# Beethoven - Late Quartets - Which would you choose?



## HappyHoppy (Dec 19, 2018)

Hello All,
This is my first post ... I am trying to discern which of Beethoven’s Late Quartets’ recordings is the best to purchase - I haven’t heard any of the choices below, but a bit of insight would help ...
1) The Beethoven Late Quartets - Takacs Quartet - 2005 release
2) Alban Berg Quartet - 1989 Recording
3) Quartetto Italiano - 1968/1969 recording (Decca Classics)

Thanks all for your help ... 

Warmest Regards to all.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Takacs. ……………………………..


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Alban Berg Quartet ( first recording though) Takács Quartet, in that order.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

First I would not be able to live without this ...









I do also enjoy quite a few others, including the Vegh.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

For each of the late quartets I have a different "favorite" performance by a different ensemble. The Italiano's 1960's Opp.130 and 133 (originally on Philips) are superb.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Busch
Budapest
Hungarian
Vegh
Hollywood


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

HappyHoppy said:


> Hello All,
> This is my first post ... I am trying to discern which of Beethoven's Late Quartets' recordings is the best to purchase - I haven't heard any of the choices below, but a bit of insight would help ...
> 1) The Beethoven Late Quartets - Takacs Quartet - 2005 release
> 2) Alban Berg Quartet - 1989 Recording
> ...


I have these plus the Amadeus and a few odd quartets that aren't complete sets. You wouldn't be unhappy with any of the ones you have in your post.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

I don't have any of these recordings. My three sets of Beethoven's Late Quartets are from the Amadeus, Kodaly and Melos quartets. I don't have a favorite amongst these. I feel that in the joyful moments the Melos shines, but then the Kodaly plays the slow movements in a way that I prefer, and I haven't listened much to the Amadeus yet.

I can't live without a CD of the Prazak Quartet playing Op. 132 and Op. 135 though. It was my introduction to the Late Quartets and I love every aspect of this performance, including the violins _crying_ in the third movements of both quartets.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

For what it's worth, in my opinion the Italian Quartet are very good but the Philips' late 60s recordings are no longer 'state of the art'.

The Alban Berg Quartet are very polished and well recorded but can be a bit lacking in emotional expression. The Tokyo Quartet are also good.

My favourite recorded performances from that era are by the Talich Quartet on Calliope, for intimate and utterly poetic music making. The recording quality is nothing special by today's standards, though.

I haven't heard the many well-received modern recordings of the late Beethoven quartets so can't offer you any opinion on them. Many people, and The Gramophone, have expressed a preference for the Takacs quartet's cycle.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

TurnaboutVox said:


> My favourite recorded performances from that era are by the Talich Quartet on Calliope, for intimate and utterly poetic music making. The recording quality is nothing special by today's standards, though.


 I think the recording is an absolute gem though you're probably right to think that "by today's standards" it's not ideal. But that shows a limitation with today's standards.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Another vote for the Talich Quartet from me, although you won't go far wrong with the Takács Quartet.


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> First I would not be able to live without this ...
> 
> View attachment 110795
> 
> ...


That's my first choice.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Vegh
Budapest (mono)
Italiano
Berg
Talich


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Of the three you listed, I prefer the Takacs. My introduction to the late quartets was with the Quartetto Italiano, who are good, but I don't listen to them much anymore. The Bergs are very precise but lacking in je ne sais quoi.

My personal favorite is the first Lindsay cycle. They get to the heart of the pieces. The Busch Quartet is like that also, though the C# minor quartet is a disappointment. The Vegh quartet is worth hearing also.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

This is about the most impossible question to give a definitive answer to! Nobody has said anything here I could disagree with! Well, apart from the comment above on the Busch Op.131.....:angel:

I thought I was the only one who admired the Lindsay's, mind. Not first choice any more, but a wonderful traversal of the set. If pushed, I'd never want to lose the late Busch either, but recording quality is still important in these works, so they're an essential (underlined!) supplement for me.

My two best sets are firstly the Talichs, their qualities and characteristics more than adequately described above. Then there's a relatively new set, that is also glorious from first to last, and that's the Gewandhaus Quartet. With them, you're right there, with the Talichs they're playing for themselves and you're eavesdropping, which is beautiful. A different kind of intimacy.

Another fabulous set of the late Quartets is the Smetana Quartet on Supraphon.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Manxfeeder said:


> Of the three you listed, I prefer the Takacs. My introduction to the late quartets was with the Quartetto Italiano, who are good, but I don't listen to them much anymore. The Bergs are very precise but lacking in je ne sais quoi.
> 
> My personal favorite is the first Lindsay cycle. They get to the heart of the pieces. The Busch Quartet is like that also, though the C# minor quartet is a disappointment. The Vegh quartet is worth hearing also.


Ha, the Busch op 131 is my favorite quartet recording of all time! Great minds think...oppositely?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Ha, the Busch op 131 is my favorite quartet recording of all time! Great minds think...oppositely?


I sure hope so! I kind of feel bad about admitting it, but to my ears, in this one they don't seem to plumb the depths as deeply as the Lindsays, at least as far as the way I want to hear them from this piece. But it is definitely well played.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Guarneri Quartet, not the digital on Philips, but the earlier analog one on RCA.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> I hope so. I kind of feel bad about admitting it, but to my ears, in this one they don't seem to plumb the depths as deeply as the Lindsays, at least as far as the way I want to hear them from this piece. But it is definitely well played.


How many recordings are there of it by The Lindsays? I'm less enthusiastic than you about the recording I have, but it may not be the same one.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Mandryka said:


> How many recordings are there of it by The Lindsays? I'm less enthusiastic than you about the recording I have, but it may not be the same one.


There was a cycle in the late '70s-early '80s, then they redid it in 2001. Their intonation isn't always spot on, but they sound like they're always on the edge of their chairs, going for broke.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The Yale Quartet


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

I've been very satisfied with the Emerson Quartet box set (7 CDs) from Deutsche Grammophon. It was absurdly cheap when I bought it about 5 years ago.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

starthrower said:


> The Yale Quartet


Great stuff, but only the late Quartets, I assume??


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Yale Quartet was very good. Their entire late quartets (and only the late ones) can be had on a 99-cent superbudget download:

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Beethove...&qid=1545258877&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0

Or you can get the entire quartet cycle played by the Colorado Quartet, also very good and also 99 cents:

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Co...&qid=1545259025&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0

The Colorado cycle has the advantage of excellent sonics.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

As far as I know, the Yale only did the late quartets. 

Another worthy reading is The Budapest String Quartet, live at the Library of Congress.


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## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

“Furtwänglerian” is how the Vegh quartets recordings of the string quartets has been described. Their leader Sandor Vegh is one of these very few utterly musical people, Casals being another, who could do no wrong. Everything he did was infused with a spirit of something from the past, now forgotten. They recorded 2 cycles, go for the later stereo version on Valois.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

millionrainbows said:


> As far as I know, the Yale only did the late quartets.
> 
> Another worthy reading is The Budapest String Quartet, live at the Library of Congress.


I have always liked the Yale performances -- but only for Opp. 127, 131, and 132. For some reason, the others -- which all have Walter Trampler playing viola-- are markedly less good. Is it Trampler?


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## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

I don't think I've heard nearly as many readings of the Late Quartets as many members here probably have, but for my two cents, I'll take the Quatuor Mosaïques' period instrument recording from a year or two ago. If HIP stuff doesn't do it for you, I'd probably pick the Emerson. Also a fan of the Lindsays.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I'd certainly like to hear the Quatuor Mosaiques late Quartets, though a review I've seen suggested strenths ("gentle sound...light touch") and weaknesses ("superficial in some places").

I've really not enjoyed the Emerson Quartet in anything except Webern, but tastes differ and many do like them.


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2018)

I take a contemporary view to Beethoven's timeless masterpieces. His last string quartets are probably the major achievement in the history of music. I like the versions proposed by Takacs, Alban Berg, Belcea Qt, Prazak Qt, Auryn Qt, Quatuor Mosaiques.
Of course I have listened to versions by the Vegh Qt and others, but then I choose for the recording quality and the infinite knowledge interpreters have accumulated during the last decades about these unique works.


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## Brahmatist (Jul 27, 2013)

I'm always surprised to see the relative lack of appreciation for the Alban Berg recordings (I'm only familiar with the early 80s recordings). They were my introduction to the Beethoven quartets and for the most part I have yet to come across another ensemble that can equal these performances. This is especially true of the late quartets. 

Their Great Fugue rendition is THE definitive version, as far as I'm concerned. It is the only version I've heard that strikes the razor-thin balance of chaos and order. This piece tends to defeat most of those who dare to attempt it but ABQ's technical mastery here really pays off. The structural brilliance of the piece, especially when taken in its proper context as the Op.130 finale, becomes more evident with each hearing.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Brahmatist said:


> I'm always surprised to see the relative lack of appreciation for the Alban Berg recordings (I'm only familiar with the early 80s recordings). They were my introduction to the Beethoven quartets and for the most part I have yet to come across another ensemble that can equal these performances. This is especially true of the late quartets.
> 
> Their Great Fugue rendition is THE definitive version, as far as I'm concerned. It is the only version I've heard that strikes the razor-thin balance of chaos and order. This piece tends to defeat most of those who dare to attempt it but ABQ's technical mastery here really pays off. The structural brilliance of the piece, especially when taken in its proper context as the Op.130 finale, becomes more evident with each hearing.


Yeah, their Great Fugue is amazing in how they pull it off at that speed.

The Bergs in general don't bring out what I'm looking for in these pieces, but I remember the erudite host of our nightly classical radio station playing one of these and commenting, "For my money, these are the _best_ of the Beethoven quartet recordings." So you're not alone.


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## hoodjem (Feb 23, 2019)

Hermastersvoice said:


> "Furtwänglerian" is how the Vegh quartets recordings of the string quartets has been described. Their leader Sandor Vegh is one of these very few utterly musical people, Casals being another, who could do no wrong. Everything he did was infused with a spirit of something from the past, now forgotten. They recorded 2 cycles, go for the later stereo version on Valois.


Yes. The Vegh Quartet set on Valois is my no. 1 favorite.

The first Lindsay set and the Tokyo set on RCA are also right up there.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The essay by Brigitte Massin wrote for the Veghs on Valois are very much worth reading. I love the way that they resolutely refused to separate op 131 into different tracks!

I'm not sure I agree with Hermastersvoice that the Valois is the one to go for -- she may be right, I would need to think. The sound on the mono recording is very good.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

hoodjem said:


> Yes. The Vegh Quartet set on Valois is my no. 1 favorite.


What I like personally about the Vegh Quartet (the later recordings) is, the microphone seems close to the cello, and it makes me feel like I'm sitting behind him eavesdropping on an intimate session of four older, wiser people sharing their thoughts on something profound.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> What I like personally about the Vegh Quartet (the later recordings) is, the microphone seems close to the cello, and it makes me feel like I'm sitting behind him eavesdropping on an intimate session of four older, wiser people sharing their thoughts on something profound.


This is the great Michel Bernstein at work -- he did the same sort of thing, more effectively I would say, for Gunar Letzbor's solo Bach recordings. I like the sound, but I know from experience that not everyone does.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

marc bollansee said:


> I take a contemporary view to Beethoven's timeless masterpieces. His last string quartets are probably the major achievement in the history of music. I like the versions proposed by Takacs, Alban Berg, Belcea Qt, Prazak Qt, Auryn Qt, Quatuor Mosaiques.
> Of course I have listened to versions by the Vegh Qt and others, but then I choose for the recording quality and the infinite knowledge interpreters have accumulated during the last decades about these unique works.


All of these are terrific but I love the 70s Vegh recordings the best. Glorious.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

CnC Bartok said:


> Another fabulous set of the late Quartets is the Smetana Quartet on Supraphon.


I've accumulated a lot of sets of the LvB quartets - I have a hard time parting with any of them. But this Smetana set...









..that CnC Bartok mentioned, is the one that I'd take to the desert island. This was recorded in the early 60's, and is not to be confused with the, digital complete set that the group recorded for Denon in the early 80's, which is a little too laid back for my taste.

I may have missed it, but I don't believe that anyone has mentioned one of my favorite complete sets, the mono Hungarian Quartet set:









Currently selling for next to nothing.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

wkasimer said:


> I've accumulated a lot of sets of the LvB quartets - I have a hard time parting with any of them. But this Smetana set...
> 
> View attachment 113476
> 
> ...


I agree with this, these are very much favourites of mine. By coincidence earlier this week I started to play the Smetana on Supraphon, fabulous performances and such wonderful recorded sound, imaging!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

wkasimer said:


> I may have missed it, but I don't believe that anyone has mentioned one of my favorite complete sets, the mono Hungarian Quartet set:
> 
> View attachment 113479
> 
> ...


Those are well worth getting too. Much more intense than their rather "friendly" late 1960s second cycle, also on EMI.

Likewise the Smetana's. The Denon set are simply missing a certain something in comparison. Worthy of the desert island epithet....

I might have just been in a "funny mood", but the Suske Quartet's Op.132 really got me going a few days ago.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm currently listening to The Budapest, from 1960-61. Good, relatively dry stereo sound, remastered nicely, good package, great value.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The Beethoven Quartet of Moscow is one which has given me a lot of pleasure, I don't know how available transfers are, if any wants them they can PM me.


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