Jump to content

Beethoven String Quartets, Symphonies...


Guest Chaney

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 69
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

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 by porcy62
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. :tup

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' :g

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

B00011MK6U.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by Chaney
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by Chaney
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by J.A.W.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...