Beethoven String Quartets on record

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - that was a very honest and somewhat surprising revelation, but then it is impossible to study everything that one be interested in, unless near immortality is achieved.

Indeed. But CD wasn't a pianist - in fact, isn't it true that he was rejected a place on a Conductor's Course because he couldn't play the Piano?

[Bryn]

Since it's now in recorded form on the iPlayer, what about the Michelangeli Quartet's Wigmore Hall Lunchtime performance of Op. 130/133 Today? Very fine, I thought.

[richardfinegold]

Endlessly fascinating from so many different angles: and that terrible story of the Danish village in WW2* ...

EDIT: * = Gilleleje; and I'm ashamed I had forgotten the name - it should be universally known.

I just read that section. How sad.

[amateur51]

Youtube has the complete set by Quartetto Italiano for your listening pleasure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkUsrlDLch8

[Don Petter]

Youtube has the complete set by Quartetto Italiano for your listening pleasure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkUsrlDLch8

I might need them as a restorative. I recently picked up the Alban Berg's Late Quartets box in a charity shop and found them quite uninvolved and uninvolving.

It is being returned to another charity.

[Bryn]

Resurrected. Just ordered Beethoven's Hair.

[kea]

What about this? Still a luxury item, it seems......

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Str...iard+beethoven

Oh, that's not nearly so bad. But still a little bit out of my price range for the moment.

I'm actually a little bit curious about Belcea, based on a limited amount of sampling, and quite a bit curious about the Hagen, based on their excellent Grosse Fuge on a Schubert Quintet recording (though I don't think they've recorded a complete cycle).

[visualnickmos]

.... I recently picked up the Alban Berg's Late Quartets box in a charity shop and found them quite uninvolved and uninvolving.

It is being returned to another charity.

Blimey! You really don't like 'em! I myself am keen to try out the Quartetto Italiano's set - it seems to be generally held up as a benchmark.....

Many years ago I picked up in a charity shop the Medici's set (Nimbus) but, although well-recorded, doesn't somehow 'do it' for me...... I never listen to it nowadays. Does anyone else have any thoughts about acquiring a second, alternative version? I have the Alban Berg and the Juilliard (1964-1970) which is pretty damn fine IMVHO

[richardfinegold]

See if the Hungarian Quartet set is available.
I picked it up on a French EMI reissue a few years ago & it is my go to set

[Bryn]

See if the Hungarian Quartet set is available.
I picked it up on a French EMI reissue a few years ago & it is my go to set

It is sort of available. I have it on order but it looks like taking about a month for amazon.co.uk to dispatch the set. As indicated below, it includes AutoRip mp3s which may be played online. However, I have found that if you want to download the AutoRip mp3s, Quartets 12, 14, 15 and 16 are not included in the zip file you get. I have reported the omission but do not expect a swift resolution if they are planning on taking month to dispatch the CDs. Their porly written software will not permit me to change from Prime delivery to Super Saver, either.

[amateur51]

Blimey! You really don't like 'em! I myself am keen to try out the Quartetto Italiano's set - it seems to be generally held up as a benchmark.....

Many years ago I picked up in a charity shop the Medici's set (Nimbus) but, although well-recorded, doesn't somehow 'do it' for me...... I never listen to it nowadays. Does anyone else have any thoughts about acquiring a second, alternative version? I have the Alban Berg and the Juilliard (1964-1970) which is pretty damn fine IMVHO

Love this set visualnickmos - all elbows They really get stuck in

[amateur51]

I found this comparative (-sh) review of Beethoven quartets by Tully Potter on the Elias String quartet's website a while back. Very useful as a prompt and guide but not infallible (which makes it more interersting I think )

http://thebeethovenproject.com/exploring-the-beethoven-quartets-on-disc-many-paths-to-nirvana/

[richardfinegold]

It is sort of available. I have it on order but it looks like taking about a month for amazon.co.uk to dispatch the set. As indicated below, it includes AutoRip mp3s which may be played online. However, I have found that if you want to download the AutoRip mp3s, Quartets 12, 14, 15 and 16 are not included in the zip file you get. I have reported the omission but do not expect a swift resolution if they are planning on taking month to dispatch the CDs. Their porly written software will not permit me to change from Prime delivery to Super Saver, either.

The lps were broadly distributed here on an EMI budget label and most lp resale stores that I visit seem to have a set. I am not sure the CDs were ever released here; I had to order mine from an import site a few years back.

[Bryn]

The lps were broadly distributed here on an EMI budget label and most lp resale stores that I visit seem to have a set. I am not sure the CDs were ever released here; I had to order mine from an import site a few years back.

Although most of the late quartets wee missing from the zip download, I found I could download them separately, so now have the complete set in c. 224kbps mp3s. Despite the source being mono, they have stupidly encoded them as joint stereo, thus wasting a good many bits that could have been better used if the encoded was restricted to a single channel. Ah well, a bit much to expect them to actually think about such issues, I suppose. At least I have something to listen to until the CDs arrive.

By the way, you can get the mp3s from amazon.com for $8.99.

[teamsaint]

Blimey! You really don't like 'em! I myself am keen to try out the Quartetto Italiano's set - it seems to be generally held up as a benchmark.....

Many years ago I picked up in a charity shop the Medici's set (Nimbus) but, although well-recorded, doesn't somehow 'do it' for me...... I never listen to it nowadays. Does anyone else have any thoughts about acquiring a second, alternative version? I have the Alban Berg and the Juilliard (1964-1970) which is pretty damn fine IMVHO

The QI set is available in full on Youtube, if that helps.

It has been invaluable to me in getting to know these works better.