Amadeus Quartet: Mozart – The String Quartets (6 CD, APE)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performar: Amadeus Quartet: Norbert Brainin (1 violine), Siegmund Nissel (2 violine), Peter Schidolf (viola/alto), Martin Lovett (violoncello)
Audio CD
SPARS Code: A-D
Number of Discs: 6 CD box set
Format: APE (tracks+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 1.92 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc 1:
01. String Quartet No.1 in G, K.80 – 1. Adagio
02. String Quartet No.1 in G, K.80 – 2. Allegro
03. String Quartet No.1 in G, K.80 – 3. Menuetto
04. String Quartet No.1 in G, K.80 – 4. Rondo
05. String Quartet No.2 in D, K.155 – 1. Allegro
06. String Quartet No.2 in D, K.155 – 2. Andante
07. String Quartet No.2 in D, K.155 – 3. Molto allegro
08. String Quartet No.3 in G, K.156 – 1. Presto
09. String Quartet No.3 in G, K.156 – 2. Adagio
10. String Quartet No.3 in G, K.156 – 3. Tempo di Menuetto
11. String Quartet No.4 in C, K.157 – 1. Allegro
12. String Quartet No.4 in C, K.157 – 2. Andante
13. String Quartet No.4 in C, K.157 – 3. Presto
14. String Quartet No.5 in F, K.158 – 1. Allegro
15. String Quartet No.5 in F, K.158 – 2. Andante un poco allegretto
16. String Quartet No.5 in F, K.158 – 3. Tempo di Menuetto
17. String Quartet No.6 in B flat, K.159 – 1. Andante
18. String Quartet No.6 in B flat, K.159 – 2. Allegro
19. String Quartet No.6 in B flat, K.159 – 3. Rondo (Allegro grazioso)

Disc 2:
01. String Quartet No.9 in A, K.169 – 1. Molto allegro
02. String Quartet No.9 in A, K.169 – 2. Andante
03. String Quartet No.9 in A, K.169 – 3. Menuetto
04. String Quartet No.9 in A, K.169 – 4. Rondeaux (Allegro)
05. String Quartet No.10 in C, K.170 – 1. Andante
06. String Quartet No.10 in C, K.170 – 2. Menuetto
07. String Quartet No.10 in C, K.170 – 3. Un poco adagio
08. String Quartet No.10 in C, K.170 – 4. Rondeaux (Allegro)
09. String Quartet No.11 in E flat, K.171 – 1. Adagio – Allegro assai
10. String Quartet No.11 in E flat, K.171 – 2. Menuetto
11. String Quartet No.11 in E flat, K.171 – 3. Andante
12. String Quartet No.11 in E flat, K.171 – 4. Allegro assai
13. String Quartet No.12 in B flat, K.172 – 1. Allegro spiritoso
14. String Quartet No.12 in B flat, K.172 – 2. Adagio
15. String Quartet No.12 in B flat, K.172 – 3. Menuetto
16. String Quartet No.12 in B flat, K.172 – 4. Allegro assai
17. String Quartet No.13 in D minor, K.173 – 1. (Allegro ma molto moderato)
18. String Quartet No.13 in D minor, K.173 – 2. Andantino grazioso
19. String Quartet No.13 in D minor, K.173 – 3. Menuetto
20. String Quartet No.13 in D minor, K.173 – 4. (Allegro)

Disc 3:
01. String Quartet No.14 in G, K.387 – 1. Allegro vivace assai
02. String Quartet No.14 in G, K.387 – 2. Menuetto. Allegretto
03. String Quartet No.14 in G, K.387 – 3. Andante cantabile
04. String Quartet No.14 in G, K.387 – 4. Molto allegro
05. String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421 – 1. Allegro
06. String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421 – 2. Andante
07. String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421 – 3. Minuetto (Allegretto)
08. String Quartet No.15 in D minor, K.421 – 4. Allegro ma non troppo – Più allegro
09. String Quartet No.17 in B flat, K.458 -“The Hunt” – 1. Allegro vivace assai
10. String Quartet No.17 in B flat, K.458 -“The Hunt” – 2. Moderato
11. String Quartet No.17 in B flat, K.458 -“The Hunt” – 3. Adagio
12. String Quartet No.17 in B flat, K.458 -“The Hunt” – 4. Allegro assai

Disc 4:
01. String Quartet No.16 in E flat, K.428 – 1. Allegro ma non troppo
02. String Quartet No.16 in E flat, K.428 – 2. Andante con moto
03. String Quartet No.16 in E flat, K.428 – 3. Allegretto
04. String Quartet No.16 in E flat, K.428 – 4. Allegro vivace
05. String Quartet No.18 in A, K.464 – 1. Allegro
06. String Quartet No.18 in A, K.464 – 2. Menuetto
07. String Quartet No.18 in A, K.464 – 3. Andante
08. String Quartet No.18 in A, K.464 – 4. Allegro non troppo
09. Divertimento in D, K.136 – 1. Allegro
10. Divertimento in D, K.136 – 2. Andante
11. Divertimento in D, K.136 – 3. Presto
12. Divertimento in B flat, K.137 – 1. Andante
13. Divertimento in B flat, K.137 – 2. Allegro di molto
14. Divertimento in B flat, K.137 – 3. Allegro assai

Disc 5:
01. String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 – “Dissonance” – 1. Adagio – Allegro
02. String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 – “Dissonance” – 2. Andante cantabile
03. String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 – “Dissonance” – 3. Menuetto. Allegro
04. String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 – “Dissonance” – 4. Allegro
05. String Quartet No.20 in D, K.499 “Hoffmeister” – 1. Allegretto
06. String Quartet No.20 in D, K.499 “Hoffmeister” – 2. Menuetto (Allegretto)
07. String Quartet No.20 in D, K.499 “Hoffmeister” – 3. Adagio
08. String Quartet No.20 in D, K.499 “Hoffmeister” – 4. Allegro
09. String Quartet No.7 in E flat, K.160 – 1. Allegro
10. String Quartet No.7 in E flat, K.160 – 2. Un poco adagio
11. String Quartet No.7 in E flat, K.160 – 3. Presto
12. String Quartet No.8 in F, K.168 – 1. Allegro
13. String Quartet No.8 in F, K.168 – 2. Andante
14. String Quartet No.8 in F, K.168 – 3. Menuetto
15. String Quartet No.8 in F, K.168 – 4. Allegro

Disc 6:
01. String Quartet No.21 in D, K.575 “Prussian No.1” – 1. Allegretto
02. String Quartet No.21 in D, K.575 “Prussian No.1” – 2. Andante
03. String Quartet No.21 in D, K.575 “Prussian No.1” – 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
04. String Quartet No.21 in D, K.575 “Prussian No.1” – 4. Allegretto
05. String Quartet No.22 in B flat, K.589 “Prussian No.2” – 1. Allegro
06. String Quartet No.22 in B flat, K.589 “Prussian No.2” – 2. Larghetto
07. String Quartet No.22 in B flat, K.589 “Prussian No.2” – 3. Menuetto (Moderato)
08. String Quartet No.22 in B flat, K.589 “Prussian No.2” – 4. Allegro assai
09. String Quartet No.23 in F, K.590 “Prussian No.3” – 1. Allegro moderato
10. String Quartet No.23 in F, K.590 “Prussian No.3” – 2. Allegretto
11. String Quartet No.23 in F, K.590 “Prussian No.3” – 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
12. String Quartet No.23 in F, K.590 “Prussian No.3” – 4. Allegro
13. Divertimento in F, K.138 – 1. (Allegro)
14. Divertimento in F, K.138 – 2. Andante
15. Divertimento in F, K.138 – 3. Presto

Better than the Italiano set!

I’ve owned the Quartetto Italiano Mozart set for years and it only collects dust on my shelf…even though I’ve listened to it complete a few times…I didn’t get that sparkle and joie de vivre, so I thought it must have been Mozart’s fault.

But after seeing this set at my local used classical shop I sprung for it! Since there are not too many complete sets out there, I was hoping the Amadeus would venture better interpretations than the so-called “classic” Philips set. And boy were my expectations surpassed!

The DG sound is full, clear and loud, with that perfect brightness and warmth I was sure to expect. The Philips set sounds muddied and unfocused in comparison. The Amadeus deliver beautiful, spontaneous and intense readings compared to the Italiano, who sound like they’re just flipping through the pages.

My Amadeus set has no dust on it yet and don’t think it ever will!