I've just started appreciating chamber music and I want to buy recording/s of the Beethoven String Quartets. If possible, I'd like some reasonably recent recordings in fabulous sound.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
Best recording/s of the Beethoven String Quartets.
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damianjb1
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Thanks, wkasimer. And Merl, who messaged me privately with similar thoughts about Miró being perhaps too much on the light, "Classical" side.
I must say though that a statement like this from the quoted Fanfare review: "...oblivious to the profound spirituality, revelatory power, and import of this music to Mankind" strikes me as so inexcusably pompous and unbelievably stupid that I am unlikely to take what else what written in the review even slightly seriously. I might point and laugh at the reviewer, maybe roll my eyes, but pay any further notice? No.
I must say though that a statement like this from the quoted Fanfare review: "...oblivious to the profound spirituality, revelatory power, and import of this music to Mankind" strikes me as so inexcusably pompous and unbelievably stupid that I am unlikely to take what else what written in the review even slightly seriously. I might point and laugh at the reviewer, maybe roll my eyes, but pay any further notice? No.
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The Guarneri Quartet made an excellent single disc recording of Op.127 and Op.135 in superb digital sound in 1987. One of the best single disc recordings of late Beethoven's two most approachable quartets. It's on the Philips label.
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This was actually part of a complete cycle, the second by the Guarneri. It's been issued complete by Brilliant:
It was also included in this enormous Brilliant Beethoven box:
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I guess I got the first cycle then. It was one of the RCA reissues at 199 Czech Koruna on Supraphon (or £69.04 on Presto Music, if you want to pay 10x as much for better tags and a less trying download process).
The sound quality seems fine from what I've listened to so far, and the performance of No 15 hit the spot for me. My first experience of Beethoven's late quartets was the Lindsay and (from memory) they seemed a bit scruffy compared to the above, without necessarily any more "depth".
I have this set and enjoy it very much. i don't find it dull at all and it's nicely recorded.Thoughts on the Miró Quartet Beethoven cycle? It's currently deeply discounted at jpc.de: https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/saemtliche-streichquartette/hnum/9497688
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For that price it's a great deal.
It may not be he best but it's good.
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The CD's are in storage, but in my Computer Music Library, I have the following:
- Quartets 1-6 "Early String Quartets" 3CDs, by Guarneri Quartet (1969)
- Quartets 7-10 by Budapest Quartet (1959 - 1960)
- Quartets 11-16 "Late String Quartets" 3CDs by Guarneri Quartet (1969)
I also have the Muir St Qt playing #15 Quartet. More of an obscure recording. I used to manage them as well.
Would like to know what the veterans of these pieces think of these recordings if they have heard them. I just started listening to them again and am listening to #1 in F, Op. 18 Quartet right now.
V
- Quartets 1-6 "Early String Quartets" 3CDs, by Guarneri Quartet (1969)
- Quartets 7-10 by Budapest Quartet (1959 - 1960)
- Quartets 11-16 "Late String Quartets" 3CDs by Guarneri Quartet (1969)
I also have the Muir St Qt playing #15 Quartet. More of an obscure recording. I used to manage them as well.
Would like to know what the veterans of these pieces think of these recordings if they have heard them. I just started listening to them again and am listening to #1 in F, Op. 18 Quartet right now.
V
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For me the Tokyo is the reference series - uniformly excellent with decent sonics. Other performances may be better for individual quartets but this is what I come back to for the cycle.
I'm currently working my way through Alexander Quartet's 2009 recording. I've so far spent quite a lot of time with the middle quartets and started with the early ones today. I really love the playing! It's wonderful to listen to how the Alexanders convey the heroic, courageous Romantic idiom of Beethoven's string quartets. A magnificent poetic account of these masterpieces.
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Quote Originally Posted by Bill H. View Post
Itullian--those are the later CD series of Cleveland Quartet recordings, with a change or two in the Quartet's personnel. The CQ also recorded a full Beethoven cycle starting in the 70s or so, but they were ONLY released on RCA LPs. They were never reissued in any format that I've been able to determine. Same for other rep they recorded for Victor.
As it turns out, my younger son Brian did his BS in Violin Performance at the New England Conservatory as a student of Donald Weilerstein, the Quartet's founding 1st Violin (and has continued some studies with him as an Artist Diploma student at Juilliard). Some years ago, we tracked down as many of the original Cleveland Q's RCA recordings that we could find, including the entire Beethoven cycle, and transferred them. Don had never heard the recordings himself, so we burned them all to CDs for him, and then made available the transfers to NEC students first, but now to anyone who wants them.
If you go to this link on my Google Docs, you'll find folders for all the early Cleveland Quartet RCA LP transfers we made, including the Beethoven Cycle (subdivided into folders for the Early, Middle and Late Quartets).
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...mc?usp=sharing
These zipped files are in mp3 (320 kbps) format, essentially untouched sonically except for declicking and some LP noise reduction applied.
Anyone who might be interested, feel free. There's also Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Haydn, Dvorak, even some Ives!
Bill H.
[Post edit: After we did these transfers, a website popped up that is the Cleveland Quartet's official historical site--including links to stream their early LP releases, so they are now "available" by other means] www.clevelandquartet.com
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A copy and paste from another thread. Another poster made these available legal and free to download. The Cleveland Quartet from the 70's were reasonably well known and these recordings are long OOP. I have listened many times and they are well worth the effort.
Itullian--those are the later CD series of Cleveland Quartet recordings, with a change or two in the Quartet's personnel. The CQ also recorded a full Beethoven cycle starting in the 70s or so, but they were ONLY released on RCA LPs. They were never reissued in any format that I've been able to determine. Same for other rep they recorded for Victor.
As it turns out, my younger son Brian did his BS in Violin Performance at the New England Conservatory as a student of Donald Weilerstein, the Quartet's founding 1st Violin (and has continued some studies with him as an Artist Diploma student at Juilliard). Some years ago, we tracked down as many of the original Cleveland Q's RCA recordings that we could find, including the entire Beethoven cycle, and transferred them. Don had never heard the recordings himself, so we burned them all to CDs for him, and then made available the transfers to NEC students first, but now to anyone who wants them.
If you go to this link on my Google Docs, you'll find folders for all the early Cleveland Quartet RCA LP transfers we made, including the Beethoven Cycle (subdivided into folders for the Early, Middle and Late Quartets).
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...mc?usp=sharing
These zipped files are in mp3 (320 kbps) format, essentially untouched sonically except for declicking and some LP noise reduction applied.
Anyone who might be interested, feel free. There's also Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Haydn, Dvorak, even some Ives!
Bill H.
[Post edit: After we did these transfers, a website popped up that is the Cleveland Quartet's official historical site--including links to stream their early LP releases, so they are now "available" by other means] www.clevelandquartet.com
________________
A copy and paste from another thread. Another poster made these available legal and free to download. The Cleveland Quartet from the 70's were reasonably well known and these recordings are long OOP. I have listened many times and they are well worth the effort.
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the link doesn't seem to have survived the copy and paste (it got truncated in the middle)...
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Which Tokyo set is your preference, the Sony/RCA box or the Harmonia Mundi digital set?
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A better link.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0ByTWd_3f2RpST0h5SkxiQ3p2Ymc?usp=sharing
There are a number of other recordings besides the BSQ's. All good.
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For some reason (old hands) I hit Unlike and then like for your post. In any case the Italiano recordings are my reference set.Ido have Tokyo Op. 59 set as well as some of the Takacs recordings. Beethoven seems to bring out the best of just about any group that records them.
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Maybe it's a lack of something on my part, but so many good performances persuade me as I listen, I have trouble picking a favorite set.
There are individual performances that stand out in my memory, but just a few. The Guarneri Op. 59#1 hooked me, even though my first complete set to which I paid any attention was the Italiano. Which is still marvelous music making.
Probably have listened to the Alban Berg more than any other group for uniform excellence a la the Italians. I tried the Takacs, a little soft for my taste.
Then the 1940s Budapest Op. 132, slow movement, no one else in contention.
Has anyone heard this set? I'm still of two minds about this group. Rather astringent sometimes, which would have been my criticism of the Emerson but this more so. There's clarity and form, but a lot more bite than necessary.
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There are individual performances that stand out in my memory, but just a few. The Guarneri Op. 59#1 hooked me, even though my first complete set to which I paid any attention was the Italiano. Which is still marvelous music making.
Probably have listened to the Alban Berg more than any other group for uniform excellence a la the Italians. I tried the Takacs, a little soft for my taste.
Then the 1940s Budapest Op. 132, slow movement, no one else in contention.
Has anyone heard this set? I'm still of two minds about this group. Rather astringent sometimes, which would have been my criticism of the Emerson but this more so. There's clarity and form, but a lot more bite than necessary.
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No, it's not you. I have the same problem. It's the difference between music that is truly great and music that is merely good.
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I have the Cremona set and find it a fine one. They're neither heavy-handed nor too light and they play with beautiful intonation
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In thinking about this, I defer to someone like Merl whose taste I trust and who has listened to more Beethoven quartet cycles than I even dream of.
I suppose the easiest summation is a list of those I definitely liked, and those I didn't. Maybe there's a spot for mixed feelings as well. But there are SO MANY highly recommended sets I've never heard or haven't heard enough of to judge. I've heard far too little of the most recent cycles.
Definitely liked, in no particular order:
Emerson String Quartet
Guarneri Quartet
Tokyo String Quartet (both, but prefer the later)
Quartetto Italiano
Mixed feelings, in no particular order:
Végh Quartet (digital cycle)
Juilliard String Quartet (digital cycle, but I feel that I should get to know the 60s cycle better)
Definitely disliked, in no particular order:
Lindsay String Quartet
Sets I'd like to get to know better, in no particular order:
Auryn Quartet
Berg Quartet
Busch Quartet
Cleveland Quartet (70s era only)
Fine Arts Quartet
Leipziger Streichquartett
Pražák Quartet
Quatuor Ébène
Takács Quartet
Drowning in possibilities!
I suppose the easiest summation is a list of those I definitely liked, and those I didn't. Maybe there's a spot for mixed feelings as well. But there are SO MANY highly recommended sets I've never heard or haven't heard enough of to judge. I've heard far too little of the most recent cycles.
Definitely liked, in no particular order:
Emerson String Quartet
Guarneri Quartet
Tokyo String Quartet (both, but prefer the later)
Quartetto Italiano
Mixed feelings, in no particular order:
Végh Quartet (digital cycle)
Juilliard String Quartet (digital cycle, but I feel that I should get to know the 60s cycle better)
Definitely disliked, in no particular order:
Lindsay String Quartet
Sets I'd like to get to know better, in no particular order:
Auryn Quartet
Berg Quartet
Busch Quartet
Cleveland Quartet (70s era only)
Fine Arts Quartet
Leipziger Streichquartett
Pražák Quartet
Quatuor Ébène
Takács Quartet
Drowning in possibilities!
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