Beethoven String Quartets, Symphonies...

[Guest Chaney]

Beethoven String Quartets

May I ask which recorded performances you folks like and would recommend?

Edited December 22, 2005 by Chaney

[Chuck Nessa]

Currently available at Yourmusic.

[porcy62]

Difficult to say, Beethoven's works, expecially later works, are so hugely brilliant that almost every performance has something worth listening to. I mean that I never found a 'definitive' performance. Anyway I know the classic Quartetto Italiano, Amadeus Quartet and Lasalle Quartet performances and they are great to one extent or another. Don't know Chuck's recommendation.

Edited December 22, 2005 by porcy62

[Ron S]

This is what I have (highly regarded classic recordings from the late '60's/early '70's, also mentioned above by porcy62):

[J.A.W.]

You know which ones I'd recommend

(See Chuck's post, they're all there)

[Guest Chaney]

You know which ones I'd recommend

(See Chuck's post, they're all there)

I've heard the first CD ( ) of the OP. 18 set and it sounds wonderful.

[Joe]

...more...

Edited December 22, 2005 by Joe

[Chuck Nessa]

Sadly, both volumes are out of print.

[J.A.W.]

Sadly, both volumes are out of print.

I take it you're referring to the Budapest CDs?

[Chuck Nessa]

Sadly, both volumes are out of print.

I take it you're referring to the Budapest CDs?

Yes.

[BruceH]

This is what I have (highly regarded classic recordings from the late '60's/early '70's, also mentioned above by porcy62):

That's a great one!

I also like the cycle by the Alban Berg Quartet.

[porcy62]

I also like the cycle by the Alban Berg Quartet.

I forgot it, great performance too, at least for the middle Quartets, that I owned long time ago.

Edited December 22, 2005 by porcy62

[J.A.W.]

I also like the cycle by the Alban Berg Quartet.

I forgot it, great performance too, at least for the middle Quartets, that I owned long time ago.

Not to offend anyone, but I never really liked the Alban Berg Quartet, too mannered to my ears.

[porcy62]

I also like the cycle by the Alban Berg Quartet.

I forgot it, great performance too, at least for the middle Quartets, that I owned long time ago.

Not to offend anyone, but I never really liked the Alban Berg Quartet, too mannered to my ears.

You may be right, I should listen to them now, since I sold these records more then 10 years ago. Maybe I sold them because I didn't like them. As we say in Italy 'Old age is an ugly (dangerous?) animal'

BTW I still have the Amadeus Quartett first recordings for DG, maybe it's mean something.

[Guy Berger]

I own, and am very pleased with, the Quartetto Italiano.

Guy

[Peter Johnson]

Second (third? Fourth?) the Takacs recordings. Completely brilliant. I discovered the Takacs quartet from recommendations here for their recordings of the Bartok quartets (truly sublime and highly recommended).

Not to derail, but who has and can comment on the Takacs recording of the Smetana and Borodin quartets?

[jazzbo]

The only one I have and really know is the Guarneri Quartet's cycle. I haven't tired of listening to that series of discs and discovering the music yet. The price is really reasonable as well in a budget cd edition from RCA Red Seal.

[gdogus]

The only one I have and really know is the Guarneri Quartet's cycle. I haven't tired of listening to that series of discs and discovering the music yet. The price is really reasonable as well in a budget cd edition from RCA Red Seal.

I own and warmly recommend the Guarneri cycle as well - it's recently been remastered in spectacular sound.

[Guest Chaney]

Thanks very much for the responses.

Anyone know of this material performed on period instruments? (I could be wrong but, aside from clem's post, I don't think any of the above recommendations involve the string quartets using period instruments.)

Edited December 22, 2005 by Chaney

[Joe G]

Should I start a new thread asking about the symphonies, or can we add on to this one?

[porcy62]

Should I start a new thread asking about the symphonies, or can we add on to this one?

Nah, don't bother about a new one, just pm to Clem and Chuck.

Edited December 22, 2005 by porcy62

[Guest Chaney]

Should I start a new thread asking about the symphonies, or can we add on to this one?

OK by me.

I'll subtitle the thread to include symphonies and all things Beethoven.

Unless you'd like to start a new thread...

Edited December 22, 2005 by Chaney

[porcy62]

I'll subtitle the thread to include symphonies and all things Beethoven.

Does it include Beethoven's birthday?

[J.A.W.]

Don't know anything about period instrument Beethoven string quartets. The only period instrument recordings of string quartets I have are the performances of Haydn string quartets by the (French) Quatuor Mosaïques. They're great.

[J.A.W.]

My favorite Beethoven symphonies performances:

3 - Philharmonia Orchestra London/Otto Klemperer - EMI (the 1956 mono recording, not the later stereo remake)

3 - Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam/ Pierre Monteux - Philips

4 - Philharmonia Orchestra London/Otto Klemperer - EMI

5 and 7 - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Carlos Kleiber - DG; these are absolutely stunning performances!

6 - Philharmonia Orchestra London/Otto Klemperer - EMI

9 - Philharmonia Orchestra London/Wilhelm Furtwängler - Tahra (live performance at the 1954 Luzern Festival, Switzerland)

Edited December 22, 2005 by J.A.W.