I made a point of comparing their version with the celebrated Takacs Quartet account of the later quartets, and while I admired the Takacs' elegance and subtlety, their interpretation was simply too urbane, too civilised and lacking the attack and energy that the Medici bring to these strange and wonderful works. For many years now I have wanted to own the complete set of Beethoven string quartets. And it is also tempting when this is offered in one complete package. This set from Sony is a reissue of the aggregation that was first released in 2012 of the Tokyo String Quartet's outstanding Beethoven cycle recorded from 1989 to 1992 in (Dallas and) Princeton. WORKS: The Complete String Quartets PERFORMER: Alexander Quartet CATALOGUE NO: CD 1996/1999/2002 . Based in France after 1945, their reputation grew steadily through the 1950s and 60s, founded upon their performances of the Beethoven and Bartók quartets particularly. 18/2 (1798) ... As such, it was among the first Beethoven quartet cycles available to LP collectors. It appears to have been out of the CD catalogue for some while, so its reissue is very welcome, for these performances rank among the finest on disc. The late quartets, with their unrelenting vivacity and brilliance of invention, are superbly brought off, but in the earlier works, which are less consistent in quality, one gets the impression that the players were not quite as enthusiastic as they might have been. Ludvig van Beethoven. The group’s approach to these seminal works is faithful yet original, playing with a striking cross between the multi-hued zeal and scope of orchestral playing and the freedom and flexibility of chamber music–an intoxicating combination. Review: Beethoven – “Revelations” – Complete String Quartets Vol. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, The Talich Quartet lets the composer speak, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2019. Then there is the matter of cost - seven or eight CD's can equate to £70 or £80 - a considerable outlay for something of an unknown quantity. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. Quartet #1 in F Major, Op. Based in France after 1945, their reputation grew steadily through the 1950s and 60s, founded upon their performances of the Beethoven and Bartók quartets … 130, but the Medici are equally adept in capturing the grim, savage glee of Beethoven's wilder effusions in the "Grosse Fuge". The Budapest String Quartet, one of the past century’s greatest ensembles, certainly was in its element with Beethoven’s middle quartets. I was not altogether unreservedly happy with the performance - the Medici's string tone, while pleasant, is unconventional, and I feel that it does not quite suit these pieces. 1-6 when he was around 27-30 years of age, nos. They are very different from the Endellion Quartet Beethoven Complete String Quartets,Quintets and fragments, another set that I like very much. I had always preferred the idea of a complete set rather than to risk potential duplication when buying separately. 130. The performances are worthy of the works! The Miró Quartet began recording the Op. I can't even agree that they pull off the later quartets any better. Prospective buyers might wish to check the product description to verify whether the item offered for sale is eight CDs or one of the four CD sets. Don't hesitate; save your money for other, more expensive items on your wish list and make this your set of Beethoven string quartets. It may be the best value set of CD's ever. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2000. Each separate Box set carries the inscription ‘Complete String Quartets’. Thse are deeply felt yet unfussy performances, beautifully in tune, technically impeccable and responsive to all the shades of dynamic and tone that this incredible music requires. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display … Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 January 2000. The String Quartets. This is in fact the Alexander String Quartet’s second complete Beethoven cycle, the first having appeared a few years ago on the Arte Nova label. Try again. In tandem with Andrew Manze's able leadership of the Deutsches Sy... Continue Reading Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. 7-11 when he was 35-40, nos. The scrapes and squeaks just get in the way all the more as the music becomes more demanding. Prime members enjoy fast & free shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video and many more exclusive benefits. I note that Gramophone was sniffy about the Artemis recordings, wheras MusicWeb International and International Record Review … Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2010. It's a progress through the 16 quartets that grows organically in understanding and depth as it goes on, moulded in a way that always seems perfectly natural, never self-conscious. An incredible bargain - but certainly not cut price in quality, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2008. This latest and long awaited incarnation of the revered Talich Quartet's complete cycle is done wonders with remastering. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. Honours are even with the Hungarian Quartet; I am partial to the peculiar sound of the Talichs - especially the first violinist Petr Messiereur - in the two discs containing the Quartets 9 & 14 and 11 & 12, the Hungarians outscore them in the Grosse Fugue and op. by the Quartetto Italiano I gave this box away to someone I knew wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Select Your Cookie Preferences. Once I got my, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2020, I bought the new La Dolce Vita set under the impression it had been newly remastered. Beethoven: The Late Quartets review – serene and assured performances 4 / 5 stars 4 out of 5 stars. This can lead to some confusion. So it has been a long time dilemma, pay a fortune for what might be a patchy or poor performance, or buy separately and end up with a patchy or poor collection. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets at Amazon.com. The Bottom Line: This new Beethoven concerto cycle on Alpha looks like it's going to be one of the major events of the Beethoven year. Partly because of the purity that the musical form brings, and also the mystique of being some of the composers last works. String Quartet #1 in F Major, Op. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. They recorded cycles of both composers twice, and this is the second of their Beethoven sets, originally made for Auvidis in the early 1970s.