Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Amadeus Quartet
Number of Discs: 7
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Audite
Catalogue: AUDITE21424
Release: 2013
Size: 1.55 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
01. I. Allegro ma non tanto
02. II. Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
03. III. Menuetto: Allegretto
04. IV. Allegro – Prestissimo
String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Menuetto
07. III. Andante cantabile con variazioni
08. IV. Allegro
String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18, No. 6 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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’ (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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’ (Ludwig van Beethoven)
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Molto adagio: Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
07. III. Allegretto – Maggiore
08. IV. Finale: Presto
CD 04
String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, ‘Rasumovsky’ (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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, ‘Serioso’ (Ludwig van Beethoven)
05. I. Allegro con brio
06. II. Allegretto ma non troppo
07. III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso – Piu allegro
08. IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro
CD 05
String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
01. I. Maestoso – Allegro
02. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Andante con moto
03. III. Scherzo: Vivace
04. IV. Finale
String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
05. I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressivo
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 06
String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
01. I. Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro – Tempo I
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
String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
07. I. Allegretto
08. II. Vivace
09. III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
10. IV. Der schwer gefasste Entschluss: Grave, ma non troppo tratto – Allegro
11. Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133
CD 07
String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
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 – Presto
String Quintet in C major, Op. 29 (Ludwig van Beethoven)
06. I. Allegro moderato
07. II. Adagio molto espressivo
08. III. Scherzo: Allegro
09. IV. Presto
Since the beginning of their career, the legendary Amadeus Quartet regularly came to make recordings at the studios of the RIAS in Berlin. Thus a representative cross-section of the ensemble‘s repertoire came into being in the archive there, which is to be released by Audite in a total of six volumes.
At the beginning of this new series is the (almost) complete Beethoven cycle, recorded 1950-1967 and now being made available to the public for the first time. The recording documents how the Amadeus Quartet develops the Beethovenian quartet cosmos with ontinuous aspiration towards the highest standards. The development of the Beethoven interpretations also shows the evolution of the ensemble as a whole.
The String Quintet in C major, Op. 20 recorded together with the viola player Cecil Aronowitz, is by no means merely a substitute for the String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 74, which was not taken into account in the production plans of the RIAS.
The RIAS studio recordings are also distinguished for the fact that each movement of a work has been recorded in one continuous take. The resulting intensity combines the excitement of a live situation with the advantages of the studio setting. These recordings thus stand in contrast to later studio productions of the same repertoire.
Between 1950 and 1967, the Amadeus Quartet recorded almost all of the string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven at the Berlin RIAS studios, and Audite’s first volume in a series of the group’s recordings documents its intensive approach to this core repertoire. (No recording from the period exists of the String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, “Harp,” but the String Quintet in C major, “Storm,” is provided here as a bonus.) This seven-CD trimline box set reveals not only the Amadeus Quartet’s maturation as an ensemble and its deepening commitment to Beethoven’s music, but also the ongoing development of recording technology, noticeable in the improvements of the analog sound of the original masters. Even though Audite’s remastering produces clean and nuanced audio, these are still historic recordings that have a rather small, closed-in sound, so this set is mostly recommended for fans of the Amadeus Quartet and specialists in important chamber music recordings.