String quartets by contemporaries of Beethoven

[Bol]

I've been listening to 2 recent CDs of string quartets by composers who were contemporaries of Beethoven, certainly not as well-known now, but still wrote very good music. These are:

Franz Krommer's quartets played by Marcolini Quartet (Avi)

Goerge Onslow's quartets played by Diotima Quartet (Naive)

I was wondering whether people know of other quartet recordings that fit the bill. I find it interesting to hear what those who admired Haydn wrote if they did not follow Beethoven's lead. Sort of like alternative musical universe.

Krommer is supposed to have written 77 string quartets, and Onslow 36!! Very few are recorded. I say bring 'em on!

Edited August 7, 2010 by Bol

[manfred]

I've been listening to 2 recent CDs of string quartets by composers who were contemporaries of Beethoven, certainly not as well-known now, but still wrote very good music. These are:

Franz Krommer's quartets played by Marcolini Quartet (Avi)

Goerge Onslow's quartets played by Diotima Quartet (Naive)

I was wondering whether people know of other quartet recordings that fit the bill. I find it interesting to hear what those who admired Haydn wrote if they did not follow Beethoven's lead. Sort of like alternative musical universe.

Krommer is supposed to have written 77 string quartets, and Onslow 36!! Very few are recorded. I say bring 'em on!

...more than 100 string quartets, i read, more than 300 composition alltogether....but i don`t know if that`s right......

some very nice "clarinet-things" are recorded by sabine meyer.....

[Peter Friedman]

After doing a bit of research I discovered 15 additional composers who were contemporaries of Beethoven

who have written string quartets that have been issued on compact disc. I have not heard string quartets by all of these composers, though do have cd's of string quartets by roughly half of those listed below.

Boccherini

Cherubini

Donizetti

Gehot

Hummel

Kuhlau

Paisiello

Ries

Sacchini

Spohr

Vanhal

Viotti

Vorisek

Vranicky

Wranitzky

[Chuck Nessa]

Don't think I'll ever completely digest the Beethovens. No need for others for stimulation for decades.

[MomsMobley]

I know some works by most of those, with special interest in the Hummel sonatas, Boccherini quintets, Spohr, Vanhal and Vorisek symphonies. BIS had one (or two?) discs of Cherubini 4-tets I've been tempted by but haven't heard-- my interest in Cherubini has waned, I suppose, although my interest in Gluck only increases with familiarity.

Hot tip on CONTEMPORARY string quartets, period: George Walker, now available for sampling on Naxos--

My link

video of GW's viola sonata--

My link

[Bol]

After doing a bit of research I discovered 15 additional composers who were contemporaries of Beethoven

who have written string quartets that have been issued on compact disc. I have not heard string quartets by all of these composers, though do have cd's of string quartets by roughly half of those listed below.

Boccherini

Cherubini

Donizetti

Gehot

Hummel

Kuhlau

Paisiello

Ries

Sacchini

Spohr

Vanhal

Viotti

Vorisek

Vranicky

Wranitzky

Thanks. Don't know any of these except Boccherini. Boccherini's string music is available in several Virgin releases from the chamber group Europa Galante led by the violinist Fabio Biondi. These are firy performances, and also beautiful covers. Highly recommneded!!

[soulpope]

Ferdinand Ries - subject recordings are highly recommended !!

http://www.amazon.com/Ries-String-Quartets-Vol-1-Ferdinand/dp/B000CGYO8G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287739959&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Ferdinand-Ries-String-Quartets-Vol/dp/B00111WS2U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1287740018&sr=8-2

[porcy62]

I have the Boccherini quartets and they are good, though Ludwig Van is another level, expecially the late quartets