Which Late Quartet Recordings

[dwills]

As I write this, I'm listening to the last mvmnt of op. 132 by the Melos Quartet from 1985 on DG. I also picked up yesterday, and have been reading, "Beethoven His Spiritual Development" by JWN Sullivan (ISBM 0-394-70100-3) as suggested on another message here (my first book on Beethoven and, if I may add, not a particularly easy one if judged by the first 20 or so pages).

I have always found the late quartets a challenge and it begins to occur to me that I may not be listening to a particularly good interpretation. Before buying another, I wonder if there is a consensus of the most respected (and available) interpretation.

Any opinions (or perhaps someone could point me to an already existing discussion)?

[Rod]

Originally posted by dwills:
As I write this, I'm listening to the last mvmnt of op. 132 by the Melos Quartet from 1985 on DG. I also picked up yesterday, and have been reading, "Beethoven His Spiritual Development" by JWN Sullivan (ISBM 0-394-70100-3) as suggested on another message here (my first book on Beethoven and, if I may add, not a particularly easy one if judged by the first 20 or so pages).

I have always found the late quartets a challenge and it begins to occur to me that I may not be listening to a particularly good interpretation. Before buying another, I wonder if there is a consensus of the most respected (and available) interpretation.

Any opinions (or perhaps someone could point me to an already existing discussion)?

I have an excellent recording of op132 by the Fitzwilliam Quartet on Decca, but generally I would say from my experience that it is the early quartets that seem to provide the most interpretational difficulties!


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Michael]

Originally posted by dwills:
[B] I also picked up yesterday, and have been reading, "Beethoven His Spiritual Development" by JWN Sullivan (ISBM 0-394-70100-3) as suggested on another message here (my first book on Beethoven and, if I may add, not a particularly easy one if judged by the first 20 or so pages).

B]

Stay with it! The first and shorter part of the book is quite difficult. It deals with music in general, and it needs to be read a few times. But the major part, dealing with Beethoven's life and music, is much easier and well worth reading.
My favourite recordings of the late quartets are by the Quartetto Italiano and should be available on the Philips label. They were made in the seventies but still sound great.

Michael

[Joy]

I agree the book is very good. I read it a while ago and learned a lot from it. The part about Beethoven's life and music was very good as this is the area I am most interested in when reading about Beethoven.
I have the complete edition of his string quartets (9 CD's) by the Alexander String Quartet. Quite a good recording.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Tony John Hearne]

My only compilation is on vinyl by the Guarneri Quartet on RCA Victor which set the pace for me prety much for ever, but there may well be others that surpass. Back in the early 70's most people went for the Amadeus Quartet on DGG but i always preferred the Guarneri, particularly Grosse Fugue which for me is the spirit of the late Quartets and, in many ways, one of the Maestro's most exciting and revolutionary works