Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete String Quartets - Végh Quartet [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A journey through Beethoven's String Quartets is one of the great experiences music has to offer us. This set, highly esteemed for nearly three decades, offers one of the better guides along that journey. The Végh Quartet, led by Hungarian master violinist and conductor Sandor Végh, plays with superlative insight into the music. Beethoven's power is as well conveyed here as his tenderness and intimacy. This Central European style of music making is particularly congenial to Beethoven, and the result is a series of superb performances that never fail the music--not even in the unfairly demanding "Grosse Fuge," played here with the wild vision it deserves.

The recording quality stands up quite well. No one performance can tell us everything we need to know about masterpieces like these, and you'll also want to have at least one other set of Beethoven Quartets for contrasting insights, like the Emerson Quartet's, which is more extroverted, somewhat less intimate, and even stronger technically. But the Végh set should also be high on your list, especially at its attractive new price. The booklet offers thorough program notes on the music but, alas, not a word about the performers. --Leslie Gerber --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Tracks:

1. Allegro Con Brio
2. Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato
3. Scherzo. Allegro Molto
4. Allegro
1. Allegro
2. Adagio Cantabile/Allegro/Tempo I
3. Scherzo. Allegro
4. Allegro Molto Quasi Presto
1. Allegro
2. Andante Con Moto
3. Allegro
4. Presto

Tracks:

1. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
2. Scherzo. Andante Scherzoso Quasi Allegretto
3. Menuetto. Allegretto
4. Allegro/Prestissimo
1. Allegro
2. Menuetto
3. Andante Cantabile. Thema - Variations I-V/Coda. Poco Adagio
4. Allegro
1. Allegro Con Brio
2. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
3. Scherzo. Allegro
4. La Malinconia. Adagio/Allegretto Quasi Allegro

Tracks:

1. Allegro
2. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
3. Adagio Molto E Mesto - Attacca:
4. Theme Russe. Allegro
1. Allegro
2. Molto Adagio. Si Tratta Questo Pezzo Con Molto Di Sentimento
3. Allegretto
4. Finale. Presto

Tracks:

1. Introduzione. Andante Con Moto/Allegro Vivace
2. Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
3. Menuetto. Grazioso - Attacca:
4. Allegro Molto
1. Poco Adagio/Allegro
2. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
3. Presto - Attacca:
4. Allegretto Con Variazioni

Tracks:

1. Allegro Con Brio
2. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo - Attacca:
3. Allegro Assai Vivace Ma Serioso
4. Larghetto Espressivo/Allegretto Agitato
1. Maestro/Allegro
2. Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile/Andante Con Moto/Adagio Molto Espressivo
3. Scherzando Vivace/Presto
4. Finale
Overtura. Allegro - Fuga/Meno Mosso E Moderato/Allegro Molto E Con Brio/Meno Mosso E Moderato/Allegro Molto E Con Brio/Allegro

Tracks:

1. Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Allegro
2. Presto
3. Andante Con Moto, Ma Non Troppo
4. Alla Danza Tedesca. Allegro Assai
5. Cavatina. Adagio Molto Espressivo - Attacca:
6. Finale. Allegro
1. Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Espressivo - Attacca:
2. Allegro Molto Vivace - Attacca:
3. Allegro Moderato - Attacca:
4. Andante, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile/Andante Moderato E Lusinghiero/Adagio/Allegretto/Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Semplice/Allegretto
5. Presto/Molto Poco Adagio - Attacca:
6. Adagio Quasi Un Poco Andante - Attacca:
7. Allegro

Tracks:

1. Assai Sostenuto/Allegro
2. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
3. Helliger Dankgesang Eines Genesenden An Die Gottheit, In Der Lydischen Tonart. Molto Adagio - Neue Kraft Fuhlend. Andante/Molto Adagio/Andante Molto Adagio. Mit Innigster Empfindung
4. Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace - Piu Allegro - Attacca:
5. Allegro Appassionato
1. Allegretto
2. Vivace
3. Lente Assai E Cantante Tranquillo
4. Der Schwer Gefasste Entschluss. Grave (Muss Es Sein?)/Allegro (Es Muss Sein!)/Grave, Ma Non Troppo Tratto/Allegro

Amazon.com

Few groups have successfully recorded Beethoven's complete quartets with the requisite technical facility and interpretive depth. They include such premier performers as the Busch (not quite complete), Budapest, Talich, Vegh, Italiano, and most recently, the Emerson. Each illuminates aspects of these quartets in a unique fashion.

The Vegh's early 1970s set, available on Valois, has been treasured for its warmth and subtlety. But the same foursome's earlier recording for the Haydn Society has long been unavailable, so this first CD reissue is a welcome, fascinating companion to their heralded stereo version. In 1952, the Veghs were more blunt and more direct, using slightly faster tempos and a more objective approach, though full of individual touches not found elsewhere. The dry but clear sonics de-emphasize the cello-based warmth of the group's tonality and contribute to the more severe impression. The six quartets of Opus 18 are sober, missing the humor that most groups, including the 1972 Vegh, found in them, and the Grosse Fugue gets stodgy in places. But there's little to quibble about elsewhere. Every movement in this set quivers with interpretive integrity, and many of the individual quartets, including the Opus 59 No.1 and the Opus 130, are among the best ever. Housed in a compact box and priced competitively, this long-awaited reissue will be attractive to collectors. --Dan Davis

Product Description

Vegh Quartet: Sandor Vegh, Sandor Zoldy, Georges Janzer, Paul Szabo. Special Price: 7 CDs for the price of 4

Average customer rating:

Regarding the sound quality....
Good performances- terrible audio and production quality
Beautiful Beethoven
Vegh Set the Beethoven Benchmark
Good performances with OK sound

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets

Manufacturer: Valois
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003HZQ
Release Date: 1993-12-07

Tracks:

Premier Quatuor, En FA Majeur, Op. 18 - I: I. Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Premier Quatuor, En FA Majeur, Op. 18 - I: II. Adagio Affettuoso ed appassionato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Premier Quatuor, En FA Majeur, Op. 18 - I: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Premier Quatuor, En FA Majeur, Op. 18 - I: IV. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Cinquieme Quatuor, En LA Majeur, Op. 18 - V: I. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Cinquieme Quatuor, En LA Majeur, Op. 18 - V: II. Menuetto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Cinquieme Quatuor, En LA Majeur, Op. 18 - V: III. Andante cantabile - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Cinquieme Quatuor, En LA Majeur, Op. 18 - V: IV. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Deuxieme Quatuor, En Sol Majeur, Opus, 18 - II: I. Allegro
Deuxieme Quatuor, En Sol Majeur, Opus, 18 - II: II. Adagio cantabile
Deuxieme Quatuor, En Sol Majeur, Opus, 18 - II: III. Scherzo. Allegro
Deuxieme Quatuor, En Sol Majeur, Opus, 18 - II: IV. Allegro molto, quasi Presto
Troisieme Quatuor, En Re Majeur, Op. 18 - III: I. Allegro
Troisieme Quatuor, En Re Majeur, Op. 18 - III: II. Andante con moto
Troisieme Quatuor, En Re Majeur, Op. 18 - III: III. Allegro
Troisieme Quatuor, En Re Majeur, Op. 18 - III: IV. Presto
Quatrieme Quatuor, En Ut Mineur, Op. 18 - IV: I. Allegro, ma non tanto
Quatrieme Quatuor, En Ut Mineur, Op. 18 - IV: II. Scherzo. Andante scherzoso, quasi Allegretto
Quatrieme Quatuor, En Ut Mineur, Op. 18 - IV: III. Menuetto. Allegretto
Quatrieme Quatuor, En Ut Mineur, Op. 18 - IV: IV. Allegro

Tracks:

Sixieme Quatuor, En Si Bemol Majeur, Op. 18 - VI: I. Allegro con brio
Sixieme Quatuor, En Si Bemol Majeur, Op. 18 - VI: II. Adagio, ma non troppo
Sixieme Quatuor, En Si Bemol Majeur, Op. 18 - VI: III. Scherzo. Allegro
Sixieme Quatuor, En Si Bemol Majeur, Op. 18 - VI: IV. La Malinconia. Adagio - Allegretto quasi Allegro
Septieme quatuor, En Fa Majeur, Op. 59 -: I. Allegro
Septieme quatuor, En Fa Majeur, Op. 59 - I: II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
Septieme quatuor, En Fa Majeur, Op. 59 - I: IV. Finale. Presto

Tracks:

Huitieme Quatuor, En Mi Mineur, Op. 59 - II: I. Allegro
Huitieme Quatuor, En Mi Mineur, Op. 59 - II: II. Molto Adagio
Huitieme Quatuor, En Mi Mineur, Op. 59 - II: III. Allegretto
Huitieme Quatuor, En Mi Mineur, Op. 59 - II: IV. Finale. Presto
Neuvieme Quatuor, En Ut Majeur, Op. 59 - III: I. Introduzione. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
Neuvieme Quatuor, En Ut Majeur, Op. 59 - III: II. Andante con moto quasi Allegretto - III. Menuetto. Garzioso
Neuvieme Quatuor, En Ut Majeur, Op. 59 - III: IV. Allegro molto

Tracks:

Dixieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 74: I. Poco Adagio - Allegro
Dixieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 74: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Dixieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 74: III. Presto - IV. Allegretto con Variazioni
Douzieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 127: I. Maestoso - Allegro
Douzieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 127: II. Adagiom ma non troppp e cantabile
Douzieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 127: III. Scherzando vivace
Douzieme Quatuor, En Mi Bemol Majeur, Op. 127: IV. Finale

Tracks:

Onzieme Quatuor, En Fa Mineur, Op. 95: I. Allegro con brio
Onzieme Quatuor, En Fa Mineur, Op. 95: II. Allegro ma non tanto - III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
Onzieme Quatuor, En Fa Mineur, Op. 95: IV. Larghetto - Allegretto agitato
Quinzieme Quatuor, En La Mineur, Op. 132: I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro
Quinzieme Quatuor, En La Mineur, Op. 132: II. Allegro ma non tanto
Quinzieme Quatuor, En La Mineur, Op. 132: III. Canzone di ringraziamento - Molto adagio
Quinzieme Quatuor, En La Mineur, Op. 132: IV. Alla Marcia, assai vivace - Allegro Appassionato

Tracks:

Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: II. Presto
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: III. Andante con moto ma non troppo
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: VI. Grand Fugue
Treizieme Quatuor, En si bemol majeur, Op. 130: VI. Alternate Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

Quatorzieme Quatuor, en ut diese mineur, Op. 131: I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo - II. Allegro molto vivace - III. Allegretto moderato - IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile - V. Presto - VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante - VII. Alleg...
Seizieme Quatuor, en fa majeur, Op. 135: I. Allegretto
Seizieme Quatuor, en fa majeur, Op. 135: II. Vivace
Seizieme Quatuor, en fa majeur, Op. 135: III. Lento assai e cantante tranquillo
Seizieme Quatuor, en fa majeur, Op. 135: IV. Grave ma non troppo tratto-Allegro

Amazon.com essential recording

There are very few classical music recordings that can lay claim to be "the best." This is one of them. Since it was first issued in the early 1970s, this set has stood as the standard by which all other versions are measured, particularly in the middle and late quartets. Everyone acknowledges that there are more technically precise recordings--from before and after. Indeed, first violin Sandor Vegh's intonation has always been a bit suspect, but as with Maria Callas's singing, so profound is his musicality and insight that even the defects are turned to positive account as contributions to the performances' character. In short, no one who cares about this music can afford to be without this set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Regarding the sound quality...........2003-09-12

I'm giving this five stars for performance AND sound. Much has been written about the quality of these recordings. I bought the individual disks, begining with the Op.95/Op.132 coupling. That recording won my heart, and within a few months I had purchased all the quartets. If sound quality had been an issue, I might not have moved past that initial purchase.

I listen to these recordings on rebuilt AR4s I salvaged, using new 8" drivers, Vifa tweeters and a simple LC network. The electronics are nothing special: a latter day Marantz A/V receiver. I also listen to them over Jensen TRI-ette 12" 3-way
ducted port speakers, with horn tweeters -- 16-Ohm systems from the late '50s. A very different 'sound' but the Vegh recordings still sing their heart out through a Dyna 70 valve amp.

I listen to them over JUSTer pc speakers -- about as cheap as you can get -- and over headphones. The Vegh recordings continue to give pleasure: Beethoven shines through every time.

It may be that some reviewers are listening over very advanced, sophisticated equipment, and hearing all with golden ears. I must admit, I enjoy many of the NAXOS and Opera d'oro historical opera releases; the latest digital sound is not essential to my enjoyment of a recoded performance. My favorite AIDA remains the Bjorling-Milanov RCA mono set from the '50s; my favoite Beethoven 9th is Furtwangler/Bayreuth, 1951. Compared with these the Vegh Beethoven quartets sound very up to date.

Sound aside, Sandor Vegh and friends deserve 5 stars.

Good performances- terrible audio and production quality.......2001-01-02

Generally, I found these recordings to be fairly musical. There is some sloppy intonation, and the ensemble playing is not always crisp. But what really makes this set a huge disappointment is the terrible CD quality. The recorded sound is ADD and poorly balanced. The players' breathing is also very annoying. But worst of all is that some of the quartets are not individually tracked/banded. So an entire 40 minute quartet will be squeezed onto one track, with no mention of individual movements. Some people say "I only care about the performances". But when you have to live with a set, especially a cornerstone of your CD library, like the Beethoven Quartets, these problems become pretty serious. I don't think anyone should buy this set until the company remasters the sound and adds the appropriate number of tracks to the discs. I found this set to be so aggravating, I bought the Cleveland Quartet on Telarc, and have been much happier with the wonderful performances and CD production values.

Beautiful Beethoven.......2000-05-13

This one keeps popping up as essential Beethoven and to my mind it deserves all the credit it gets.There is I feel something very special going on here even though all is not technically perfect.That said I would prefer this set to any other recording either before or after especially to the highly polished but emotionally tepid Emerson and Alban Berg Quartets.In spite of this I have heard rumours that the Hollywood Quartet on EMI Testament from the 50's run this one close-though I haven't heard that particular recording.The only other ensemble I've heard that seem to inhabit the same emotional climate as the Vegh is the Petersen Quartet on the Capriccio label though they have only recorded a handful of the 16.Even so I think they are well worth seeking out especially in Opus 130 where I think they are even better than the Vegh.All in all anyone interested in Beethoven are unlikely to be disappointed with this.

Vegh Set the Beethoven Benchmark.......1999-12-16

In addition to this set of the complete Beethoven string quartets, I also own sets by the Talich, Lindsay, Cleveland, and Emerson Quartets. I have also listened extensively to recordings of basically the same repertoire by the Alban Berg, the Brandis, the Melos, the Italian, and the Vermeer String Quartets (though not all have recorded Beethoven's complete string quartet cycle). While the cello tends to predominate over the other strings in the Vegh set and I find myself longing for the auditory balance and purity of sound to be found in the Emerson, Cleveland, and even the Italian recordings (on Deutsche Grammophon, Telarc, and Philips, respectively), no one--absolutely no other modern ensemble on compact disc--gets to the heart and soul of this music like the Vegh. This is not cerebral stuff, but music you literally feel your way through. The Quattuor Vegh lead the way admirably. They set the benchmark against which all future recordings of the Beethoven string quartets will be compared.

Good performances with OK sound.......1999-08-20

This set has received so much praise from critics that I was frankly a little disappointed. Performances are good, with the early quartets especially vibrant. Op. 130 and Grosse Fugue are excellent. The middle quartets are OK, but the breathing sounds intrude a bit on op. 74. Overall sound quality is only fair with upper/mid-range a bit lacking in body, but good cello sound. The breathing is sometimes annoying. Be warned that op. 131 is all on ONE track of 40+ minutes without any mention of the lengths of the movements. Elsewhere two movements are combined onto one track. Taken all together, this is good, but not great.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets

Manufacturer: Naive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DET84
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete String Quartets - Végh Quartet

Average customer rating:

Probabely the best .
Who cares about the recording quality?
heavy breathing
Inward Vision

Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete String Quartets - Végh Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven , and Végh Quartet
Manufacturer: Naive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000051ZPV
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Amazon.com

A journey through Beethoven's String Quartets is one of the great experiences music has to offer us. This set, highly esteemed for nearly three decades, offers one of the better guides along that journey. The Végh Quartet, led by Hungarian master violinist and conductor Sandor Végh, plays with superlative insight into the music. Beethoven's power is as well conveyed here as his tenderness and intimacy. This Central European style of music making is particularly congenial to Beethoven, and the result is a series of superb performances that never fail the music--not even in the unfairly demanding "Grosse Fuge," played here with the wild vision it deserves.

Customer Reviews:

Probabely the best . .......2006-01-04

Anyone intersted in the music of Beethoven should not let this interpretation of the Quartets pass them by. In my opinion , it far surpasses any other. It is almost on a " Furtwaenglerian " level.
The forward recording of the cello, mainly heightens the intensity and utmost musicality of the ensemble. With Vegh , primus inter pares.
Birgir Gudgeirsson.

Who cares about the recording quality?.......2002-03-09

Anyone who would deter a potential buyer from purchasing this set on the basis of imperfect recording(slightly bottom-heavy) or extraneous noise is surely missing the point. These are performances of the highest rank, and to overlook them because of such shallow reasoning would be a mistake. Every note of these quartets is considered, and Sandor Vegh leads with a musical intelligence that remains unsurpassed. The opus 18 quartets are played with the vitality needed for young Beethoven, headstrong and bursting with ideas. Opus 59 and 74's colossal rhythms are portrayed with verve, if not the biting tone some other ensembles use. But the late quartets are where they really shine. Often described as other-worldly, these quartets have never sounded more honest, or more achingly human than played by the Vegh here. If one must nitpick, the only fault in the playing is the occasional off note or lack of polish. However, these are minor quibbles. They are my first choice among the Beethoven cycles and the Vegh stand alongside the Busch Quartet as the greatest(in this reviewer's opinion) interpreters of the most profound works in chamber music.

heavy breathing.......2002-03-06

Be careful those of you who may be interested in this recording. Although the Vegh Quartet is superb and I really enjoy the way they have interpreted these quartets, the recording quality is quite low, the recording sounds thin. Worst of all, one of the musicians seems to have breathing problems, and he is sometimes louder than his instrument. Now, I am no stranger to the odd sounds on classical recordings, I own about 200 LPs and a hundred CDs. We've all heard coughs in live opera recordings, the turning of sheet music in our favorite quartets and even the odd violin noise but I have never heard such an intrusive sound as I have on this Végh quartet. You have been warned.

julian

Inward Vision.......2001-06-17

I have heard many Beethoven quartet recordings and these remain my favourites. For me, these performers get closer to revealing the "inwardness" of this music than any others. Neither is it a rigid or overly earnest vision - they can equally communicate great moments of playfulness, joy and beauty without emotional strain (listen to the final quartet and particularly the transition to the final movement).

Their spiritual insight seems to come from people who know this music deeply and who have played together for a long time. This makes the experience of listening like eavesdropping on an intimate group of friends making music they treasure. And what music!

Other groups offer more extrovert performances, greater technical mastery and higher fidelity in the recording studio. But none get closer to the essence of the music. An essential Beethoven recording.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

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