Beethoven: Quartets I

Beethoven: Quartets, Vol. 1

Alban Berg Quartett
EMI Classics 54587 (4 CDs)

Contents:

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4

1. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Scherzo (Andante scherzoso quasi Allegretto)
3. Menuetto (Alegretto) & Trio
4. Allegro

String Quartet No. 14 in C# minor, Op. 131

5. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
6. Allegro molto vivace
7. Allegro moderato
8. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
9. Presto
10. Adagio quasi un poco andante
11. Allegro

String Quartet No. 1 in F, Op. 18 No. 1

1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
3. Scherzo (Allegro molto) & Trio
4. Allegro

String Quartet No. 10 in Eb, Op. 74 "Harp"

5. Poco adagio - Allegro
6. Adagio ma non troppo
7. Presto
8. Allegretto con Variazoni

String Quartet No. 3 in D, Op. 18 No. 3

1. Allegro
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro
4. Presto

String Quartet No. 13 in Bb, Op. 130

5. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
6. Presto
7. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
8. Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai)
9. Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo)
10. Finale (Allegro)

String Quartet No. 12 in Eb, Op. 127

1. Maestoso - Allegro
2. Adagio ma non troppo, molto cantabile
3. Scherzando vivace
4. Finale

String Quartet No. 7 in F, Op. 59 No. 1 "Rasumovsky"

5. Allegro
6. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
7. Adagio molto e mesto
8. Allegro (Thème russe)

Performers: Günter Pichler (violin), Gerhard Schulz (violin), Thomas Kakuska (viola), Valentin Erben (cello)

Playing time: 252'

Recording date: June 1989 (Vienna)

This cycle was recorded live over the course of consecutive evening concerts.

These performance are vibrant, and really set themselves above the other complete sets. There are certainly better examples if one goes disc by disc. I think being live helps, because these quartets are rather uneven.

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