# Thoughts on this Beethoven quartet cycle?



## chrisco97

*I found this complete cycle of Beethoven's string quartets for $9.49 on Amazon*, and I am thinking of purchasing it because of the amazingly low price...but I was wondering if any of you have heard it and have any comments on the set before I purchase it? You know, quality of the performances and such...










http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Com...04701&sr=8-2&keywords=Suske+Quartet+Beethoven

I would still be interested in the set even if the late string quartets were not good performances since I already have wonderful performances of them.

Thanks in advance!


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## bigshot

The thing about chamber music is it depends a lot on the qualities of the players and the interplay between them. I haven't heard this set, but I would hesitate to pick it up on price alone. The Alban Berg Quartet's cycle has been discounted, and is first class in every way. I'd spend a little bit more for that one.


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## chrisco97

Thanks for commenting! 

I have been listening to this set on Spotify, and overall I have been very impressed. The set has great audio quality, and the players play the pieces very well. They play the pieces kinda like Jeno Jando plays the piano sonatas...they do not add anything to them, just play them how they are written. They let the music speak for itself. I really like that.

I will check out the Alban Berg Quartett's cycle as well, but I may still pick this one up based on the price alone. I really like what I have heard from it. I love it so far for the same reasons I love Jeno Jando's piano sonatas...

Thanks for your suggestion!


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## KenOC

You can also get the excellent Tokyo set for about $19, including shipping, from Amazon 3rd party. These are the CDs, not MP3 downloads. Some prefer the Tokyo set to the Alban Bergs.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Com...5064&sr=1-1&keywords=beethoven+quartets+tokyo

Also check this page, though some of the prices may be a bit out of date.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R3T5Y25MLG0WZW/ref=cm_pdp_sylt_title_1


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## bigshot

To me, a string quartet that just plays the notes properly is only half a string quartet. It's all about what the musicians bring to the table. I can only compare it to drama. Imagine Shakespere where the actors read the words with proper enunciation and cadence but add nothing to it themselves.


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## Nereffid

If you're swayed by the opinion of critics, here's a couple I found in the _Fanfare_ Archive, pertaining to what I presume are previous releases of these recordings on Berlin Classics:

Nos.7-10: "These are unmannered, tasteful, middle-of-the-road performances benefiting from a lean sonority and fine ensemble balance. Sonically, these recordings, dating from 1967 (op. 59) and 1975 (op. 74) are quite good for their vintage: sharply focused with admirable presence and absence of tape hiss, they have only a slight edginess to betray their age and a halo of resonance that sounds more electronic than natural. As in the Suske's magnificent Mozart recordings, the playing is technically accomplished in its smart attacks and care with voicing. Admirable too is the Suske's avoidance of sentimentality, the great slow movements of the first two Rasoumovskys projected with a flowing forward motion that, if anything, may strike some ears as being almost too casual. ... Should the final set of this cycle sustain the level of what has appeared so far, it will stand as an attractive mid-priced edition, but one not quite the equal of the great traversais of the Tokyo, Vermeer, and Talich Quartets." (Mortimer H Frank)

Late quartets: "They are inconsistent in the late quartets; their op. 127 is ideal: they achieve a warm, amber ensemble which suits the piece beautifully, and play with grace and rhythmic flexibility; they make the Hollywood sound hard and pushy by comparison. But op. 130, recorded six months later, finds the Suske in some disarray; intonation is less reliable and ensemble is often harsh, with a wiry first violin. They show signs of strain under pressure; their ensemble becomes ragged in the Presto and in a Finale far slower (8:15) than the Hollywood's race (6:52-both taking only the short repeat). The Suske's basic problem is that it lacks the collective tonal heft needed for these works; they would seem better suited for Beethoven's early quartets, as recommended by Wiser. There are several problems of execution in the heavy going at the center of the Grosse Fuge. Op. 131 is well played but doesn't make its usual effect; the same is true for op. 132. The Suske gives a neat and noticeably clear-headed account of op. 135." (James H North)


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## chrisco97

Thanks for posting that! I have had a hard time finding reviews for this cycle. I am still deciding if I am going to get it or not. The main reason I would be buying it is for the early and middle quartets, since I already own fantastic performances of the late quartets. 

I have really enjoyed listening through the cycle though. As I said, they have a perfect mix of technical and emotional playing. It makes for a very enjoyable performance for me.


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## DavidA

Alben Berg is good and at a very reasonable price. The one problem I had was they missed a track gap out.


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## realdealblues

One day I mean to check out some other recordings of Beethoven's String Quartets. I actually own a few sets that are sitting on my shelves (Alban Berg, Emerson, Takacs and maybe 1 or 2 others), but every time I want to listen to Beethoven's String Quartets, I always grab my Amadeus Quartet set for some reason.


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## Ukko

realdealblues said:


> One day I mean to check out some other recordings of Beethoven's String Quartets. I actually own a few sets that are sitting on my shelves (Alban Berg, Emerson, Takacs and maybe 1 or 2 others), but every time I want to listen to Beethoven's String Quartets, I always grab my Amadeus Quartet set for some reason.


You really should* curb that impulse*, and listen to the ABQ _and_ the Takacs. Interpretations from near both ends of the heat spectrum.


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## rarevinyllibrary

Its great and you should jump on it!


chrisco97 said:


> *I found this complete cycle of Beethoven's string quartets for $9.49 on Amazon*, and I am thinking of purchasing it because of the amazingly low price...but I was wondering if any of you have heard it and have any comments on the set before I purchase it? You know, quality of the performances and such...
> 
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> http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Com...04701&sr=8-2&keywords=Suske+Quartet+Beethoven
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> I would still be interested in the set even if the late string quartets were not good performances since I already have wonderful performances of them.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


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## jimsumner

I'd say get the Suske. They're practically giving it away. Then, get the Berg, the Tokyo, the Vegh and, well, you get the picture. Some works practically demand multiple versions that will repay repeated listening.


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## Centropolis

I don't want to diverge this thread but I just want to point out how suck to be in Canada when it comes to buying CDs.

Amazon.ca - http://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Strin...&keywords=Beethoven:+Complete+String+Quartets

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Com...04701&sr=8-2&keywords=Suske+Quartet+Beethoven

Edit: Ok i just realized the second one is MP3s. My bad.


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## ScipioAfricanus

Alban Berg and Emerson are sure bets. By others at your own risk.


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## Itullian

I think get the Bergs or the Tokyo. They're not much more than the Suske.


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## jimsumner

ScipioAfricanus said:


> Alban Berg and Emerson are sure bets. By others at your own risk.


I think the first Tokyo is at least as low-risk as the Berg or the Emerson. And people have loved the Italiano for a half-century for a reason.


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