988?)
Late Quartets: Busch Quartet (1930th)!!!, Hagen Quartet!!, Belcea Quartet, Budapest String Quartet (Mono 1951/52), Paganini Quartet (1940th)
Middle Quartets: op.59/1: Lindsay String Quartet (ASV, 1984)
Tue, May 14 2013, 10:29PM
#15
RE: Beethoven String Quartets
If there was a fire and I had to grab one set it would be the Quarteto Italianas on Philips. Though I have to agree, the Lindsays do a great 7 and the Vegh are very persuasive, especially in the late quartets.
Hello, Century and welcome to the Forum!
You won't, I'm sure, be surprised to learn that there has been a fair amount of discussion on the Forum already about Beethoven string quartets! If you look in the thread Anyone interested in chamber music? under this same Recordings heading you will find plenty of comments which I hope you'll find worthwhile reading.
Briefly, my own favourites are the Vegh and the Italian Quartets' recordings. I also much enjoy the Alban Berg. Older recordings including those by the Hungarian and (even older, and not complete) by the Busch quartet give a lot of pleasure. Of newer ones the Talich have been much admired, though not so much by me.
We are fortunate that these wonderful works do seem to bring out the best in whoever is recording them. There are not so many disastrous recordings!
Glorious music indeed!
Chris
Chris A.Gnostic