Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Gewandhaus Quartet
Number of Discs: 10
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: New Classical Adventure
Release: 2003
Size: 2.47 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18
01. I. Allegro con brio
02. II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
03. III. Scherzo: Allegro molto
04. IV. Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Adagio cantabile
07. III. Scherzo: Allegro
08. IV. Allegro molto quasi presto
CD 02
String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Andante con moto
03. III. Allegro
04. IV. Presto
String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18
05. I. Allegro ma non tanto
06. II. Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
07. III. Menuetto: Allegretto – Trio
08. IV. Allegro – Prestissimo
CD 03
String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Menuetto
03. III. Andante cantabile
04. IV. Allegro
String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 18
05. I. Allegro con brio
06. II. Adagio ma non troppo
07. III. Scherzo: Allegro
08. IV. La Malinconia: Adagio – Allegretto quasi allegro
CD 04
String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1, ‘Rasumovsky’
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
03. III. Adagio molto e mesto –
04. IV. Theme russe: Allegro
CD 05
String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 “Razumovsky”
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Molto adagio
03. III. Allegretto
04. IV. Finale: Presto
String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74, ‘Harp’
05. I. Poco adagio – Allegro
06. II. Adagio ma non troppo
07. III. Presto
08. IV. Allegretto con variazioni
CD 06
String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, ‘Rasumovsky’
01. I. Introduzione: Andante con moto – Allegro vivace
02. II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
03. III. Menuetto: Grazioso –
04. IV. Allegro molto
String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 “Quartetto serioso”
05. I. Allegro con brio
06. II. Allegretto ma non troppo
07. III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso
08. IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro
CD 07
String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127
01. I. Maestoso – Allegro
02. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Andante con moto –
03. III. Scherzando vivace – Presto – Tempo I
04. IV. Finale
String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
05. I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressivo –
06. II. Allegro molto vivace –
07. III. Allegro moderato – Adagio –
08. IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
09. V. Presto – Molto poco adagio –
10. VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante –
11. VII. Allegro
CD 08
String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130
01. I. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro
02. II. Presto
03. III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
04. IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai
05. V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo –
06. VI. Finale: Allegro
07. Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133
CD 09
String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
01. I. Assai sostenuto – Allegro
02. II. Allegro ma non tanto
03. III. Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenden an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart: Molto adagio – Neue Kraftfuhtend: Andante – Molto adagio
04. IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace – Piu allegro –
05. V. Allegro appassionato
String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
06. I. Allegretto
07. II. Vivace
08. III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
09. IV. Der schwer gefasste Entschluss: Grave, ma non troppo tratto – Allegro
CD 10
String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
01. IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
02. V. Presto – Molto poco adagio
03. Prof. Gerhard Bosse in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister
String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
04. I. Poco adagio – Allegro
05. Prof. Gerhard Bosse in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister
String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
06. III. Presto
07. Prof. Dietmar Hallmann in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister
String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
08. IV. Allegretto con variazioni
09. Prof. Dietmar Hallmann in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister
String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
10. III. Allegro moderato – Adagio – IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
11. Prof. Karl Suske in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister
String Quartet in F Major, Hess 34 (arr. of Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14, No. 1)
12. I. Allegro moderato
13. II. Allegretto
14. III. Allegro
The Gewandhaus Quartett’s outstanding cycle of Beethoven’s complete string quartets recalls the strengths of the great cycles of the past. One hears echoes of the emotional warmth of the Budapest Quartet’s, the intellectual strength of the Alban Berg Quartet’s first version, the sumptuous tone of the Quartetto Italiano, and the deep spirituality of the Végh Quartet. The Leipzig players’ performances are not just a patchwork of earlier approaches, but uniquely their own. They have a refined but relaxed ensemble, and polished but expressive tone, as well as a powerful but not overdriven sense of rhythm. These attributes create a unique group sound that is informed by tradition but not restrained by it. Like its famous predecessors, the Gewandhaus Quartett’s cycle has strong and weak points. The early quartets (including here the composer’s quartet transcription of his Piano Sonata, Opus 14/1), are bright, shiny, and insightful, and the middle quartets broad, powerful, and soulful. The late quartets, though, while sufficiently spiritualized in the slow movements, lack muscle in the fast movements and cohesion in the fugal movements, particularly in the Grosse Fuge. Nevertheless, in these days of glossy but superficial Beethoven quartet cycles, the Gewandhaus Quartett’s version deserves to be heard by anyone who relishes these canonical works. New Classical Adventure’s digital sound is remarkably natural.