Schubert String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887 new recording

[Stanfordian]

I have a new release of Schubert's String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887 played by the Kuss Quartet on Onyx lasting a massive 52:48. It’s a long work and the Italian Quartet on Philips take even longer at 55:03. I have noticed that the Busch Quartet at London in 1938 only take 39:58 on EMI 3615882 (40:29 given for same 1938 Busch performance on Pristine Audio XR PACM066). Quite a difference between the Kuss/Italian Quartet and the Busch. With the Busch surely this must be down to cuts? Any ideas about the convention in recording the G minor quartet?

Incidentally I have added other total timings to make a comparision between 5 versions:
Italian Quartet on Philips: 55:03
Kuss on Onyx: 52:48
Belcea on EMI: 52:26
Koday on Naxos: 45:10
Brandis on Brilliant Classics: 44:10
Busch on EMI: 39:58

[ostuni]

Not so much cuts as omitted repeats, I'd have thought. Leaving out the exposition repeats in i cuts out about 5-6 minutes of music; there's a shorter repeat in iv which is sometimes omitted, also. My Heutling (EMI) which omits these repeats, runs in at around 41 minutes; the Lindsays (in the bargain Sanctuary box) are 49:24. I assume they do the repeats: I haven't got round to listening to it yet...

[vinteuil]

Any ideas about the convention in recording the G minor quartet?

Incidentally I have added other total timings to make a comparision between 5 versions:
Italian Quartet on Philips: 55:03
Kuss on Onyx: 52:48
Belcea on EMI: 52:26
Kodaly on Naxos: 45:10
Brandis on Brilliant Classics: 44:10
Busch on EMI: 39:58

Heutling 40:28
Chilingirian 43:52
Melos 49:47

[Stanfordian]

Thanks ostuni of course I meant 'repeats' not 'cuts'.

I've just read a piece by Michael Stegemann in the booklet notes to the Kuss Quartet version on Onyx talking about the String Quartet No. 15 in G major saying, "Over 1500 bars in ten days, more than any Beethoven Quartet; lasting over an hour in performance, if all repeats were observed." I've not come across a recording lasting over an hour yet the longest being the Italian Quartet on Philips at 55:03.

[BBMmk2]

Stanford's Legacey: I havn't heard this recording for a long time, re the Italian Quartet's. If memory serves me correctly, it didnt sound tiring?

[Keraulophone]

re the Italian Quartet's. If memory serves me correctly, it didnt sound tiring?

Far from it; for a long time after its LP release, I regarded it as one of the finest records of chamber music ever committed to disc. The first movt. occupied the whole of side one, and it required great effort to rise up and flip the vinyl after being put into such a trance-like state.

[umslopogaas]

As well as the Italian Quartet's version, I have The Amadeus Quartet (DG, 1965) and The Hungarian Quartet (Columbia, mono, 1958) - all on LP. Are the Amadeus and Hungarian currently available? Both fairly heavyweight contenders, I would have thought.

[aeolium]

Far from it; for a long time after its LP release, I regarded it as one of the finest records of chamber music ever committed to disc. The first movt. occupied the whole of side one, and it required great effort to rise up and flip the vinyl after being put into such a trance-like state.

I totally agree, Keraulophone. When I first heard that recording, it was hard to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day - a completely overwhelming experience. It was I think damned with faint praise by some reviewer in BaL, after which I lost interest in that BaL. Another exceptional chamber music performance is that of Rostropovitch and Britten playing the Arpeggione sonata, a memorable partnership with magical accompaniment by Britten.

If you want tiring, then the Brahms Piano Quintet with the Italian Qt and Pollini is a kind of musical blitzkrieg which can leave you feeling mentally battered.