Complete String Quartets 6

1. String Quartet in E flat major, Op.58
Composed by Louis Spohr
with New Budapest String Quartet

2. String Quartet in E flat major, Op.58
Composed by Louis Spohr
with New Budapest String Quartet

Complete String Quartets 6,Spohr,New Budapest Quartet,Marco Polo,Classical,Classical Composers

Average customer rating: A wonderful Beethoven cycle A LONG TIME COMING AT THIS PRICE What more can be said? With the Best of the Best What sound problems????

Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet Ludwig van Beethoven , Alban Berg Quartet , and Gerhard Schulz, Hatto Beyerle, Thomas Kakuska, Valentin Erben Günther Pichler Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Alban Berg String Quartet | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Alban Berg String Quartet | ( A ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14 - 23 Shostakovich: The String Quartets Complete String Quartets ASIN: B000026D4J Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': I Poco adagio - Allegro - Beethoven
2. Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': II. Adagio ma non troppo - Beethoven
3. Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': III. Presto - Beethoven
4. Op. 74 In E Flat Major 'Harp': IV: Allegretto con Variazioni - Beethoven
5. Op.132 In A Minor: I: Allegro sostenuto - Allegro - Beethoven
6. Op.132 In A Minor: II: Allegro ma non tanto - Beethoven
7. Op.132 In A Minor: III: Molto adagio - Beethoven
8. 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: 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 Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Emerson String Quartet | ( E ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: 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:

1. I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace
2. II. Adagio Non Lento
3. III. Intermezzo: Allegretto Con Moto
4. IV. Presto
5. A Tempo Ordinario
6. I. Adaigo Non Troppo - Allegro Non Tardante
7. II. Canzonetta: Allegretto
8. III. Andante Espressivo
9. IV. Molto Allegro E Vivace

Tracks:

1. I. Allegro Assai Appassionato
2. II. Scherzo: Allegro Di Molto
3. III. Andante
4. IV. Presto Agitato
5. I. Allegro Vivace
6. II. Scherzo: Assai Leggiero Vivace
7. III. Adagio Non Troppo
8. IV. Molto Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

1. I. Molto Allegro Vivace
2. II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
3. III. Andante Espressivo Ma Con Moto
4. IV. Presto Con Brio
5. Andante con Moto - Allegro Fugato, Assai Vivace
6. I. Allegro Vivace Assai
7. II. Allegro Assai
8. III. Adagio
9. IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
10. Andante Sostenuto
11. Allegro Leggiero

Tracks:

1. I. Allegro Moderato, Ma Con Fuoco
2. II. Andante
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro Leggierissimo
4. IV. Presto
5. I. Allegro Moderato
6. II. Adagio Non Troppo
7. III. Minuetto
8. 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: 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 All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | 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:

1. Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: I. Presto
2. Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: II. Menuetto
3. Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: III. Adagio
4. Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: IV. Menuetto
5. Str Qt in E flat, Op.0: V. Finale: Presto
6. Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: I. Presto
7. Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: II. Menuetto
8. Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: III. Adagio
9. Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: IV. Menuetto
10. Str Qt in B flat, Op.1 No.1: V. Presto
11. Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: I. Allegro
12. Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: II. Menuetto
13. Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: III. Adagio
14. Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: IV. Menuetto
15. Str Qt in E flat, Op.1 No.2: V. Presto
16. Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: I. Adagio
17. Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: II. Menuetto
18. Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: III. Presto
19. Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: IV. Menuetto
20. Str Qt in D, Op.1 No.3: V. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: I. Presto
2. Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: II. Menuetto
3. Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: III. Adagio Ma Non Tanto
4. Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: IV. Menuetto
5. Str Qt in G, Op.1 No.4: V. Presto
6. Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: I. Presto Assai
7. Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: II. Menuetto
8. Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: III. Adagio
9. Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: IV. Menuetto
10. Str Qt in C, Op.1 No.6: V. Finale: Presto
11. Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: I. Allegro
12. Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: II. Menuetto
13. Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: III. Adagio
14. Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: IV. Menuetto
15. Str Qt in A, Op.2 No.1: V. Allegro Molto

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: I. Allegro Molto
2. Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: II. Menuetto
3. Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: III. Adagio
4. Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: IV. Menuetto
5. Str Qt in E, Op.2 No.2: V. Finale: Presto
6. Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: I. Presto
7. Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: II. Menuetto
8. Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: III. Adagio
9. Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: IV Menuetto: Allegretto
10. Str Qt in F, Op.2 No.4: V. Allegro
11. Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: I. Adagio
12. Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: II. Menuetto
13. Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: III. Presto: Scherzo
14. Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: IV. Menuetto
15. Str Qt in B flat, Op.2 No.6: V. Presto

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: I. Moderato
2. Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: II. Menuetto: Un Poco Allegretto
3. Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: III. Adagio
4. Str Qt in C, Op.9 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
5. Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: I. Moderato
6. Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: II. Menuetto
7. Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: III. Adagio
8. Str Qt in E flat, Op.9 No.2: IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
9. Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: I. Allegro Moderato
10. Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: II. Menuetto
11. Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: III. Largo
12. Str Qt in G, Op.9 No.3: IV. Finale: Presto
13. Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: I. Moderato
14. Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: II. Menuetto
15. Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: III. Adagio Cantabile
16. Str Qt in d, Op.9 No.4: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: I. Poco Adagio: Theme And Vars
2. Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: II. Menuet: Allegretto
3. Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: III. Largo Cantabile
4. Str Qt in B flat, Op.9 No.5: IV. Finale: Presto
5. Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: I. Presto
6. Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: II. Menuetto
7. Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: III. Adagio
8. Str Qt in A, Op.9 No.6: IV. Finale: Presto
9. Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: I. Moderato
10. Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: II. Menuet
11. Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: III. Adagio
12. Str Qt in E, Op.17 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
13. Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: I. Moderato
14. Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: II. Menuet: Poco Allegretto
15. Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: III. Adagio
16. Str Qt in F, Op.17 No.2: IV. Finale: Allegro Di Molto

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: I. Andante Grazioso
2. Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: II. Menuet: Allegretto
3. Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: III. Adagio
4. Str Qt in E flat, Op.17 No.3: IV. Allegro Di Molto
5. Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: I. Moderato
6. Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: II. Menuet: Allegretto
7. Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: III. Adagio Cantabile
8. Str Qt in c, Op.17 No.4: IV. Finale: Allegro
9. Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: I. Moderato
10. Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: II. Menuet: Allegretto
11. Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: III. Adagio
12. Str Qt in G, Op.17 No.5: IV. Finale: Presto
13. Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: I. Presto
14. Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: II. Menuet
15. Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: III. Largo
16. Str Qt in D, Op.17 No.6: IV. Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: I. Allegro Moderato
2. Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: II. Scherzo: Allegretto
3. Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: III. Largo
4. Str Qt in B flat, Op.33 No.4: IV. Presto
5. Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: I. Vivace Assai
6. Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: II. Largo E Cantabile
7. Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: III. Scherzo: Allegro
8. Str Qt in G, Op.33 No.5: IV. Finale: Allegretto
9. Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: I. Vivace Assai
10. Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: II. Andante
11. Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: III. Scherzo: Allegretto
12. Str Qt in D, Op.33 No.6: IV. Finale: Allegretto
13. Str Qt in d, Op.42: I. Andante Ed Innocentemente
14. Str Qt in d, Op.42: II. Menuet
15. Str Qt in d, Op.42: III. Adagio E Cantabile
16. Str Qt in d, Op.42: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: I. Allegro Spirito
2. Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: II. Andante
3. Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: III. Menuetto
4. Str Qt in f#, Op.50 No.4: IV. Fuga: Allegro Moderato
5. Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: I. Allegro Moderato
6. Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: II. Poco Adagio
7. Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: III. Menuetto
8. Str Qt in F, Op.50 No.5: IV. Finale: Vivace
9. Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': I. Allegro
10. Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': II. Poco Adagio
11. Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': III. Menuetto: Allegretto
12. Str Qt in D, Op.50 No.6 'The Frog': IV. Finale: Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

1. Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: I. Vivace Assai
2. Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: II. Allegretto
3. Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: III. Menuet
4. Str Qt inG, Op.54 No.1: IV. Vivace
5. Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: I. Vivace
6. Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: II. Adagio -
7. Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
8. Str Qt in C, Op.54 No.2: IV. Adagio
9. Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: I. Allegretto
10. Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: II. Largo
11. Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
12. Str Qt in E, Op.54 No.3: IV. Finale: Presto

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: I. Allegro Moderato
2. Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: II. Menuet: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
3. Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: III. Allegretto Scherzando
4. Str Qt in C, Op.64 No.1: IV. Finale: Presto
5. Str Qt in b, Op.64 No.3: I. Allegro Spirito
6. Str Qt in b, Op.64 No.3: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
7. 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:

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets Juilliard String Quartet Manufacturer: Sbme Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Beethoven Quartet Companion Beethoven: The String Quartets Mahler: The Symphonies Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9; Overtures; Violin Concerto (Limited Edition) Complete String Quartets ASIN: B00006OA6A Release Date: 2002-11-11

Tracks:

1. 1-4 String Quartet No.1 In F Major, Op. 18 No.1
2. 5-8 String Quartet No.2 In G Major, Op.18 No.2
3. 9-12 String Quartet No.3 In D Major, Op.18 No.3
4. 1-4 String Quartet No.4 In D Minor, Op. 18 No.3
5. 5-8 String Quartet No.5 In A Major, Op.18 No.5
6. 9-12 String Quartet No.6 In B-Flat Major, Op.18 No.6
7. 1-4 String Quartet No.7 In F Major, Op.59 No.1
8. 1-4 String Quartet No.8 In E Minor, Op.59 No.2
9. 5-8 String Quartet No.9 In C Major, Op.59 No.3
10. 1-4 String Quartet No.10 In E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp"
11. 5-8 String Quartet No.11 In F Minor Op.95
12. 1-4 String Quartet No.12 In E-Flat Major, Op.127
13. 5-11 String Quartet No.13 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
14. 1-7 String Quartet No.14 In B-Flat Major, Op. 130
15. 1-5 String Quartet No.15 In A Minor, Op.132
16. 6-9 String Quartet No.16 In F Major, Op. 135

Average customer rating: Be Certain to Preview Before Buying Young Contenders

Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Pacifica Quartet Felix Mendelssohn , and Pacifica Quartet Manufacturer: Cedille ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Declarations: Music Between the Wars Mendelssohn: Octet; Quintets Nos. 1 & 2; Quartet No. 2 String Quartet No 13 in G, Op 106 and String Quintet in E flat Op 97 Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1; Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 Scarlatti: Piano Sonatas ASIN: B00082ZSIY Release Date: 2005-04-26

Album Description

One of today's most dynamic and exciting ensembles, the Pacifica Quartet celebrates its 10th anniversary with a three-CD set of Mendelssohn's complete string quartet cycle. Known for its "stunningly expressive performances" (The Guardian) and "ideal balance" (Washington Post), the youthful Pacifica is a perfect match for this early Romantic composer's exuberant chamber music.

Customer Reviews:

Be Certain to Preview Before Buying.......2006-02-24

I had heard rave reviews for this box set so many times, that I decided to buy it and check it out. I hate being critical, but I also don't want others to just blindly go by other's opinions, which could possibly be biased. Classics Today gave this a 10 out of 10, but understand that Cedille Records is a major sponsor of theirs, and they always give high ratings to their records.

To sum up my impression of this CD, while they are very competent performances, they are far from excellent in my opinion. Perhaps it is just me, but I can swear the first violinist is SLIGHTLY off pitch in certain moments, noticeably the second movement in Op. 80. I am not fond of her technique either. She at times "feels" for the notes, rather than immediately hitting them right away, producing a glissando effect where none is called for. To me they draw attention to themselves performing the pieces. In other words, I can hear them in the process, not just the music itself being itself, which is overall the good mark of an excellent recording. This might be their youth, and I see this ensemble perhaps being one of the great ones down the road.

In sum, don't go by my word, or all the over-positive hype either. Listen to this recording before you purchase it. If you can't, then I personally would stick with the Talich Quartet's version (which Classics Today rightly praised), or for an older analogue version, the Melos Quartet on DG.

Young Contenders.......2005-08-03

When I first heard the Pacifica Quartet in New York last year, I was mightily impressed. Here was a young quartet that had the potential to take its place among the first ranks of quartets playing today. Listening to their complete Mendelssohn string quartets, I am more than confirmed in my initial enthusiasm. They have beautiful sound, refinement, energy - in short, a high quality quartet and a 3 CD set that I personally treasure.

Average customer rating: Often expressive and dramatic, at times a little plodding and not too concerned with architectural coherence A Fine Budget Version of Schubert's Last String Quartet A Beautiful Conclusion to This Series

Schubert Complete String Quartets Vol. 6: Quartet No. 15 (1826); Five German Dances with seven trios and a coda, D. 9 Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 3 Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1 Complete String Quartets 4 Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2 Schubert: Complete Quartets, Vol. 5 ASIN: B0009JMEHY Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

1. Allegro Molto Moderato
2. Andante Un Poco Moto
3. Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
4. Allegro Assai
5. No.1 In C Major
6. No.2 In G Major
7. No.3 In D Major
8. No.4 In F Major
9. No.5 In C Major

Customer Reviews:

Often expressive and dramatic, at times a little plodding and not too concerned with architectural coherence.......2006-08-14

In the 6th volume of its complete traversal of Schubert's compositions for string quartet on Naxos, the Kodaly Quartet brings together the great quartet opus 161, one of the last works of Schubert's desperately short life and one of his most poignant compositions, and an early rarity, written when he was 16, the 5 German Dances D. 90. The latter is written in a typically "gallant" style, with no great depth but full of charm. But the big nut on this CD is of course the 15th quartet.

In the first movement "Allegro molto moderato", the Kodaly Quartet is quite dramatic, very attentive to the movement diverse moods, from harrowing vehemence to hushed mystery, and nicely retains the dance-like lilt of the second theme; there is a price to pay, however, in the multiplication of tempo transitions, none of them prescribed by Schubert ; one senses musicians interested in immediate dramatic impact rather than architectural coherence. The second movement "Andante un poco moto" is taken by the Kodaly quartet at a very deliberate, not very "motorized" tempo (almost as slow as the Quartetto Italiano in their recording from 1976), making it sound more like an adagio in plaintive tone, almost a funeral march, with accents that evoke not so much cries of revolt or pain as moans; the approach is effective in its own way, but it is not exactly what Schubert wrote. And here again, in the more animated passages, the Kodalys do not hesitate to perceptibly accelerate tempo; Quartetto Italiano was more consistent in that respect.

Under the Kodaly's bows, the Scherzo's "Allegro vivace" (3rd movement) is not particularly vivacious, but nonetheless sufficiently light and full of bounce, as befits this musical invention which suggests the bumblebee's flight or the butterfly's flutter (and the elve's dance will do, too). The middle trio however is rather mawkish, and again the Kodalys imperceptibly speed up their tempo in the second part. Their Finale is somewhat disappointing, due to a tempo that is too deliberate to evoke the race to the abyss that others conjure (Gidon Kremer and friends on Sony take as much time to get through the movement - but with the repeat) and, while the ensemble's tone production until then had been not exceptional but unexceptionable, the 1st violin becomes a bit sour in its upper registers.

Not an exceptional version then, but at that price one that remains very acceptable.

A Fine Budget Version of Schubert's Last String Quartet.......2005-06-25

Schubert's 15th and last string quartet is one of his most important works. It was written between the 20th and the 30th of June 1826 (Schubert died in 1828, when he was only 31 years old). This quartet is an incredibly masterful display of emotional depth, extraordinary harmonic progressions, and sheer rhythmic impetus.

The first movement opens in a very direct fashion - it lacks the usual formal introduction. There are some ethereal soft echo effects here from the cello, accompanied by tremolos in the upper strings. Schubert knew he was dying at the time he wrote this music, and it is a very moving mixture of defiance, anguish and resignation. The second movement is a songful and serene night piece that is disturbed by two violent outbursts. Again the cello plays a very important part here, introducing the first plaintive motif and repeating the songful theme after each outburst. The scherzo, which is based on a quavering figure that is interspersed with some short spiccato themes, has been likened to a dance of elves. The finale was once described by writer J. A. Westrup as "a mad rondo, violent in rhythm and wild in harmony." Abrupt alternations between major and minor lead to some very unexpected harmonic progressions - this is Schubert at his most creative and audacious.

This budget stereo Naxos recording by the Kodaly Quartet concludes its survey of Schubert's string quartets. I feel this is the finest single-disc stereo version, and the inclusion of the lovely German Dances as a filler makes this CD a most attractive purchase. I certainly prefer the warm, mellow playing here by the Kodaly to the brash and rather hard-boiled Sony CD account by the Juilliard Quartet (I absolutely love the latter's Bartok & Schoenberg recordings, but they tend to be too assertive in Schubert). Likewise, I think the Kodaly's account is far better than the Lindsay Quartet's (ASV), which has some dreadfully out of tune playing (I have weeded both the Juilliard and the Lindsay recordings).

To my ears, the main stereo competition here is the extremely polished Quartetto Italiano (available in an inexpensive Philips "two-fer" of Schubert's four last quartets). While I prefer the latter, I'm also keeping the Kodaly (the German Dances, while brief, are pretty indispensable). If memory serves, an orchestrated version of the first Dance was used in a highly-effective way with other Schubert works (especially the Piano Trio #1) in Stanley Kubrick's brilliant film "Barry Lyndon."

However, this Vol. 6 of the Kodaly Quartet's Schubert is the only one in their series that I will be keeping. That's not to say that the series is in any way unattractive. But Schubert's first seven quartets are fairly early, immature works, and I can't see owning multiple versions of them. And there are simply better versions of the later quartets. All 15 quartets were once available on mono Westminster LPs from the early 1950's (in excellent sound). These were performed by the wonderful Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet (Kamper, Titze, Weiss and Kvarda), all of whose members were players in the Vienna Philharmonic under conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler. This remains my "desert island" version of the complete quartets (they have been issued on CDs in Japan on the MCA label).

The great Busch String Quartet (Adolf Busch, Gosta Andreassen, Karl Doktor, and Hermann Busch) recorded the "ne plus ultra" account of #8, a superb #14 (unfortunately, due to 78 rpm constraints, the latter is shorn of all the repeats), and #15. These are available, along with the Fantasie in C (Busch & Serkin) and the Piano Trio #1, on a Pearl CD set.

My personal favorites in the last three Schubert quartets:

#13. The Vienna Konzerthaus captures like no other ensemble the intensely Brucknerian span of this gorgeous work.

#14. In chronological order, my all-time favorites of this stunning masterpiece are the ORIGINAL 1927 Budapest Quartet (Emil Hauser, Joseph Roisman, Istvan Ipolyi, and Harry Son) on a hard to find Novello CD; the 1927/28 Capet Quartet (a reading of extraordinary spiritual purity on Biddulph); the heartbreakingly beautiful 1936 Busch Quartet (Pearl); the c. 1950 Vienna Konzerthaus (a uniquely warm and gemutlich account on Westminster LP and Japanese MCA CD); and the gloriously well-played c.1951 Hollywood Quartet (mine is on a Capitol LP).

#15. The Busch and the Vienna Konzerthaus are both supremely eloquent here, but my ultimate allegiance is to the latter's inimitable warmth and lyricism.

All of those versions are, of course, in monophonic sound. For a single CD version of #15 in good stereo sound, I feel this effort by the Kodaly Quartet is clearly the one to own.

Jeff Lipscomb

A Beautiful Conclusion to This Series.......2005-06-25

The Kodály Quartet has been slowly recording all of Schubert's string quartets and with this Volume 6 we come to the end. The CD contains Schubert's last finished quartet, No. 15 in G Major, D. 887, Op. 161, and the disc is filled out by Five German Dances, D. 90. The Kodály Quartet has more or less become the Naxos label's house quartet, having recorded large chunks of the central quartet literature for them. This is good, because not only are they a wonderful quartet, they are non-interventionist without being bland. String quartet playing is hard work and requires much slow, thoughtful study on the part of the players. It is to the Kodály's credit that they have taken a slow and steady course through the Schubert quartets, some of which they surely had never played before; the early apprentice works in particular are almost never played and yet the Kodály played them not only with musicianly respect but with love and admiration.

When we get to Schubert's last quartet, though, we have an undisputed masterpiece that every quartet worthy of the name plays. Its opening movement is one of the most marvelous (and harmonically complicated) works he ever composed. It takes fifteen minutes to play and works its magic in subtle ways. For instance, when it comes time for the recapitulation the first theme is changed from minor to major, and the second from major to minor. Had anyone ever thought to do that before? The minor key cello theme that opens the Andante is one of Schubert's patented melodies; it almost tears your heart out with its gentle pathos. In the Scherzo we are in familiar elfin Schubertian territory that evolves into ländlerisch folk dance rhythms in the Trio, gentle, not turbulent. And this prepares us for the high spirits of the Finale, a rowdy tarantella. The Kodály play this quartet with a maximum of relish, a minimum of gratuitous edge. They make this complex quartet what it is really meant to be, a thoroughly comprehensible compendium of 1826 quartet writing, easy on the ear and rewarding for the analytic mind. This is a beautiful performance worthy to stand beside any of the earlier treasured recordings (Busch, Alban Berg, Quartetto Italiano) this marvelous quartet has been afforded.

The disc is rounded out by five German Dances written when Schubert was sixteen. They are notable for their rough good humor. No. 4 lasts a mere 50 seconds but is infectious enough to have this listener up and stomping his feet in an enthusiastic approximation of dancing. The Kodály's approach is, fittingly, more rough and ready in these pieces than in the subtleties of the 15th Quartet, evidence that they are really entering into the spirit of the music itself rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Although with a timing of only 59+ minutes, this CD is heartily recommended for its marvelous musicmaking.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating: Many Hours of Magnificent Listening Pleasure

Franz Joseph Haydn: Complete String Quartets (Box Set) Kodly Quartet Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Haydn: Complete Piano Trios Haydn: The "Sturm und Drang" Symphonies Mozart: String Quartets (Complete Mozart Edition, Vol. 12) Schubert: The String Quartets Haydn: The Seven Last Words ASIN: B00004SSJF Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 76, No. 1, Hob. III: 75: Allegro con spirito
2. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 76, No. 1, Hob. III: 75: Adagio sostenuto
3. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 76, No. 1, Hob. III: 75: Menuetto: Presto
4. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 76, No. 1, Hob. III: 75: Finale: Allegro ma non troppo
5. String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III: 76: Allegro
6. String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III: 76: Andante o piu tosto allegretto
7. String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III: 76: Menuetto: Allegro ma non troppo
8. String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob. III: 76: Vivace assai
9. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob. III: 77: Allegro
10. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob. III: 77: Poco adagio, cantabile
11. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob. III: 77: Menuetto: Allegro
12. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob. III: 77: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, Hob. III: 78: Allegro con spirito
2. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, Hob. III: 78: Adagio
3. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, Hob. III: 78: Menuetto: Allegro
4. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, Hob. III: 78: Finale: Allegro ma non troppo
5. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 76, No. 5, Hob. III: 79: Allegretto - Allegro
6. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 76, No. 5, Hob. III: 79: Largo cantabile e mesto
7. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 76, No. 5, Hob. III: 79: Menuetto: Allegro
8. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 76, No. 5, Hob. III: 79: Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6, Hob. III: 80: Allegretto - Allegro
10. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6, Hob. III: 80: Fantasia: Adagio
11. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6, Hob. III: 80: Menuetto: Presto
12. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6, Hob. III: 80: Finale: Allegro spirituoso

Tracks:

1. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: L'Introduzione: Maestoso ed adagio
2. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata I: Pater, dimitte illis, non enim sciunt, quid faciunt (Largo)
3. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata II: Amen dico tibi: hodie mecum eris in paradiso (Grave e cantabile)
4. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata III: Mullier, ecce fillus tuus, et tu, ecce mater tua! (Grave)
5. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata IV: Eli, Eli, lama asabthani? (Largo)
6. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata V: Sitio (Adagio)
7. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata VI: Consummatum est! (Lento)
8. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Sonata VII: Peter! in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum - (Largo)
9. The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ - Op. 51, Hob. III: 50-56: Il terrmoto (Presto e con tutta la forza)
10. String Quartet No. 68 In D Minor, Op. 103 Hob. III: 83: Andante graziso
11. String Quartet No. 68 In D Minor, Op. 103 Hob. III: 83: Menuetto ma non troppo presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 1, Hob. III: 69: Allegro
2. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 1, Hob. III: 69: Adagio
3. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 1, Hob. III: 69: Menuetto: Allegretto
4. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 1, Hob. III: 69: (Finale): Vivace
5. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Hob. III: 70: Adagio-Allegro
6. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Hob. III: 70: Adagio (cantobile)
7. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Hob. III: 70: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Hob. III: 70: Finale: Allegretto
9. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 3, Hob. III: 71: Vivace
10. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 3, Hob. III: 71: Andante con moto
11. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 3, Hob. III: 71: Menuetto
12. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 71, No. 3, Hob. III: 71: Finale: Vivace

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 57: Vivace
2. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 57: Adagio
3. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 57: Menuetto: Allegretto
4. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 57: Finale: Adagio-Presto-Adagio
5. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 58: Allegro con brio
6. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 58: Allegretto
7. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 58: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 54, No. 2, Hob. III: 58: Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet In E Major, Op. 54, No. 3, Hob. III: 59: Allegro
10. String Quartet In E Major, Op. 54, No. 3, Hob. III: 59: Largo cantobile
11. String Quartet In E Major, Op. 54, No. 3, Hob. III: 59: Menuetto: Allegretto
12. String Quartet In E Major, Op. 54, No. 3, Hob. III: 59: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 74, No. 1, Hob. III: 72: Allegro (moderato)
2. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 74, No. 1, Hob. III: 72: Andantino (grazioso)
3. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 74, No. 1, Hob. III: 72: Menuetto: Allegro
4. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 74, No. 1, Hob. III: 72: Finale: Vivace
5. String Quartet In F Major, Op. 74, No. 2, Hob. III: 73: Allegro spiritoso
6. String Quartet In F Major, Op. 74, No. 2, Hob. III: 73: Andadnte grazioso
7. String Quartet In F Major, Op. 74, No. 2, Hob. III: 73: Menuetto
8. String Quartet In F Major, Op. 74, No. 2, Hob. III: 73: Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob. III: 74: Allegro
10. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob. III: 74: Largo assai
11. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob. III: 74: Menuetto: (Allegretto)
12. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob. III: 74: Finbale: Allegro con brio

Tracks:

1. String Quartet No. 45 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 1, Hob. III: 60: Allegro
2. String Quartet No. 45 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 1, Hob. III: 60: Adagio cantabile
3. String Quartet No. 45 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 1, Hob. III: 60: Menuetto
4. String Quartet No. 45 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 1, Hob. III: 60: Finale: Vivace
5. String Quartet No. 46 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 2, Hob. III: 61 'The Razor': Andante o piu tosto allegretto
6. String Quartet No. 46 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 2, Hob. III: 61 'The Razor': Allegro
7. String Quartet No. 46 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 2, Hob. III: 61 'The Razor': Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet No. 46 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 2, Hob. III: 61 'The Razor': Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet No. 47 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 3, Hob. III: 62: Vivace assai
10. String Quartet No. 47 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 3, Hob. III: 62: Adagio ma non troppo
11. String Quartet No. 47 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 3, Hob. III: 62: Menuetto
12. String Quartet No. 47 In A Major, Op. 55, No. 3, Hob. III: 62: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In B Flat Major Op. 1, No. 1: Presto
2. String Quartet In B Flat Major Op. 1, No. 1: Minuet
3. String Quartet In B Flat Major Op. 1, No. 1: Adagio
4. String Quartet In B Flat Major Op. 1, No. 1: Minuet
5. String Quartet In B Flat Major Op. 1, No. 1: Finale: Presto
6. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 2: Allegro molto
7. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 2: Minuet
8. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 2: Adagio
9. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 2: Minuet
10. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 2: Finale: Presto
11. String Quartet In D Flat Major Op. 1, No. 3: Adagio
12. String Quartet In D Flat Major Op. 1, No. 3: Minuet
13. String Quartet In D Flat Major Op. 1, No. 3: Scherzo: Presto
14. String Quartet In D Flat Major Op. 1, No. 3: Menuet
15. String Quartet In D Flat Major Op. 1, No. 3: Finale: Presto
16. String Quartet In G Flat Major Op. 1, No. 4: Presto
17. String Quartet In G Flat Major Op. 1, No. 4: Minuet
18. String Quartet In G Flat Major Op. 1, No. 4: Adagio ma non tanto
19. String Quartet In G Flat Major Op. 1, No. 4: Minuet
20. String Quartet In G Flat Major Op. 1, No. 4: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 0: Presto
2. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 0: Minuet
3. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 0: Adagio
4. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 0: Minuet
5. String Quartet In E Flat Major Op. 1, No. 0: Finale: Presto
6. String Quartet In C Major Op. 2, No. 6: Presto assai
7. String Quartet In C Major Op. 2, No. 6: Minuet
8. String Quartet In C Major Op. 2, No. 6: Adagio
9. String Quartet In C Major Op. 2, No. 6: Minuet
10. String Quartet In C Major Op. 2, No. 6: Finale: Allegro
11. String Quartet In D Major Op. 2, No. 1: Allegro
12. String Quartet In D Major Op. 2, No. 1: Minuet
13. String Quartet In D Major Op. 2, No. 1: Adagio
14. String Quartet In D Major Op. 2, No. 1: Minuet
15. String Quartet In D Major Op. 2, No. 1: Finale: Allegro molto
16. String Quartet In G Major Op. 2, No. 2: Allegro molto
17. String Quartet In G Major Op. 2, No. 2: Minuet
18. String Quartet In G Major Op. 2, No. 2: Adagio
19. String Quartet In G Major Op. 2, No. 2: Minuetto
20. String Quartet In G Major Op. 2, No. 2: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Allegro moderato
2. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Menuetto: Allegretto ma non troppo
3. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Allegretto scherzando
4. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Finale: Presto
5. String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Allegro spiritoso
6. String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Adagio ma non troppo
7. String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Vivace assai
10. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Adagio
11. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Menuetto: Allegretto
12. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Finale: Allegro con spirito

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 64, No. 4, Hob. III: 66: Allegro con brio
2. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 64, No. 4, Hob. III: 66: Menuetto: Allegretto
3. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 64, No. 4, Hob. III: 66: Adagio - Cantabile e sostenuto
4. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 64, No. 4, Hob. III: 66: Finale: Presto
5. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, Hob. III: 63: Allegro moderato
6. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, Hob. III: 63: Adagio - Cantabile
7. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, Hob. III: 63: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 64, No. 5, Hob. III: 63: Finale: Vivace
9. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 6, Hob. III: 64: Allegro
10. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 6, Hob. III: 64: Andante
11. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 6, Hob. III: 64: Menuetto: Allegretto
12. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 6, Hob. III: 64: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 28 In E Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1: Allegro moderato
2. Quartet No. 28 In E Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1: Minuet: Un poco allegretto
3. Quartet No. 28 In E Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1: Affetuoso e sostenuto
4. Quartet No. 28 In E Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1: Finale: Presto
5. Quartet No. 25 In C Major, Op. 20, No. 2: Moderato
6. Quartet No. 25 In C Major, Op. 20, No. 2: Capriccio: Adagio
7. Quartet No. 25 In C Major, Op. 20, No. 2: Minuet: Allegretto
8. Quartet No. 25 In C Major, Op. 20, No. 2: Fuga a quattro soggetti
9. Quartet No. 26 In G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3: Allegro con spirito
10. Quartet No. 26 In G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3: Minuet: Allegretto
11. Quartet No. 26 In G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3: Poco adagio
12. Quartet No. 26 In G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3: Finale: Allegro di molto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 27 In D Major, Op. 20, No. 4: Allegro di molto
2. Quartet No. 27 In D Major, Op. 20, No. 4: Un poco adagio e affettuoso
3. Quartet No. 27 In D Major, Op. 20, No. 4: Menuet alla Zingarese: Allegretto
4. Quartet No. 27 In D Major, Op. 20, No. 4: Presto e scherzando
5. Quartet No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5: Moderato
6. Quartet No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5: Menuet
7. Quartet No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5: Adagio
8. Quartet No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5: Finale: Fuga a due soggetti
9. Quartet No. 24 In A Major, Op. 20, No. 6: Allegro di molto e scherzando
10. Quartet No. 24 In A Major, Op. 20, No. 6: Adagio
11. Quartet No. 24 In A Major, Op. 20, No. 6: Menuet
12. Quartet No. 24 In A Major, Op. 20, No. 6: Fuga con tre soggetti

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 35 In D Minor, Op. 42: Andante ed Innocentemente
2. Quartet No. 35 In D Minor, Op. 42: Menuetto: Allegretto
3. Quartet No. 35 In D Minor, Op. 42: Adagio e cantabile
4. Quartet No. 35 In D Minor, Op. 42: Finale: Presto
5. Quartet No. 9 In F Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Presto
6. Quartet No. 9 In F Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Menuet
7. Quartet No. 9 In F Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Adagio
8. Quartet No. 9 In F Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Menuet: Allegretto
9. Quartet No. 9 In F Major, Op. 2, No. 4: Finale: Allegro
10. Quartet No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Adagio With Variations
11. Quartet No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Menuet
12. Quartet No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Scherzo: Presto
13. Quartet No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Menuet
14. Quartet No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 2, No. 6: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 11 In D Minor, Op. 9, No. 4: Moderato
2. Quartet No. 11 In D Minor, Op. 9, No. 4: Menuet
3. Quartet No. 11 In D Minor, Op. 9, No. 4: Adagio - Cantabile
4. Quartet No. 11 In D Minor, Op. 9, No. 4: Finale: Presto
5. Quartet No. 12 In C Major, Op. 9, No. 1: Moderato
6. Quartet No. 12 In C Major, Op. 9, No. 1: Menuet: Un poco allegretto
7. Quartet No. 12 In C Major, Op. 9, No. 1: Adagio
8. Quartet No. 12 In C Major, Op. 9, No. 1: Finale: Presto
9. Quartet No. 13 In G Major, Op. 9, No. 3: Moderato
10. Quartet No. 13 In G Major, Op. 9, No. 3: Menuet: Allegretto
11. Quartet No. 13 In G Major, Op. 9, No. 3: Largo
12. Quartet No. 13 In G Major, Op. 9, No. 3: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 14 In E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2: Moderato
2. Quartet No. 14 In E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2: Menuet
3. Quartet No. 14 In E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2: Adagio
4. Quartet No. 14 In E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2: Finale: Allegro di molto
5. Quartet No. 15 In B Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 5: Poco adagio
6. Quartet No. 15 In B Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 5: Menuet: Allegretto
7. Quartet No. 15 In B Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 5: Largo: Cantabile
8. Quartet No. 15 In B Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 5: Finale: Presto
9. Quartet No. 16 In A Major, Op. 9, No. 6: Presto
10. Quartet No. 16 In A Major, Op. 9, No. 6: Menuet
11. Quartet No. 16 In A Major, Op. 9, No. 6: Adagio
12. Quartet No. 16 In A Major, Op. 9, No. 6: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 29 In G Major, Op. 33, No. 5 'How Do You Do?': Vivace assai
2. Quartet No. 29 In G Major, Op. 33, No. 5 'How Do You Do?': Largo e cantabile
3. Quartet No. 29 In G Major, Op. 33, No. 5 'How Do You Do?': Scherzo
4. Quartet No. 29 In G Major, Op. 33, No. 5 'How Do You Do?': Finale
5. Quartet No. 30 In E Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 'The Joke': Allegro moderato
6. Quartet No. 30 In E Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 'The Joke': Scherzo
7. Quartet No. 30 In E Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 'The Joke': Largo e sostenuto
8. Quartet No. 30 In E Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 'The Joke': Finale
9. Quartet No. 31 In B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1: Allegro moderato
10. Quartet No. 31 In B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1: Scherzo
11. Quartet No. 31 In B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1: Andante
12. Quartet No. 31 In B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1: Finale

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 32 In C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 'The Bird': Allegro moderato
2. Quartet No. 32 In C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 'The Bird': Scherzo: Allegretto
3. Quartet No. 32 In C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 'The Bird': Adagio ma non troppo
4. Quartet No. 32 In C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 'The Bird': Finale: Rondo - Presto
5. Quartet No. 33 In D Major, Op. 33, No. 6: Vivace assai
6. Quartet No. 33 In D Major, Op. 33, No. 6: Andante
7. Quartet No. 33 In D Major, Op. 33, No. 6: Scherzo: Allegretto
8. Quartet No. 33 In D Major, Op. 33, No. 6: Finale: Rondo - Presto
9. Quartet No. 34 In B Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4: Allegro moderato
10. Quartet No. 34 In B Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4: Scherzo: Allegretto
11. Quartet No. 34 In B Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4: Largo
12. Quartet No. 34 In B Flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 2 In F Major: Moderato
2. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 2 In F Major: Menuetto: Allegretto
3. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 2 In F Major: Adagio
4. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 2 In F Major: Finale: Allegro di molto
5. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 1 In E Major: Moderato
6. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 1 In E Major: Menuetto: Allegretto
7. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 1 In E Major: Adagio
8. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 1 In E Major: Finale: Presto
9. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 4 In C Minor: Moderato
10. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 4 In C Minor: Menuetto
11. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 4 In C Minor: Adagio cantabile
12. String Quartet Op. 17 No. 4 In C Minor: Finale: Allegro

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 17, No. 6: Presto
2. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 17, No. 6: Menuetto
3. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 17, No. 6: Largo
4. String Quartet In D Major, Op. 17, No. 6: Presto
5. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3: Andate grazioso
6. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3: Menuetto: Allegretto
7. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3: Adagio
8. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3: Allegro molto
9. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 17, No. 5: Moderato
10. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 17, No. 5: Menuetto
11. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 17, No. 5: Adagio
12. String Quartet In G Major, Op. 17, No. 5: Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 66 In G Major, Op. 77, No. 1: Allegro moderato
2. Quartet No. 66 In G Major, Op. 77, No. 1: Adagio
3. Quartet No. 66 In G Major, Op. 77, No. 1: Menuetto: Presto
4. Quartet No. 66 In G Major, Op. 77, No. 1: Finale: Presto
5. Quartet No. 67 In F Major, Op. 77, No. 2: Allegro moderato
6. Quartet No. 67 In F Major, Op. 77, No. 2: Menuet: Presto
7. Quartet No. 67 In F Major, Op. 77, No. 2: Andante
8. Quartet No. 67 In F Major, Op. 77, No. 2: Finale: Vivace assai

Tracks:

1. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 1: Allegro
2. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 1: Adagio non lento
3. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 1: Menuetto: Poco allegretto
4. String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 1: Finale: Vivace
5. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 50, No. 2: Vivace
6. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 50, No. 2: Adagio: Cantabile
7. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 50, No. 2: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet In C Major, Op. 50, No. 2: Finale: Vivace assai
9. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 3: Allegro con brio
10. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 3: Andante piu tosto Allegretto
11. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 3: Menuetto: Allegretto
12. String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 3: Finale: Presto

Tracks:

1. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 4 In F Sharp Minor: Allegro spirituoso
2. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 4 In F Sharp Minor: Andante
3. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 4 In F Sharp Minor: Menuetto: Poco allegretto
4. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 4 In F Sharp Minor: Finale: Fuga: Allegro moderato
5. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 5 In F Major: Allegro moderato
6. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 5 In F Major: Poco adagio
7. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 5 In F Major: Menuetto: Allegretto
8. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 5 In F Major: Finale: Vivace
9. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 6 In D Major: Allegro
10. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 6 In D Major: Poco adagio
11. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 6 In D Major: Menuetto: Allegretto
12. String Quartet Op. 50 No. 6 In D Major: Finale: Allegro con spirito

Customer Reviews:

Many Hours of Magnificent Listening Pleasure.......2007-02-20

When these quartets were recorded, in the 1990's and early 2000's, the Kodaly Quartet ("KQ") had been playing together for more than a quarter century. It shows. What is evident on these recordings is the perfect cohesion of these highly talented musicians; they clearly have an intimate knowledge of the score of each quartet and thoroughly enjoy playing together. The KQ's performance is fresh, truly conveys their love for this music, and fully brings to life the range of emotions contained in this musical microcosm - playfulness, elegance, sunny joy, and gentle reverie - with every movement of these quartets having a quality of refinement and graciousness that allows the listener to savor every note.

The allegro movements on these CDs have a wonderful rhythmic vitality.
While listening to them, one can imagine elegantly dressed men and women in the 18th century, with the women in long, flowing silk dresses, moving across the dance floor to the sounds of this wonderful music. Although this chamber music was originally composed for small private gatherings, the fast movements have a lively rhythm that evokes the image of dancing couples.

The slow movements are played with a beautiful tenderness that invites the listener to float upwards with closed eyes into a serene musical heaven, floating in the clouds like an albatross with its wings outspread, being lifted by air currents as it slowly glides through an azure sky on a warm summer day.

These digital recordings have an excellent crystal clear sound quality, capturing the KQ's precision and their sensitivity to every nuance of every note. The sound engineering is truly first-rate, giving a feeling of immediacy and physical presence to the instruments. It is only one step away from having the musicians actually performing in front of you, in your own living room.

I am absolutely delighted with this series of the complete Haydn string quartets by the KQ. As it turns out, every CD in the series has been a delight, including the ones with "spurious arrangements" and quartets that may very well not have been composed by Haydn at all, but by Romanus Hoffstetter (1742 - 1815).

Even the early string quartets are more than mere historical footnotes. They are also beautiful music, irrespective of who composed them, Haydn or Hoffstetter. They are delightful and very worthy compositions in their own right. As stated by Allan Badley in the booklet notes to one of the CD's of the earliest quartets: "There is much to admire in the Op. 3 Quartets, whoever the composer may have been. They are elegant, neatly composed works with lively outer movements, gentle, graceful slow movements, and the kind of lilting, intoxicating minuets that are an integral part of Austrian music of the period." The fact that these string quartets are less musically complex than Haydn's later masterpieces, such as the Opus 71, "Apponyi" quartets, does not detract from their beauty.

I would gladly have paid twice as much for this set of CDs and still felt it was an excellent value. The CD booklet notes are well-written, with historical information, musical analysis, and information on the Kodaly Quartet. Very highly recommended.

Average customer rating: Outstanding and a Remarkable Bargain Nobilissima visione! a remarkable set

Mozart: String Quartets (Complete Mozart Edition, Vol. 12) Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quintets Mozart: Complete String Trios & Duos Mozart: Serenades for Orchestra Mozart: The Violin Sonatas Haydn: Complete Piano Trios ASIN: B00000410T Release Date: 1991-04-05

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.1In G - Adagio
2. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.1In G - Allegro
3. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.1In G - Menuetto
4. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.1In G - Rondeau
5. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.2 In D - Allegro
6. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.2 In D - Andante
7. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.2 In D - Molto allegro
8. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.3 In G - Presto
9. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.3 In G - Adagio
10. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.3 In G - Tempo Di Menuetto
11. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.3 In G - Adagio
12. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.4 In C - Allegro
13. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.4 In C - Andante
14. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.4 In C - Presto
15. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.5 In F - Allegro
16. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.5 In F - Andante Un Poco Allegretto
17. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.5 In F - Tempo Di Menuetto

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.6 In B Flat - Andante
2. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.6 In B Flat - Allegro
3. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.6 In B Flat - Rondo, Allegro Grazioso
4. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.7 In E Flat - Allegro
5. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.7 In E Flat - Un Poco Adagio
6. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.7 In E Flat - Presto
7. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.8 In F - Allegro
8. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.8 In F - Andante
9. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.8 In F - Menuetto
10. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.8 In F - Allegro
11. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.9 In A - Molto Allegro
12. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.9 In A - Andante
13. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.9 In A - Menuetto
14. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.9 In A - Rondeaux, Allegro

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.10 In C - Andante
2. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.10 In C - Menuetto
3. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.10 In C - Un Poco Adagio
4. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.10 In C - Rondeaux, Allegro
5. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.11 In E Flat - Adagio - Allegro Assai - Adagio
6. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.11 In E Flat - Menuetto
7. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.11 In E Flat - Andante
8. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.11 In E Flat - Allegro Assai
9. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.12 In B Flat - Allegro Spiritoso
10. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.12 In B Flat - Adagio
11. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.12 In B Flat - Menuetto
12. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.12 In B Flat - Allegro Assai
13. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.13 In D Minor - Allegro Ma Molto Moderato
14. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.13 In D Minor - Andantino Grazioso
15. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.13 In D Minor - Menuetto
16. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.13 In D Minor - Allegro

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.14 In G - Allegro Vivace Assai
2. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.14 In G - Allegretto
3. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.14 In G - Andante Cantabile
4. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.14 In G - Molto Allegro
5. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.15 In D Minor - Allegro Moderato
6. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.15 In D Minor - Andante
7. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.15 In D Minor - Menuetto, Allegretto
8. String Quartets Nos.1-15: The Six Haydn Quartets - Quartet No.15 In D Minor - Allegretto Ma Non Troppo - Piu Allegro

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.16 In E Flat - Adagio
2. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.16 In E Flat - Allegro
3. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.16 In E Flat - Minuetto
4. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.16 In E Flat - Rondeau
5. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.17 In B Flat - Allegro
6. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.17 In B Flat - Andante
7. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.17 In B Flat - Molto Allegro
8. String Quartets Nos.1-15: Quartet No.17 In B Flat - Presto

Tracks:

1. Quartet No.18 In A - Allegro
2. Quartet No.18 In A - Menuetto
3. Quartet No.18 In A - Andante
4. Quartet No.18 In A - Allegro Non Troppo
5. Quartet No.19 In C - Adagio - Allegro
6. 2: Andante cantabile
7. Quartet No.19 In C - Allegretto
8. Quartet No.19 In C - Allegro Molto

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: Quartet No.20 In D - Allegretto
2. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: Quartet No.20 In D - Menuetto, Allegretto
3. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: Quartet No.20 In D - Adagio
4. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: Quartet No.20 In D - Allegro
5. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: The Three Prussian Quartets - Quartet No.21 In D - Allegretto
6. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: The Three Prussian Quartets - Quartet No.21 In D - Andante
7. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: The Three Prussian Quartets - Quartet No.21 In D - Menuetto, Allegro
8. String Quartets Nos. 16-23: The Three Prussian Quartets - Quartet No.21 In D - Allegretto

Tracks:

1. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.22 In B Flat - Allegro
2. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.22 In B Flat - Larghetto
3. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.22 In B Flat - Menuetto, Moderato
4. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.22 In B Flat - Allegro Assai
5. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.23 In F - Allegro Moderato
6. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.23 In F - Allegretto
7. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.23 In F - Menuetto (Allegretto)
8. String Quartets Nos.16-23: Quartet No.23 In F - Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding and a Remarkable Bargain.......2005-08-11

Mozart's string quartets need no introduction. This collection is a compilation of recordings made by the famous Quartetto Italiano over a period of several years. The playing is excellent and it is very interesting to hear this range of quartets played by a single ensemble. At less than $14 per disk (Amazon list price plus shipping costs), this is an incredible bargain for so much rewarding music.

Nobilissima visione!.......2005-04-01

Since you listen the first bars of any of these memorable works, you feel the difference that makes the great difference. The approach given by these excellent musicians is unique in what sublime perfection, astonishing musicality and enrapturing commitment concerns. Paolo Borciani, the unforgettable leader of this ensemble sealed his name in the Holly Pantheon of the greatest with these unvaluable, prodigious and lavish recordings.
All the possible adjectives are not enough to describe the status of these performances.
Don't miss these golden recordings under no pretext!

a remarkable set.......2002-11-08

This box set is a fantastic addition to anyone's Mozart collection. Performances are passionate and simply beautiful.
It is fascinating to listen to the quartets chronologically and hear Mozart's development as a composer (even the earliest quartets have many fine moments). While the sound quality of the quartets recorded in 1966 are not as crisp as those recorded in the 70s, every disc has acceptable sound and is a treasure in itself.
Highest of recommendations!

Average customer rating: Musical Must Have Powerful, sometimes devastating a shame! Could not be a better 8th Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?

Complete String Quartets Dmitry Shostakovich , and Emerson String Quartet Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Emerson String Quartet | ( E ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Shostakovich/Tchaikovsky: Piano Trios Bela Bartok: The 6 String Quartets - Emerson String Quartet Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet Beethoven: The String Quartets Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 ASIN: B00003XAGO Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 1. Moderato
2. Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 2. Moderato
3. Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 3. Allegro molto
4. Quartet No. 1 In C Major Op. 49: 4. Allegro
5. Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 1. Overture: Moderato con moto
6. Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 2. Recitative And Romance: Adagio
7. Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 3. Waltz: Allegro
8. Quartet No. 2 In A Major Op. 68: 4. Theme With Variations: Adagio - Moderato con moto - Allegretto - Piu mosso - Allegro non troppo - Allegro - Adagio
9. Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 1. Allegretto
10. Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 2. Moderato con moto
11. Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 3. Allegro non troppo
12. Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 4. Adagio - attacca:
13. Quartet No. 3 In F Major Op. 73: 5. Moderato - Adagio

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 1. Allegretto
2. Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 2. Andante
3. Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
4. Quartet No. 4 In D Major Op. 83: 4. Allegretto
5. Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 1. Allegro non troppo - attacca:
6. Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 2. Andante - Andantino - Andante - Andantino - Andante - attacca:
7. Quartet No. 5 In B Flat Major Op. 92: 3. Moderato - Allegretto - Andante
8. Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 1. Allegretto
9. Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 2. Moderato con moto
10. Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 3. Lento - attacca:
11. Quartet No. 6 In G Major Op. 101: 4. Lento - Allegretto - Andante - Lento

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 1. Allegretto - attacca:
2. Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 2. Lento - attacca:
3. Quartet No. 7 In F Sharp Minor Op. 108: 3. Allegro - Allegretto - Andante - Lento
4. Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 1. Largo - attacca:
5. Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 2. Allegro molto - attacca:
6. Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
7. Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 4. Largo - attacca:
8. Quartet No. 8 In C Minor Op. 110: 5. Largo
9. Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 1. Moderato con moto - attacca:
10. Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 2. Adagio - attacca:
11. Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 3. Allegretto - attacca:
12. Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 4. Adagio - attacca:
13. Quartet No. 9 In E Flat Major Op. 117: 5. Allegro
14. Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 1. Andante
15. Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 2. Allegretto furioso
16. Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 3. Adagio - attacca:
17. Quartet No. 10 In A Flat Major Op. 118: 4. Allegretto - Andante

Tracks:

1. 'Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District', Op. 29: Adagio (Elegy) For String Quartet
2. 'The Age Of Gold', Op. 22: Allegretto (Polka) For String Quartet
3. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 1. Introduction: Andantino - attacca:
4. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 2. Scherzo: Allegretto - attacca:
5. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 3. Recitative: Adagio - attacca:
6. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 4. Etude: Allegro - attacca:
7. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 5. Humoresque: Allegro - attacca:
8. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 6. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
9. Quartet No. 11 In F Minor Op. 122: 7. Finale: Moderato - Meno mosso - Moderato
10. Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 1. Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato - Allegretto - Moderato
11. Quartet No. 12 In D Flat Major Op. 133: 2. Allegretto - Adagio - Moderato - Adagio - Moderato - Allegretto
12. Quartet No. 13 In B Flat Minor Op. 138: Adagio - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo

Tracks:

1. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 1. Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto - Meno mosso - Allegretto
2. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 2. Adagio - attacca:
3. Quartet No. 14 In F Sharp Major Op. 142: 3. Allegretto - Poco meno mosso - Adagio
4. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 1. Elegy: Adagio - attacca:
5. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 2. Serenade: Adagio - attacca:
6. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 3. Intermezzo: Adagio - attacca:
7. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 4. Nocturne: Adagio - attacca:
8. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 5. Funeral March: Adagio molto - attacca:
9. Quartet No. 15 In E Flat Minor Op. 144: 6. Epilogue: Adagio - Adagio molto

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Can an American string quartet grasp the power of Shostakovich's 15 string quartets? By the sounds of this incredible cycle, the answer is a resounding Yes! Capturing every nuance of Shostakovich's emotionally gripping, sometimes humorous, often angst-filled compositions, the Emersons deliver very likely the finest performances of these works available. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Musical Must Have.......2007-06-01

These are wonderfully performed and spectacularly produced CDs. Other reviewers have commented about the applause. It does not detract from the listening experience. In fact, I feel that it adds to the live quality that these discs have. The energy and freshness of a live performance shine in each quartet. And, it has the sound quality of a studio recording. The sound is balanced and intimate. I cannot say enough about how fantastic this set is.

Powerful, sometimes devastating.......2006-11-10

This would be a bargain at almost any price, and the depth of emotional intensity that the Emerson brings to a live performance -- I saw them on a sticky evening at Ravinia in summer 2006, playing the last three quartets -- is evident in this stunning studio collection. In addition to the climactic quartets, don't miss the Eighth. Happy 100th birthday, Dmitri.

a shame!.......2006-09-25

These guys used to be decent players, but their playing have gotten worse over the years. They have no understanding of Shostakovich's music, but then again who does? These extraordinary works deserve extraordinary interpretations and nobody has yet offered definitve performances yet. Meanwhile, Fitwilliam and Debussy quartet offer very good performance of some of these works.

Could not be a better 8th.......2006-06-25

Just saw the Emerson do the 8th at the Amelia Island chamber music summer program. It is not possible that there is a better performance of this work. Moving beyond belief.

Fitzwilliam versus Ermerson -- which to choose?.......2006-03-09

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating: The "Unknown" Beethoven... Simply Delightful! Brilliant if sometimes odd rhythm and tempo

Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 14: Misc. Chamber Works Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Mandolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Complete Beethoven Edition Vol. 6 - Piano Works / Demus, Alder, Gilels, Mustonen, Kempff, Barenboim Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 7: Violin Sonatas Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 2: Concertos Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 9: Piano Trios Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 10: String Trios ASIN: B000001GZH Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

1. No. 1 In E Flat Major: 1. Adagio assai - attacca - Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. No. 1 In E Flat Major: 2. Allegro con spirito - Ludwig Van Beethoven
3. No. 1 In E Flat Major: 3. Tema. Cantabile - Variazioni I-VI - Tema. Allegretto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
4. No. 2 In D Major: 1. Allegro moderato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
5. No. 2 In D Major: 2. Andante con moto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
6. No. 2 In D Major: 3. Rondo. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
7. No. 3 In C Major: 1. Allegro vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
8. No. 3 In C Major: 2. Adagio con expressione - Ludwig Van Beethoven
9. No. 3 In C Major: 3. Rondo. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

1. Trio For Piano, Flute, And Bassoon In G Major: 1. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. Trio For Piano, Flute, And Bassoon In G Major: 2. Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
3. Trio For Piano, Flute, And Bassoon In G Major: 3. Tema andante con Variazioni - Ludwig Van Beethoven
4. Sonata For Piano And Horn In F Major: 1. Allegro moderato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
5. Sonata For Piano And Horn In F Major: 2. Poco Adagio, quasi Andante - Ludwig Van Beethoven
6. Sonata For Piano And Horn In F Major: 3. Rondo. Allegro moderato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
7. Sextet For 2 Horns, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello In E Flat Major: 1. Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
8. Sextet For 2 Horns, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello In E Flat Major: 2. Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
9. Sextet For 2 Horns, 2 Violins, Viola And Cello In E Flat Major: 3. Rondo. Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

1. Quintet For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn And Bassoon In E Flat Major: 1. Grave - Allegro, ma non troppo
2. Quintet For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn And Bassoon In E Flat Major: 2. Andante cantabile
3. Quintet For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn And Bassoon In E Flat Major: 3. Rondo. Allegro, ma non troppo
4. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 1. Entrada. Allegro
5. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 2. Tempo ordinario d'un Minuetto
6. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 3. Allegro molto
7. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 4. Andante con Variazioni
8. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 5. Allegro scherzando e vivace
9. Serenade For Flute, Violin And Viola In D Major, Op. 25: 6. Adagio - Allegro vivace e disinvolto
10. Sonatina In C Minor: Adagio
11. Adagio In E Flat Major: Adagio (ma non troppo)
12. Sonatine In C Major: Allegro
13. Variations In D Major

Tracks:

1. Trio For Piano Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Trio For Piano Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major: 2. Adagio
3. Trio For Piano Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major: 3.Tema. 'Pria ch'io l'impegno'. Allegretto - Allegro
4. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major: 1. Adagio - Allegro con brio
5. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major:: 2. Adagio cantabile
6. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major:: 3. Tempo di Menuetto
7. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major: 4. Tema. Andante con Variazioni
8. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major: 5. Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace
9. Septet For Violin, Viola, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Cello And Double Bass In E Flat Major: 6. Andante con moto alla Marcia - Presto
10. Fugue For String Quintet In D Major: Allegretto

Tracks:

1. Quintet For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello In C Major: I. Allegro
2. Quintet For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello In C Major: II. Adagio molto espressivo
3. Quintet For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello In C Major: III. Scherzo. Allegro
4. Quintet For 2 Violins, 2 Violas And Cello In C Major: IV. Presto
5. Prelude And Fugue For 2 Violins And Cello In E Minor: Praeludium
6. Prelude And Fugue For 2 Violins And Cello In E Minor: Fuge
7. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 1 In E Flat Major
8. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 2 In G Major
9. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 3 In C Major
10. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 4 In F Major
11. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 5 In D Major
12. Six Minuets For Two Violins And Bass: No. 6 In G Major
13. Duet For Viola And Cello In E Flat Major: Allegro
14. Duet For Viola And Cello In E Flat Major: Allegretto
15. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 1 In D Major
16. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 2 In D Major
17. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 3 In D Major
18. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 4 In D Minor
19. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 5 In D Major
20. Six Landler For Two Violins And Bass: No. 6 In D Major
21. Duet For Two Violins In A Major
22. Canon In A Major (Probably For Two Violins)

Tracks:

1. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 1. Air ecossais: 'The Cottage Maid'. Tema. Andantino quasi Allegretto - Var. I-II - Var. III. Allegro - Tempo I
2. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 2. Air ecossais: 'Von edlem Geschlect war Shinkin'. Tema. Allegretto scherzoso - Var. I-II - Var. III. Allegretto-Allegro
3. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 3. Air autrichien: 'A Schusserl und a Reindl'. Tema. Andantino - Var. I-IV - Var. V. Adagio sostenuto, ma non troppo - Var. VI. Andante con moto
4. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 4. Air ecossais: 'The Last Rose Of Summer'. Tema. Andante expressivo assai - Var. I-III
5. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 5. Air ecossais: 'Chiling O'Guiry'. Tema. Allegretto spiritoso - Var. I-II - Var. III. Allegro assai
6. Six Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 6. Air ecossais: 'Paddy Whack'. Tema. Allegretto piu tosto vivace - Var. I-IV
7. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 1. Air tirolien: 'I bin a Tiroler Bua'. Tema. Moderato - Var. I-III - Var. IV. Allegro
8. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 2. Air ecossais: 'Bonnie Laddie, Highland Laddie'. Tema. Allegretto, quasi vivace - Var. I-III - Var. IV. Andante mosso, alla Siciliano - Allegro
9. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 3. Volkslied aus Kleinrussland. Tema. Vivace - Var. I-IV - Var. V. Adagio sostenuto - Tempo I
10. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: Air ecossais: 'St .Patrick's Day'. Tema. Allegretto scherzoso - Var. I - Var. II. Poco adagio - Vivace - Moderato - Tempo I
11. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 5. Air tirolien: 'A Madel, ja a Madel'. Tema. Moderato - Var. I-II - Var. III. Maestoso - Allegro
12. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 6. Air ecossais: 'Peggy's Daughter'. Tema. Andante comodo - Var. I-III - Var. IV. Vivace
13. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 7. Air russe: 'Schone Minka'. Tema. Andante - Var. I-IV - Var. V. Andante moderato - Var. VI. Allegro - Adagio - Andante commodo - Poco vivace
14. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 8. Air ecossais: 'O Mary At Thy Window Be'. Tema. Andantino quasi Allegretto - Var. I-III - Var. IV. Un poco piu mosso - Allegro assai
15. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 9. Air ecossais: 'Oh, Thou Art The Lad Of My Heart'. Tema. Allegretto piu tosto vivace - Var. I - Var. II. Cantabile e legato - Var. III - Var. IV. Andante espressivo - Var. V. Vivace
16. Ten Themes With Variations For Piano And Flute: 10. Air ecossais: 'The Highland Watch'. Tema. Spiritoso e marziale - Var. I-II - Var. III. Piu moto - Var. IV. Adagio espressivo - Var. V. Allegro
17. Duo For Two Flute In G Major: Allegro con brio
18. Duo For Two Flute In G Major: Minuetto quasi Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

The "Unknown" Beethoven..........2005-01-03

I think it would not be wrong to say that most casual listeners of classical music know Beethoven mostly by his orchestral works--the symphonies, piano concertos, violin concerto, and overtures. Those who go a little deeper might know him by the piano sonatas, violin sonatas, and string quartets; however, this misses a significant portion of his oeuvre--and a major facet of his ethos and art: specifically, the chamber works and lieder: this is the "unknown" Beethoven.

This collection is absolutely the best, finest, and most excellent presentation of Beethoven's chamber works: the Horn Sonata; the Piano-Wind Quintet; the Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola; the Clarinet Trio; the Septet for mixed strings & winds; and the String Quintet.

Plus, some really nice esoterica: the early piano quartets; trio for piano, flute & bassoon; pieces for mandolin & piano; and pieces for flute & piano.

All of these works fall into Beethoven's First Period; yet, they must not be considered "juvenalia": Beethoven was the greatest artist/poet who ever lived, and his genius was manifest from his teenage years.

Simply Delightful!.......2004-12-23

This is a wonderful collection of Beethoven chamber music. The recordings are intimate, the musicianship is superb...the music is timeless. The piano concerti are the real highlights here; I don't think they can be any better, and the other selections are very pleasant. If you like Beethoven chamber music (and I can't imagine NOT liking it), then this set is highly recommended. Every now and then you come across a boxed set of recordings that you can listen to over and over. This is one such set.

Brilliant if sometimes odd rhythm and tempo.......2001-01-10

This CD, part of the magnus opus of Beethoven's works committed to CD is wonderfully brilliant and evocative of the renditions of the early 1950's.

Although there are the rare rhythmic, and very rare tempo peculiarities this must remain as one of the finest renditions of Beethoven's Chamber Works. This is of course to be expected from works produced by DDG.

A highly recommended set of CDs that should have pride of place in any serious collector of Beethoven's music and these CDs have the brilliant quality associated with the plastics produced by DDG.

Track Listings:

1. Couperin: Harpsichord Works
2. d'Indy: String Quartets 1 & 2
3. Domenico Scarlatti: Sonatas, Volume II
4. Du Mingxin: Violin Concerto/Piano Concerto "Spirit of Spring"
5. Enescu: Vox Maris Op31; Symphony No2
6. Engelbert Humperdinck: Moorish Rhapsody / Sleeping Beauty
7. Esclarmonde Suite / Cendrillon Suite
8. Fantaisie / Concertstuck
9. Festive Symphony
10. Flowings

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Keystroke [CD-single] [Import]

Portrait of Di Bari: 6 New Etudes, Sta #1, Etc

Playground

Music: The Best Of

Projection

Pop Hits Monthly Karaoke - URBAN June 2005

R.I.O.T. (Righteous Invasion of Truth)

Ravel: Boléro; Pavane pour une infante défunte [Enhanced]

Rolling Again

Mi Historia

Past Lives [Explicit Lyrics]

Sanctuary: Reflection [Original recording remastered]

Soulful Gospel Christmas

Chopin: Complete Mazurkas / Frederic Chiu

Hed Kandi: Winter Chill 06.04