Which recordings of the Beethoven quartets ?

[Joern Halvorsen]

The Strings quartets is the Beethoven
compositions which I like best. Since I can not afford to buy every recordings, I would see if it is possible on this page to reach any consencus on which is advisable before I buy a new set.

To keep the debate clear I would advice that the participants distinguish between recordings of the early, middle and late quartets.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joern Halvorsen:

To keep the debate clear I would advice that the participants distinguish between recordings of the early, middle and late quartets.

For Op.18 I'd go for Quartetto Italiano (Philips)

Op.59 1-3 /Op.74 Hungarian Quartet (EMI)

Late - Talich Quartet (Calliope)

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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Joern Halvorsen:

To keep the debate clear I would advice that the participants distinguish between recordings of the early, middle and late quartets.

I've quite liked the complete set done by the Emerson Quartet. They were featured a couple of years ago on PBS Radio (St. Paul's Sunday) and I was much impressed. Unfortunately, I can't compare them with other performers as my experience there is very limited.

[chopithoven]

I can't compare them with anything, but the Alban Berg quartet version of the late quartets is at least convincent.

[18bman]

Beethoven's "Grosse Fugue" is personally my favorite string quartet. It's one of his late quartets and probably most inovative, as it had considerable influence on the works of Stravinski. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual Beethoven listener, because it does more often than not challenge the listener with its incessantly playful dissonance, but the more I have listened to it, the more it has grown on me.

[Claudie MICAULT]

Try to find the very old BUSH QUARTET...

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Claudie

[PDG]

Originally posted by 18bman:
Beethoven's "Grosse Fugue" is personally my favorite string quartet.

The question has often come up on Fifteen-to-One: Q: Beethoven wrote how many String Quartets? A: 17.

I presume that they count the Grosse Fuge as a separate Quartet along with the other, complete 16, but this notion doesn't sit easily with me.

[Peter]

Originally posted by PDG:
The question has often come up on Fifteen-to-One: Q: Beethoven wrote how many String Quartets? A: 17.

I presume that they count the Grosse Fuge as a separate Quartet along with the other, complete 16, but this notion doesn't sit easily with me.

Aren't they counting the arr of the E major piano sonata Op.14 no.1 ?

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Aren't they counting the arr of the E major piano sonata Op.14 no.1 ?

I doubt they were refering to op14 which is not well known, but the fugue was officially published as an independent work, thus it is legitimately a quartet on its own.

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

[PDG]

Originally posted by Peter:
Aren't they counting the arr of the E major piano sonata Op.14 no.1 ?

Ah, could be!! I shall write to William G. Stewart, forthwith!

[PDG]

Originally posted by Rod:
I doubt they were refering to op14 which is not well known, but the fugue was officially published as an independent work, thus it is legitimately a quartet on its own.

I know that the Fugue was published in a four-hand piano arrangement, but I didn't know that it was printed as a string quartet in its own right.

[Rod]

Originally posted by PDG:
I know that the Fugue was published in a four-hand piano arrangement, but I didn't know that it was printed as a string quartet in its own right.

The deal was that Beethoven would compose a replacement finale for op130 and the fugue would then be published on its own, as op133.

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 02-22-2002).]

[PDG]

Actually, I DID know this! I'm having one of those days..........