String Quartets Op. 2 & 42

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Haydn invented the string quartet, and in terms of both quality and quantity, his achievement in the medium has never been surpassed. There aren't many times in the subjective world of classical music when you can make a statement like that, but this is certainly one of them. There are ten early string quartets that more or less established the genre. This disc contains the last two of them, along with the short, charming Quartet Op. 42 which was not composed as part of a larger set. Although this is early Haydn, it would be wrong to say that it's in any way immature. The music has all the freshness of a composer embarking on new discoveries, and in these charming performances, it's a discovery that you will enjoy too. --David Hurwitz

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:

Buy This!
Here we go again trying words
Unique Music
Haydn at his most enjoyable and approachable
wonderful recordings but be warned...

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76, Nos. 1-3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76, Nos. 4, 5 and 6
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Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 71, Nos. 1-3 "Apponyi Quartets"
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 33 "Russian", No. 3 "The Bird", 4 and 6

ASIN: B0000013OP
Release Date: 1992-09-04

Tracks:

String quartet in G major, op.76 no.1: Allegro con spirito
String quartet in G major, op.76 no.1: Adagio sostenuto
String quartet in G major, op.76 no.1: Menuetto: Presto
String quartet in G major, op.76 no.1: Finale: Allegro ma non troppo
String quartet in D minor, op.76 no.2: Allegro
String quartet in D minor, op.76 no.2: Andante o piu tosto allegretto
String quartet in D minor, op.76 no.2: Allegro ma non troppo
String quartet in D minor, op.76 no.2: Vivace assai
String quartet in C major, op.76 no.3: : Allegro
String quartet in C major, op.76 no.3: Poco adagio, cantabile
String quartet in C major, op.76 no.3: Menuetto: Allegro
String quartet in C major, op.76 no.3: Finale: Presto

Customer Reviews:

Buy This!.......2007-05-20

Whether you are a Haydn connosieur, or even a newbie curious in regard to this work (perhaps the greatest achievement in String Quartet history), this recording is outstanding. Although I might put the historically performed rendition of these works by the Quatuor Mosaique on a higher level of preference, it's simply my own personal taste (I often prefer performances of these works on period instruments...you might not). You can't go wrong with this cd. All the music is brought out in striking fashion by the Kodaly Q.

Don't even consider this one too much: GET it.

Here we go again trying words.......2006-06-04

Well, it is not often in my music collection of several hundred "classical" CD's that I find music that still moves me to tears. The quartets are so interesting for me on all levels and how could you find them better played? Many of Haydn's quartets are worth purchase but opus 76 has a special place in this genre. Every composer has a special area where he (not many she's unfortunately) has mastered. One thinks of Mozart and the operas or Beethoven and the symphonies. Well here is where Haydn has never been surpassed.

Unique Music.......2006-03-08

I don't really have add anything about this CD. The performances are excellent as is the recorded sound. I would like to say that new classical music lovers who have yet to advance to chamber music, should really enjoy this great music. The two named quartets are especially good with the finale of the 3rd quartet being one of my favorite movements in all of music.

Haydn at his most enjoyable and approachable.......2005-10-28

Do the recordings on this CD rank at the greatest of Haydn's work? IMHO, no (I reserve that for certain of his symphonies and masses); however, is everything you eat chock full of all of the nutrients you need with only the minimum amount of calories? The artists approach the music with style and delicacy. If you are or live with an aficionado of this musical era, I encourage you to add this CD to your/his/her collection.

wonderful recordings but be warned..........2005-09-22

if you are reading some of the other reviews saying that this music is as good as anything Mozart ever composed, beware. These quartets are excellent - and are worth owning if for no reason other than Haydn being an instrumental figure in the birth of the quartet as we know it. Haydn is credited with being a pioneer in developing independent voicing of all 4 instruments, and these mature late quartets show off his mastery of the form. However, these quartets are NOT Mozart. Haydn was an excellent composer, and while exceedingly original and inventive in his techniques and phrasings, his music does not resonate with the sheer genius of Mozart's late quartets (from K. 387 on). So if you are looking for something Mozartean here, you will not find it. If you are looking to discover more excellent music in the Classical style from the father of the Classical style, then you should definitely pick these discs up. Not only are the performances and recordings excellent, but at this price you cannot go wrong.

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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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:

great musicians
An older recording, but still amazing
great recording
Very good!
stirring!

Brahms: Complete Piano Quartets

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000041EI
Release Date: 1996-04-09

Tracks:

Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 1. Allegro - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 2. Intermezzo. Allegro ma non troppo - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 3. Andante con moto - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 4. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 1. Allegro ma non troppo - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 2. Scherzo. Allegro - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 3. Andante - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: Finale. Allegro - J. Brahms

Tracks:

Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 1. Allegro non troppo - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 2. Poco adagio - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 3. Scherzo. Poco allegro - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 4. Finale. Allegro - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 1. Moderato - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 2. Vivace - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 3. Lento - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 4. Presto - Brahms

Customer Reviews:

great musicians.......2005-10-09

These are dense pieces and like a lot of Brahms could become overly heavy and plodding in the wrong hands. On this CD the Beaux Arts really bring out the romantic lyrical quality of this music unfailingly. The recording itself is just a hair distant but the detail is good. What fantastic piano one finds on these CDs! Strongly recommended.

An older recording, but still amazing.......2002-06-23

This collection of Brahms' piano quartets are a great listen all around. Every quartet has an enormous power and beauty to it.

I like to say about Brahms' music that it is airtight. There is never a wasted note. Every bit of melody, every nuance and texture in the harmony are masterfully crafted and serve a purpose. There is never a moment when you look at your watch and wonder when the composer is going to get around to wrapping this or that section up and get to the exciting stuff.

The Beaux Arts Trio along with Walter Trampler do a commendable job of bringing every moment of beauty and excitement out. They balance the sweetness of the slow movements and melodies well with the aggression and rhythmic complexities of the quicker movements. My current favorite quartet is the A Major. There is a singable melody or rhythmic puzzle in every movement. I listened to the final movement four times today (excessive I know, but it's just so much fun to try to figure out how Brahms manipulates those melodies within the time signatures)!

great recording.......2002-05-17

This is chamber music at its best played by the masters, the Beaux Arts Trio. All the pieces are played in a crisp, clean manner with the proper emotion and phrasing.

Very good!.......2001-04-01

I am an avid Brahms fan and just recently picked up this copy of the quartets. I love them! The rondo of the first quartet is fascinating and the pain in the C minor trio is unmistakable. As traditional as Brahms is, he is a definate romantic. I agree [...] about the last trio that is attributed to him. It isn't as good by far. The sound is very clear and the pianist on the recordings impressed me. If you don't own the quartets, go ahead and buy this set. You won't be dissapointed!

stirring!.......2000-01-10

I have only recently begun to love Brahms and these recordings make me question why it's taken so long! The music is incredibly rich and colorful, especially the C minor, Werther's Ballad, which you can just feel Brahms pain at losing his friend Robert Schumann! The Beaux Arts Trio is a sure winner! You will enjoy this!

Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets

Average customer rating:

Very Good, but beware technical problems
This is how all Brahms should be played!
Mastery and joy
9 CDs with THE AMADEUS: WHAT A BARGAN!
Exquisite music performed with exquisite artistry

Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Karl Leister , Johannes Brahms , Christoph Eschenbach , Cecil Aronowitz , Norbert Brainin , Siegmund Nissel , and Amadeus Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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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ASIN: B00008RWRG
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

Very Good, but beware technical problems.......2007-05-26

Overall, I really enjoy these pieces. The playing is good, and the sound is quite live, which I enjoy. My favorite piece is the Quintet in G Major Op.111, though the sextet in Bb is a close second. I am a perfectionist, and my familiarity with these pieces led me to be a little dissapointed, which is why there is only 4 stars. My dissapointment stems from two facts:
1. In the first movement of the Brahms G Major Op.111, the string quintet elects not to take the repeat in m.56, so you will never hear the first ending on this recording and thus only get one shot at the awesome cello opening. I haven't listened closely enough to the other pieces on this set to discern if they avoided other repeats or not, but for the most part, they appear to be there.

2. There are technical printing problems. Though the recording is so live that you can hear the breath of the musicians and their fingers fall on the strings, there are some actual technical pops in the recording. Perhaps it was a transfer problem from analog to digital, as the recordings are old. Most of these pops are minor, but they are dissapointing for an audiophile such as myself. My CDs are pristine (no scratches at all), and even the first time playing them these pops were there. So, here's the list of what I've found thus far:

CD 3:
Track 6: Pops & clicks at 1:19 & 1:22.

CD 5:
Track 1: Pops at 6:01.
Track 2: Pops & clicks at 0:13, 3:56, & 6:16.
Track 5: Pop at 12:07.
Track 7: Pop & clicks at 6:11, 7:45, 7:51-7:52 (these are quite noticable), 7:59, 8:03, 8:11.
Track 8: Pop at 7:34.

It is a well-played set; hopefully they will get the printing correct on the next batch.

This is how all Brahms should be played!.......2007-02-14

There isn't much to say about this set, but I'll say what there is to say: These players play the Brahms chamber music here with such emotion, musical understanding, and overall perfection that this set should be made into a must for all Brahms chamber music lovers. The Amadeus quartet, along with all of the other performers, including Eschenbach on the piano and Leister on the clarinet, really know what they're doing and play it so beautifully that the listener will want to hear the pieces again and again until the CD player is practically worn out. These Brahms works are some of the most sublime works of the later 19th century. For such quality music and great sound, especially for having been recorded in the 1960's, the price is also great. I recommend this set very highly, and hope you decide to get and enjoy it as much as I do.

Mastery and joy.......2006-12-12

Because they lasted such a long time and toward the end didn't play at their best, I found reasons to overlook the Madeus Qt. But in this 9-CD set of the complete chamber music of Brahms, there are some sublime performances--I would especially point to both String Sextets, for example. In every instance the style of the Amadeus is full of vibrancy and joy, and their ensemble isn't baased on technical perfection but rather a kinship of musical taste and feeling (this puts them poles apart from the Emerson Qt., for me at least). I also love the Brahms chamber performances on Sony with Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, emanuel Ax, and friends, but this DG set is altogether sweeter and more lyrical.

Since Amazon neglects to list the additional players who join the Amadeus for the works that aren't soely for a string quartet, here's the run-down from Tower:

1. Quartet for Strings no 1 in C minor, Op. 51 no 1
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

2. Quartet for Strings no 2 in A minor, Op. 51 no 2
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

3. Quartet for Strings no 3 in B flat major, Op. 67
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

4. Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, Op. 34
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Eschenbach, Christoph

5. Quintet for Strings no 1 in F major, Op. 88
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

6. Quintet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 111
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

7. Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Performer: Leister, Karl; Eschenbach, Christoph; Donderer, Georg

8. Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor, Op. 115
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Leister, Karl

9. Sextet for Strings no 1 in B flat major, Op. 18
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

10. Sextet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 36
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

9 CDs with THE AMADEUS: WHAT A BARGAN!.......2005-10-04

This is a really nice set at a bargan price.

Exquisite music performed with exquisite artistry.......2005-05-20

All the passion, majesty, pathos, and soul of his symphonies is in these 10 works of chamber music by Brahms:

3 string quartets;
2 string quintets;
2 string sextets;
a quintet for piano, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello;
a trio for piano, clarinet, and violoncello;
and a quintet for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello.

All this wealth of extraordinary music is in a 5 CD set, performed by one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world, with the added artistry of Christoph Eschenbach (piano), Cecil Aronowitz (viola), and Karl Leister (clarinet).

One CD is 50' 36 in length, 2 are in the low 60's, and 2 are in the low 70's.

I have an inexpensive CD player, but this music emerges from it with the sharpness of etched glass, the smoothness of warmed honey, and the softness of rivers of silver in moonlight.

This is music to celebrate the joy and the pathos of life, played with soul, sensitivity, and power. Buy it and treasure this gift to yourself.

Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet

Average customer rating:

First Rate Performances
Fantastic
Beautiful Performances
LIKE WATER FROM A PUBLIC FOUNTAIN

Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet
Felix Mendelssohn , and Emerson String Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Haydn: The Seven Last Words
Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Intimate Voices
Schubert: The String Quartets
William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music

ASIN: B0006TN9G2
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace
II. Adagio Non Lento
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto Con Moto
IV. Presto
A Tempo Ordinario
I. Adaigo Non Troppo - Allegro Non Tardante
II. Canzonetta: Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo
IV. Molto Allegro E Vivace

Tracks:

I. Allegro Assai Appassionato
II. Scherzo: Allegro Di Molto
III. Andante
IV. Presto Agitato
I. Allegro Vivace
II. Scherzo: Assai Leggiero Vivace
III. Adagio Non Troppo
IV. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

I. Molto Allegro Vivace
II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
III. Andante Espressivo Ma Con Moto
IV. Presto Con Brio
Andante con Moto - Allegro Fugato, Assai Vivace
I. Allegro Vivace Assai
II. Allegro Assai
III. Adagio
IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro Leggiero

Tracks:

I. Allegro Moderato, Ma Con Fuoco
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro Leggierissimo
IV. Presto
I. Allegro Moderato
II. Adagio Non Troppo
III. Minuetto
IV. Fuga

Amazon.com

Trust the Emerson Quartet to do nothing by halves. This 4-CD set presents all of Mendelssohn's quartets, including one written at 14, the five pieces Op. 81, as well as the Octet. This set should disprove the assertion that Mendelssohn, a sensational prodigy, blossomed young and never developed further. The difference in compositional skill and emotional depth between the early and late quartets is unmistakable; the miracle is that he could write the Octet at 16. The quartets are of uneven quality: Op. 44 No. 3 is distinctly inferior to the more-familiar Nos. 1 and 2; of the two Fugues Op. 81, the later one is far better. The quartets Op. 12 and 13 (written in reverse order) pay homage to Beethoven in Mendelssohn's very own romantic voice. Op. 80 is masterful although perhaps less disciplined: written just after his beloved sister Fanny's death and shortly before his own, it is a turbulent, heart-rending outcry of anguish. Some of the most-magical moments occur in the inimitable Scherzi and Intermezzi. The performances are vintage Emerson: impeccable individually and together, beautiful in sound, clear, carefully worked out. Although generally a little cool, they can rise to considerable warmth and passion. Not surprisingly, the best pieces elicit the most involved, exciting playing. As always, the violinists switch parts, but the whole group also alternates old Italian and modern American instruments, for the players have a surprise in store: they give the Octet a new twist by "doubling" on all eight parts through a complicated process of over-dubbing (a documentary video of the recording process is included). Here, using the different instruments is intended to combine the old and the new and to give the voices more-distinct timbres. However, the differences throughout are imperceptible. The idea of playing the Octet with themselves, so to speak, is intriguing, but the result is disappointing. Hearing four rather than eight individual voices is disconcerting, and worse, the balance is completely awry, especially in the corner movements. The busy tremolo accompaniment makes the middle register thick and heavy, the tone gets rough, important lines are obscured, and the Quartet's customary admirable textural transparency is lost. And even a cellist as splendid as David Finckel cannot save the opening of the Fugue from sounding like a growl. This may be a triumph of recording technology, but it adds nothing to the music or the performance. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

First Rate Performances.......2006-09-18

This is a series of first rate performances by the outstanding Emerson String Quartet. They include all the Mendelssohn quartets, including rarely heard juvenile work, and as a bonus, the very enjoyable Octet. This is a good deal of lovely music. The Mendelssohn quartets, however, are generally excellent as opposed to outstanding chamber music. Well worth owning and listening to but a step below the pinnacles of the chamber literature.

Fantastic.......2006-07-01

I never have cared much for Mendelssohn, nor have I cared much for String Quartets, but after listening to the Emerson String Quartet's Shostakovich cycle and finding that I enjoyed it immensely, I undertook listening to the Mendelssohn cycle.

In the privacy of my living room, on several occasions I stood up and cheered! Absolutely magnificent. Enough said.

Highly recommended.

Beautiful Performances.......2005-09-10

Mendelssohn's string quartets are very appealing, tuneful works that engage the listener completely. Chamber music was an important part of Mendelssohn's output and one does not gain a full picture of his growth as a composer by only being familiar with his orchestral works. This 4-CD set by the Emerson String Quartet brilliantly explores not only the six numbered quartets but includes the shorter Op. 81 works (published after Mendelssohn's death), the student quartet (written when the composer was 14) and the stunning Octet for strings.

Naturally, the early quartets (written in 1827 and 1829 but published in reverse order in 1830) reflect the influence of other composers, most notably Beethoven. The movements of these quartets were linked by thematic ideas. The quartet in A minor uses Mendelssohn's song Frage (Question) as the musical link. The quartet in E-Flat (Op. 12) was composed during Mendelssohn's trip to the British Isles, which also inspired his Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture.

When Mendelssohn next turned to the form he was the director of the Gewandhaus and a famous composer. The composition of the three quartets Op. 44 (number 3, 4 and 5) occurred after his marriage to Cecile Jeanrenaud in 1837 and were composed during his two month long honeymoon. These quartets reflect the composer's maturity and accessible style. The sixth quartet was published after Mendelssohn's death and was written following the sudden death of his sister Fanny in May 1847. It follows that the quartet is darker than the others and is agitated and dissonant in tone; the first movement begins with dark tones from the cello then proceeds with a beautiful melody punctuated with tremolos. The scherzo is characterized by an unusual tempo that has a frantic quality to it. The Adagio allows Mendelssohn to fully express his grief and the Finale has the syncopated rhythm of the scherzo.

The five pieces collected as Op. 81 contain what probably are two movements for an unfinished quartet - a Theme and Variations in E major and Scherzo in A minor. It was reported by the composer Ignaz Moschelles that Mendelssohn was at work on a new string quartet before his death and of these two pieces the Theme and Variations is closest to the description of the work. The earliest of Mendelssohn's quartets appears last on the CDs and is a pleasant work written under the influence of Mozart and Haydn.
The Octet receives a marvelous performance with the Emerson playing all of the parts with each member playing different instruments and seated in different positions during the recording sessions.

The performances are impeccable with beautiful and clear sound. I purchased the set anticipating a performance of three of the quartets by the Emerson. As I have listened to the set the warmth and sensitivity of the playing makes this the Mendelssohn quartets to own. I have only become interested in chamber music in recent years and Mendelssohn was a natural choice for me because of his gift of melody. I think this music would appeal to someone getting to know chamber music.

LIKE WATER FROM A PUBLIC FOUNTAIN.......2005-05-12

That was Wagner's dismissive description of the music of Mendelssohn. In the later 19th century there was a critical reaction against both of the great Germans who had dominated English music for a century and a half overall, Handel and Mendelssohn. As is usual with such debunking, much of it was trivial and petulant. However Handel has recovered strongly over the last 50 years and by now is probably almost as familiar as Bach is, whereas Mendelssohn has not. The popular favourites among his compositions have never ceased to be that, but opportunities to hear most of his chamber music and songs are still rare. I am myself in the happy position of having attended two years ago a festival dedicated to those sides of his output, and consequently I know the works on this distinguished set fairly well.

The performers are the Emerson Quartet, and the quality of their work is well known. In every imaginable respect it is superlatively good. Technically these accounts are flawless, and in terms of comprehension of the music and insight into the spirit of the composer I prefer to learn from them rather than to pass otiose comment. There are 7 complete quartets here, plus 5 isolated movements. Being moderately familiar with the music I would advise newcomers that the approach taken throughout is `normal' in the best sense and free from idiosyncrasies - if you are looking for `model' performances of these works this would be where to look. Mendelssohn's tempo markings, unlike those of greater composers such as Beethoven Schubert and Brahms, are almost invariably clear and unambiguous. In the one case where a bit of interpretation is called for, the central two movements of the D major quartet op44/1, I am convinced and delighted by the solution adopted. The Emersons take the minuet slowly and the following `andante con moto' at a very flowing pace, almost like an andante in Handel, so that the minuet seems like the slow movement and the andante like an intermezzo in moderate tempo.

I love Mendelssohn and I love these quartets. However I can't get it out of my mind that Wagner had a bit of a point. Shaw complains of Mendelssohn's `kid-glove gentility' and he is uncomfortably near the bone. Mendelssohn is truly unique, and what he does best he does better than anybody. At the age of 16 or 17 he turned out the octet, the rondo capriccioso for piano and the Midsummer Night's Dream overture, all of them truly astounding. However by age 20 he was only one precocious prodigy among a larger number who had caught up by then and went on to surpass him. There is a definite sense of development as between the quartet he wrote at age 14 (contemporary with the string symphonies, which I commend strongly to those unfamiliar with them) where the unmistakable personal idiom has not yet quite emerged and the op12/13 quartets and then the op44's and later in which it has. However it's development within a narrow range of expression, and his early death means we can never know whether he had it in him to raise his game drastically, as Wagner and Verdi so spectacularly did when older than Mendelssohn lived to be.

The Emersons have also taken it into their heads to record the octet played by themselves only. People with their amount of talent must be tempted to such brilliant but completely dotty schemes at times. There is an enthusiastic contribution to the liner-note by Eugene Drucker, and the disc will run on a pc to show the process of recording. I can confirm that it actually does this, but I have no sound-card nor any wish for one, so all I can attest is the visual aspect, and only a little of that. I must also warn that I had difficulty in getting the exit-button to obey me. As a performance it is really very good, with the finale fully up to speed as I like it, and I would never have known what nonsense they were getting up to. However something goes wrong with the recording, which is very bottom-heavy in the first movement in particular.

Otherwise the recording is excellent. The main liner-note is fine if a little lengthy. When I began to think it didn't really say a lot, that brought me back to the question - how much, really, is there to say?

Average customer rating:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings
Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces
A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone
Gemutlich Schoenberg
Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag"

Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg , Evelyn Lear , and New Vienna String Quartet
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Pelleas und Melisande / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto
Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto
Schoenberg: Transfigured Night

ASIN: B00002DDWS
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 1. Nicht zu rasch
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 2. Krig (Nicht zu rasch)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 3. Mg (Langsame Viertel)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 4. Mg (Heiter)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 1. Mg
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 2. Sehr rasch
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 3. Litanei (Langsam)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 4. Entr (Sehr Lagsam)

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Moderato
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Adagio
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Intermezzo
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Rondo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro Molto
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Comodo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Largo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings.......2004-10-01

This is generally a fine recording. I enjoy the recording of the 3rd quartet particularly. First movement is more leisurely than the LaSalle Quartet's recording but otherwise just fine.

But what a horrible crime the engineers have committed in the 2nd Quartet! The last two movements can be agonizingly beautiful. Not here. When the soprano makes her entrance, they hush the quartet -- as if they had dropped a cloth over it. Then when her part is finished (measure 116 of the fourth movement), up comes the cloth and the full sound of the strings is restored (mm 117-156). Same thing happens in the 3rd movement. Was this in Evelyn Lear's contract? It certainly turns a lot of good music to fuzz.

Happily there are a number of recordings of the 2nd all by itself. (You can even have the string orchestra performance by I Musici de Montreal on Chandos.) So if you need recordings of the less recorded 3rd and 4th, this might be a fine choice.

Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces.......2004-04-20

Schoenberg's quartets are a good survey of his development as a composer. The early two quartets are tonal and late-romantic in style. They are accessible, full of pathos and contrapuntally dense. The last two quartets are in the full twelve-tone style of Schoenberg's mature period. These are also wonderful, but in a very different way. Full of interesting shapes and colors, like a Kandinsky painting. The performances here are top-notch, and render this potentially difficult music with great naturalness and feeling. Difficult listening, but very rewarding.

A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone.......2002-07-12

Although Schoenberg developed a revolutionary new method of organizing pitch, what is often overlooked is that serialism is just exactly that: a method of organizing pitch, and not a style per se. A variety of styles can be accomodated by this method. Folks who are a little gun-shy of serialism (or its aesthetic shadow) are sometimes caught up short when they actually listen to Schoenberg's music. For the fact is, all through his journey of exploring how pitch should be organized in a composition, which made him something of a revolutionary, stylistically he was always post-Romantic in temperament - which, ironically, made him something of a dinosaur to serial idealogues in the 1950s, such as Pierre Boulez.

In a way which invites comparison to Bartók's six, Schoenberg's four quartets span his career. The striking thing, perhaps, is how unified they are in "voice," despite the composer's epochal adventures in How to Organize Pitch. These pieces are seldom performed by string quartets in the states, and it is difficult to see why, since in many respects, they are no harder on the ears than the Bartók quartets, which enjoy a solid berth in chamber recitals.

The first movement of the third quartet plays itself out in a very scherzando vein; it may even strike some as strangely cheerful in activity, considering its acerbic chromaticism.

The third movement of the fourth quartet is, simply, beautiful. If anyone wonders if Schoenberg was capable of writing beautiful music, this Largo is quite possibly the strongest case pro.

There is a restlessness to the music, it is always surging ... somewhere. So I am not sure that it can be my favorite music in the world; but it is well made, perfectly suited to the medium of the string quartet, and there are often passages of beauty which startle with their strangeness.

Gemutlich Schoenberg.......2002-06-24

Leave it to a Viennese Quartet to make Schoenberg sound like far out Brahms. I grew up on the marvelous Kolisch Quartet's monoaural recordings of these masterworks. While the New Vienna Quartet does not have the authority of the Kolisch (Rudolph Kolisch was Schoenberg's son-in-law) it is an excellent reading of this music, one that brings out the classical aspects of this stunning music.

The readings of the two tonal quartets are excellent. The New Vienna gets the marvelous concision and motivic integrety of the d minor quartet...a work that bends the tonal system at least as far as Reger. The 2nd quartet is just as stunning with beautiful singing by Evelyn Lear in the last two movements.

The real find in this set is the 3rd quartet. I have often found this piece to be the most antiseptic of the quartets and have not often found myself drawn to performances. This performance has caused me to reevaluate the piece. It is almost neoclassic in it's form and quite well argued. It almost sounds like Brahms at times, although Brahms in an atonal context.

The final quartet is also beautifully played and one of Schoenberg's finest pieces. Though oestensibly atonal, it often sounds centered on d minor.

At a twofer price, this CD is a great way to introduce yourself to these seminal 20th century masterworks.

Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag".......2002-04-20

If you order coffee in an Austrian coffee house and say "mit Schlag," you get a lovely dollop of whipped cream tossed on top. Very Viennese! These ripely romantic performances of Schoenberg's notoriously difficult string quartets are something like a musical equivalent of strong coffee 'mit Schlag.' By which I mean no disrespect .... after listening to these quartets for some years now, I've come to hear them the same way I hear the Brahms quartets. And Schoenberg would have been very pleased with that development. Janus-like, he always presented two faces to the world: Champion of Tradition and Fearless Modernist. The New Vienna Quartet emphasizes the former and to good and enjoyable effect. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the more precisely played - if more clinical sounding - performances by the Arditti or LaSalle quartets. They both celebrate Schoenberg the Modernist. I suspect most people will prefer these New Vienna performances: they humanize a composer whose music still suffers from the canard that it is more about mathematical manipulation than about feeling and melodic inspiration. Nonsense! Based on any honest musical criteria, the great quartet cycles of the 20th century are those by Bartok, Shostakovich, and Schoenberg, and no one who loves great chamber music can afford to ignore these three cycles. (Or a fourth: American Elliot Carter's masterful five quartets). So you really should make the acquaintance of the Schoenberg quartets. But if Schoenberg still scares you a little (or a lot), just remember to order "mit Schlag!" Given the price of the Philips "Duo" set, you're not risking much in any event.

Average customer rating:

The most exciting
Takacs Full Beethoven St. Quartets Review (part 2)
The Best so Far.
Excellent recording.
Even the Penguin Guide says they are alongside the best

Beethoven: String Quartets
Takacs Quartet , and Beethoven
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000063WRQ
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Quartet in F major, op. 59: Allegro
Quartet in F major, op. 59: Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
Quartet in F major, op. 59: Adagio molto e mesto
Quartet in F major, op. 59: theme russe: Allegro
Quartet in E flat major, op. 74: Poco adagio-Allegro
Quartet in E flat major, op. 74: Adagio ma non troppo
Quartet in E flat major, op. 74: Presto-Piu presto quasi prestissimo
Quartet in E flat major, op. 74: Allegretto con variozioni

Tracks:

Quartet in E minor, op. 59: Allegro
Quartet in E minor, op. 59: Molto adagio
Quartet in E minor, op. 59: Allegretto-Maggiore (Theme russe)
Quartet in E minor, op. 59: Finale: Presto
Quartet in C major, op. 59: Introduzione: Andante con moto-Allegro vivace
Quartet in C major, op. 59: Andanto con moro. Quasi allegretto
Quartet in C major, op. 59: Menuetto (grazioso)
Quartet in C major, op. 59: Allegro molto

Amazon.com

Having toured the world with its Beethoven Quartets cycle as the old millennium entered the new, the Takács Quartet now commits some of them to disc. This two-CD set from Decca includes the three Razumovsky quartets, Op. 59, of 1806, and the Harp Quartet, Op. 74, sometimes known as the Lobkowitz after its dedicatee, composed in 1809. Although the latter's presto yields the fastest version of the fate motif Beethoven ever wrote, it is possible to go too quickly, as the Takács does here, making triplets of the first notes, which are not written as such. The speed of the dazzling finale of the Razumovsky No. 3 is impressive, but just fails to grip as firmly as a slightly slower, more controlled performance might.

On the other hand, the Thème Russe last movement of the Razumovsky No. 1 is a model of restraint, the playful parts entering from all angles with delightful measured precision, polished and perfect. The Takács' music breathes as if in a meditative trance the broad, shallow arch of the molto adagio, which lasts a satisfying quarter-hour in Razumovsky No. 2. The four play best what is calculated and intricate, like the theme and variations that conclude the Harp Quartet, giving each episode a distinct flavor. Variety is more important than usual on one-composer recordings such as this, and the members of the Takács Quartet prove themselves contemplative Beethovenians, who occasionally mistake the gallop for a stampede. --Rick Jones

Customer Reviews:

The most exciting.......2006-09-01

A lot of more or less perfect performances of the middle quartets are avaiable, but this is the most exciting. There is a price to pay for excitement, that is a lesser feeling of balance, of perfect architecture. For my part I happily pay that price, because to me, the middle Beethoven was very much about excitement. The master would certainly enjoy the playing of the Takacs. If this is your first set of Beethoven's middle quartets, you will hardly accept other; this is so exceptional.

Takacs Full Beethoven St. Quartets Review (part 2).......2006-08-27

This is the 2nd part of my full review of the Takacs string quartets. Part 1 is for the Opus18 Quartets and Part 3 for the Late Quartets.

I am a Busch Quartet Lover (as are the Takacs players themselves) so those quartets loom in the back of my mind as the standard against which other performances are measured. Since the Busch performances were loved against years of listening to many other quartets as well, it is high praise for the Takacs that I consider the Takacs often their equal, and on some occasions (op59 no3) even superiour.

The Takacs are certainly one of the strongest modern quartets, offering outstanding virtuosity in all 4 positions married to a large variety of tonal expression. They don't quite have the novelty and plain wierdness that the Lindsay's always manage to find, but are far more thrilling and precise in their articulation. Opus 59 no.2 in the old Lindsay set is one of their finest achievments in my opinion, yet the Takacs are as good in their more straightforward way. The wild fantasy and total uncertainty about what will come next that the Lindsay's manage turns into oohs and ahhs for the Takacs with their blazing virtuosity and martial power. Compared to the Busch Op59 no.2 however (currently out of print) the Takacs lack the unanimity of texture that the older quartet can muster. They also don't have the same authority of vision that Busch musters, which is especially evident in the slow movement, where the Busch always seem to find that perfect shade of volume and rythym to capture Beethoven's inspiration.

In fact, I would say that is the greatest weakness of this first Takacs Beethoven release (they recorded op18 next and late qs last). They often seem to just lose a grip on the deeper meaning of the music and substitue for it a repetative dimuendo to crescendo "effect", like they are trying to insert some drama that they don't find in the music. This "trick" mostly dissapears thankfully by the final set, but here it often rears up and betrays an emotional immaturity when compared to the Busch.

Nevertheless! This is not always so, and in my opinion they capture the perfect time and dynamics for the op59 no3 slow movement, that dreaded place where most quartets fall down. Their immaculate pizzicato and perfect phrasing even outdoes the Busch in my opinion, making it the best version available of this quartet.

Op59 no 1 is a very fine performance all they way through, more visceral and thrilling yet just as involving as the 1941 Sony Busch recording except, unfortunately, in the slow movement. Here, the Busch manage a rapturously sorrowful lament of dreadful passion that leaves you breathless. The Takacs come off rather badly in comparision, taking a quiet pensive approach that just completely pales in comparison to the Busch revelation.

Finally, the Harp quartet really sparkles under the Takacs, a brilliant virtuosic show yet never getting aggressive the way the Berg do for example. (No Busch perf on record for this quartet sadly). The uncommonly rapidly played scherzo is especially thrilling in my mind, though some reviewers have preferred a more measured pace. This is my favourite perfomance of the harp on record.

A wonderful set then, well deserving of all its accolades. Op59 no3 and op 74 are my two favorite recorded performances, and op59 1 and 3 aren't bad either, the painfully weak point being the slow movement of op59 no1 in comparision with the Busch. Hear the Busch in that movement and you will see why they are justly esteemed so highly.

Thanks for reading

The Best so Far........2006-05-18

This set is amazing. I have had the pleasure of hearing the Berg, Lindsay, Emerson, and Julliard string quartets interpret the opus 59s, and I must say that the Takacs outdoes them all. Before this recording was introduced to me, I had a deep affection for the Emerson and Julliard's recordings. That has most certainly changed now. The Takacs fulfilled all my preconceived notions about what these pieces require, and introduced me to much much more. The finale of the op. 59 no.3 is astounding (a term I would never use to describe the previous quartets' interpretations), and, in my opinion shatters the attempts of the Emerson's rendition - I'm not sure where Mr. Jones finds so much room to complain about the finale of the no. 3 - nevertheless he is wrong. The op. 59s as recorded here is a landmark recording and I promise it will be referred to as an essential interpretation for years to come. As for the "harp" quartet, I could talk forever about the amazing beauty which is reveled in this recording....but I'll spare you. All I will say is that it too is fantastically beautiful and should not be missed. Whether you are a native collector of Beethoven quartets or one just looking for the "right" first set, the Takacs will not disappoint - Strongly Recommended.

By the way, the case cover you will most likely be getting if you are ordering it new is the one pictured above by Mr. Frank Rust, not the one pictured by Amazon.com. Not that it matters, but I just thought I would let you know.

Excellent recording........2006-01-01

I own a few other complete sets (not including the Emersons, Alban Berg, and the Lindsays). I had always been impressed by the Italian Quartet. The Takacs play at the same level, but with better recorded sound. In retrospect, I don't see Takacs as that much of an upgrade (unlike some of the previous reviewers). However, for a first set, they would be my first choice, particularly if price is not an issue.

Even the Penguin Guide says they are alongside the best.......2004-12-19

The Penguin guide, which seems to like the Lindsays (as do I) says this set ranks alongside the finest. Less mistakes than the Lindsays make. Slower in some parts than other first rate quartets. Depth of feeling as good or better than any other version. Great sound.

Also good are The Italian Quartet and the Talich - but they both are older recordings that aren't quite as good as the two quartets mentioned above. But some still claim them to be the best.

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?

Haydn: Complete String Quartets
Angeles String Quartet
Manufacturer: Philips
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
Similar Items:

Haydn: Complete Symphonies (Box Set)
Haydn: Complete Piano Trios
Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas
Schubert: The String Quartets
Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets

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:

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

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Dvorák: The String Quartets
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
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 lik