Smetana Quartet: Beethoven – The Complete String Quartets (24/192 FLAC)

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Smetana Quartet
Number of Discs: 7
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Supraphon
Catalogue: SU42832
Release: 2020
Size: 14.8 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18 No. 1
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 No. 2
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Adagio cantabile. Allegro. Tempo I
07. III. Scherzo – Allegro
08. IV. Allegro molto quasi presto

String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 No. 3
09. I. Allegro
10. II. Andante con moto
11. III. Allegro
12. IV. Presto

CD 02
String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4
01. I. Allegro ma non tanto
02. II. Scherzo – Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
03. III. Menuetto – Allegretto
04. IV. Allegro

String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18 No. 5
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Menuetto
07. III. Andante cantabile
08. IV. Allegro

String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18 No. 6
09. I. Allegro con brio
10. II. Adagio, ma non troppo
11. III. Scherzo – Allegro
12. IV. La Malinconia, adagio – Allegretto quasi allegro

CD 03
String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 No. 1 ‘Rasumovsky No. 1’
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
03. III. Adagio molto e mesto
04. IV. Theme russe. Allegro

String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 ‘Rasumovsky No. 2’
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Molto Adagio
07. III. Allegretto
08. IV. Finale. Presto

CD 04
String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 No. 3 ‘Rasumovsky No. 3’
01. I. Andante con moto. Allegro vivace
02. II. Andante con moto quasi Allegretto
03. III. Menuetto. Grazioso
04. IV. Allegro molto

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 05
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op. 95 ‘Serioso’
01. I. Allegro con brio
02. II. Allegretto ma non troppo
03. III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso
04. IV. Larghetto. Allegro agitato

String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130
05. I. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro
06. II. Presto
07. III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
08. IV. Alla Danza tedesca. Allegro assai
09. V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo

Große Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133
10. I. Fugue. Overtura-fuga. Allegro

String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130
11. VI. Finale. Allegro

CD 06
String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127
01. I. Maestoso. Allegro
02. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile. Andante
03. III. Scherzando vivace. Presto
04. IV. Finale

String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
05. I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressione
06. II. Allegro molto vivace
07. III. Allegro moderato
08. IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
09. V. Presto
10. VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
11. VII. Allegro

CD 07
String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
01. I. Assai sostenuto-allegro
02. II. Allegro ma non tanto
03. III. Molto adagio-andante. Heiliger Dankesgesang eines Ge
04. IV. Alla marcia. Assai vivace. Piu allegro
05. V. Allegro appasionato. Presto

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
06. I. Allegretto
07. II. Vivace
08. III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
09. IV. Grave, ma non troppo

Piano Sonata No. 9 in F Major, Op. 14, No. 1 (Arr. Beethoven for String Quartet, Hess 34)
10. I. Allegro moderato
11. II. Allegretto
12. III. Allegro

The Smetana Quartet are a true legend. For over four decades (1945-1989), the ensemble gained critical acclaim and enthused audiences all over world, particularly in the UK, USA and Japan. They attained perfect chime and extraordinary flexibility in voice leading, resulting in part from their playing the entire repertoire by heart. The quartet performed Beethoven’s works throughout their existence – following Smetana, he was the composer on whose music they focused the most and whose complete quartets were in their repertoire from 1974 onwards. They explored some of Beethoven’s pieces for several years before including them in their concert programmes. In collaboration with a Supraphon team, in 1976 the ensemble embarked upon a colossal project, which in 1985 came to fruition with the release on Nippon Columbia of a recording of the complete Beethoven string quartets. Even though the past decade has seen significant changes pertaining to interpretation and technology, the Smetana Quartet’s account of Beethoven’s works is by no means a “museum exhibit”, with their vivacity and dynamism still enthralling today’s listeners. The recording, carefully digitally remastered from the original analogue tapes, is the very first release beyond Japan. Lovers of perfect sound are afforded the opportunity to listen to it Hi-Res 24 bit/192 kHz. Recorded between 1974 – 1985 Smetana Quartet: Jiří Novák – first violin, Lubomír Kostecký – second violin, Milan Škampa – viola, Antonín Kohout – cello