Juilliard String Quartet, Complete Epic recordings, 1956/66

[Stanley Stewart]

A particularly warm welcome for today's delivery of Juilliard String Quartet:
The complete Epic recordings, 1956/66, the first-ever release in a single
11-CD edition; 4LPs appearing for the first time on CD, 8CDs remastered
from the analogue tapes; Facsimile LP sleeves and labels, 40 page booklet with full
discographical notes. A treat to explore!

Contents include Mendelssohn- Str Qts 2 & 3, Beethoven- 'Rasumovsky & Harp Qts,
Benjamin Lees, Str Qt 1, Wm Denny, Str Qt 2, Mozart -The Haydn Qts, 14,15,16,17,18, & 19,
Haydn-Str Qt in G major, Str Qt in C major, Str Qt in E Major; Schubert- Str Qt No15-D887,
Brahms- Quintet, Op34, Schubert- Str Qt, No 13-Rosamunde,D804, StrQt No9,D173

Memories to treasure.

[Serial_Apologist]

A particularly warm welcome for today's delivery of Juilliard String Quartet:
The complete Epic recordings, 1956/66, the first-ever release in a single
11-CD edition; 4LPs appearing for the first time on CD, 8CDs remastered
from the analogue tapes; Facsimile LP sleeves and labels, 40 page booklet with full
discographical notes. A treat to explore!

Contents include Mendelssohn- Str Qts 2 & 3, Beethoven- 'Rasumovsky & Harp Qts,
Benjamin Lees, Str Qt 1, Wm Denny, Str Qt 2, Mozart -The Haydn Qts, 14,15,16,17,18, & 19,
Haydn-Str Qt in G major, Str Qt in C major, Str Qt in E Major; Schubert- Str Qt No15-D887,
Brahms- Quintet, Op34, Schubert- Str Qt, No 13-Rosamunde,D804, StrQt No9,D173

Memories to treasure.

Thanks, Stan. I have the Bartok six, which I believe were recorded in the 1970s anyway. I persuaded the chap behind the counter at the record store where I bought them to play the first movements of each one before deciding. In spite of which, no one vacated the shop. And they're excellent, if this is anything to do by.

[Beef Oven!]

I'd really like a set of the Bartok string quartets by the Juilliards but I'm unsure which one to go for. There are three, I think.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'd really like a set of the Bartok string quartets by the Juilliards but I'm unsure which one to go for. There are three, I think.

It turns out my recordings were made in 1963, so presumably are included in the set. My vinyl copies are on CBS Classics. Having also had the Vegh and Fine Arts sets previously, with the slight proviso that No 1 tends slightly towards shrillness in the upper register in the slow fugal movement of No 1 - which might be to other's tastes - I have little difficulty in recommending all six.

[Bryn]

Avoid their final set. The 1963 is very fine.

[Beef Oven!]

It turns out my recordings were made in 1963, so presumably are included in the set. My vinyl copies are on CBS Classics. Having also had the Vegh and Fine Arts sets previously, with the slight proviso that No 1 tends slightly towards shrillness in the upper register in the slow fugal movement of No 1 - which might be to other's tastes - I have little difficulty in recommending all six.

Yes, the 1963 set seems the favoured one. Here's what Gramophone think ..............

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bartók-string-quartets-the

[Beef Oven!]

Avoid their final set. The 1963 is very fine.

Do you have a view on which release? Pristine Classical?

P.S. What's wrong with the 1981 digital set?

[Bryn]

Do you have a view on which release? Pristine Classical?

P.S. What's wrong with the 1981 digital set?

By then the changes in personnel and march of time had led to far less idiomatic performance of Bartok, to my and many others' ears. The 1949 set is rather special, but the mono sound dose not do justice to the playing. I have the Sony issues of the 1963 and 1981 sets, and the West Hill Radio 1949 set which also has the Schönberg and Berg quartets, and the Webern Op. 5.

[Beef Oven!]

Thanks Bryn. 1963 seems nla and pricey! I'll look around.

[Bryn]

Thanks Bryn. 1963 seems nla and pricey! I'll look around.

It's pretty outrageous that the 1963 set has been out of the catalogue for so long. I can't even find lossless downloads of it on the Internet, just lossy iTunes, etc. I had better rip mind as an insurance measure.

[Ah, digging out the CDs of the 1963 recordings I was reminded that I had already backed up Nos. 3, 4 and 5 since No. 4 is spit over 2 discs in the 2001 Sony France release. So just 1, 2 and 6 to be done.]

[richardfinegold]

The 1963 set made an appearance in a Woody Allen movie of the time (I forget which one). Allen has a date and he wants to impress her with his intellectual prowess so he worries about just where in the apartment to ‘casually ‘ display the Bartok.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The 1963 set made an appearance in a Woody Allen movie of the time (I forget which one). Allen has a date and he wants to impress her with his intellectual prowess so he worries about just where in the apartment to ‘casually ‘ display the Bartok.

Play it Again, Sam - Allen seeks Keaton's advice: Oscar Peterson or Bartok. Keaton suggests playing the Peterson and leaving the Bartok out on show.

[umslopogaas]

I'm a bit confused about the dates. I have the original LP issues of the Juilliard Quartet playing the six Bartok quartets. They are on the Columbia label, SAX 5260-2, and discs and sleeve notes (by James Goodfriend) are both dated 1965. Perhaps the recordings were actually made earlier, but not issued on LP until 1965, whereas the CDs (presumably previous posts refer to CD issues) revert to the date of recording?

[Beef Oven!]

I'm a bit confused about the dates. I have the original LP issues of the Juilliard Quartet playing the six Bartok quartets. They are on the Columbia label, SAX 5260-2, and discs and sleeve notes (by James Goodfriend) are both dated 1965. Perhaps the recordings were actually made earlier, but not issued on LP until 1965, whereas the CDs (presumably previous posts refer to CD issues) revert to the date of recording?

Everything that I've read gives the three sets, dates of 1949, 1963 & 1981.

[richardfinegold]

I'm a bit confused about the dates. I have the original LP issues of the Juilliard Quartet playing the six Bartok quartets. They are on the Columbia label, SAX 5260-2, and discs and sleeve notes (by James Goodfriend) are both dated 1965. Perhaps the recordings were actually made earlier, but not issued on LP until 1965, whereas the CDs (presumably previous posts refer to CD issues) revert to the date of recording?

Release dates may also differ for the U.S. and the U.K. Perhaps the 1963 set wasn’t released in the U.K. Until 1965