# Favorite Recordings of the Große Fuge?



## Wolfie

The Große Fuge is one of my favorite pieces. But to be good it requires not only a good performance, but a great one. What are your personal favorites?


----------



## DiesIraeCX

My favorite is by the Takacs Quartet, but I've heard other great ones as well, by the Alban, Emerson, and Italiano Quartets.

I love that the first time I heard it, I didn't know what was going on. Then, with more listens, I started hearing the "structure" of it, it all started to come together, even though I still don't know quite what to make of it (that's a good thing). I like hearing the structure of the piece and still feeling that it's going to "break apart" from its sheer intensity. It remains in my short list of favorite works ever, as Stravinsky opined, it will remain "contemporary forever".


----------



## brotagonist

I only have one version, the Amadeus Quartet. Does that count? I love it!


----------



## Wolfie

brotagonist said:


> I only have one version, the Amadeus Quartet. Does that count? I love it!


Yes, I have the Amadeus Quartet version too. Right now the Emerson quartet is probably my favorite though.


----------



## Guest

I will second the Takacs Quartet recording - my personal favorite. I also have the Emerson String Quartet recording.


----------



## Wolfie

DrMike said:


> I will second the Takacs Quartet recording - my personal favorite. I also have the Emerson String Quartet recording.


The Takacs is definitely my second. I just like the Emerson recording a little more.


----------



## KenOC

I'd put the Takacs in first place here. But for something a little different, I enjoy the Camerata Nordica's Grosse Fuge for string orchestra -- in fact the whole set of the late quartets. This isn't ponderous like Bernstein's effort, it's quite light on its feet -- and interesting because the quartets are done like concerti grossi with the solo instruments played off against the ensemble. Very nicely done!


----------



## grocklin

Have heard the ones mentioned and others. The Artemis is my favorite recording by quite a margin; truly stunningly clear and intense. I think it won a blind listening competition on this site or another a few years ago.


----------



## ptr

I vote Takacs Quartet as well!

/ptr


----------



## Triplets

My favorite is the Yale Quartet.


----------



## Pip

my favourite is the orchestral version with Furtwangler and the VPO Salzburg 1954.


----------



## Manxfeeder

I've been partial to the Fitzwilliam Quartet; not too fast, like the Berg Quartet, but dialed down enough so you can hear the details, like the part where all four players are doing different rhythms. But I've had the Takacs for a while and haven't played it enough; maybe on next hearing I'll change my mind.


----------



## GioCar

I have the Takacs, the Quartetto Italiano, the Melos and the Tokyo SQ.

Speaking of the Grosse Fuge only, my favorite is the Tokyo.


----------



## TurnaboutVox

I have the Quartetto Italiano, the Quatuor Talich, the Lindsays and the Endellion Quartet. The Talich Quartet is my favourite, though the Italians (inevitably) are also very good. I haven't heard the Takacs version, which is probably an omission I should correct.


----------



## Guest

I have the Italiano, Tokyo, Prazak, Berg, and Quartetto di Cremona. They all play it well, of course. Of the bunch, the Tokyo is my least favorite--lacks drama--maybe too beautiful! All of the others are excellent and would be hard to choose an absolute favorite.


----------



## Mandryka

I've heard loads of these things but they nearly all suffer from being too aggressive, I think it's an immature approach which leads to nothing interesting -- like having a teenager in front of you screaming and shouting or something. At this period of his life Beethoven was writing better music than that. 

Anyway there are two exceptions. One is The Tokyo Quartet's second recording of op 133. The other is Cullen Bryant and Dimitri Rachmanov's performance of op 134.


----------



## GioCar

TurnaboutVox said:


> I have the Quartetto Italiano, the Quatuor Talich, the Lindsays and the Endellion Quartet. The Talich Quartet is my favourite, though the Italians (inevitably) are also very good. I haven't heard the Takacs version, which is probably an omission I should correct.


I have just heard the Talich. A very fine performance, although they run quite fast as the Takacs do.
And the initial 1st violin appoggiatura is staccato instead of legato as it should be (I checked again on the score). 
The Takacs do the same. I don't like it, imo this gives a sort of "uncertainty" to the Overtura...

The Quartetto Italiano are wonderful singers, too "polite" (and a bit too slow) for the Grosse Fuge, imo

If you have the chance, try the Tokyo as well. The most "modern" performance I know. Yes, they are beautiful indeed.

PS I have this one










I don't know if it's their first or second recording


----------



## TurnaboutVox

^^^That's their first, I think, their second Beethoven cycle was on Harmonia Mundi.

Thanks for your illuminating comments, GioCar


----------



## Vaneyes

1. ESQ 2. Takacs 3. ABQ. :tiphat:


----------



## Celiac Artery

In general, I prefer the Takacs Quartet for the late Beethoven String Quartets but for No. 13 including the Grosse Fuge, I like the Quartetto Italiano a bit more.


----------



## GioCar

Vaneyes said:


> 1. ESQ 2. Takacs 3. ABQ. :tiphat:


We should do more often this kind of threads with comparative listening...

I have never heard the Emerson before. Just listened to it right now. I liked it a lot.

Thank you Vaneyes, and all of you for your posts... :tiphat: and bravo! to the music streaming providers that allow such a thing :clap:


----------



## DiesIraeCX

A wonderful article on the Große Fuge, by Alex Ross.
http://www.therestisnoise.com/2006/01/beethovens_gros.html

It covers everything from strict musical analysis, a hand-written transcript of the Große Fuge for Piano that sold for $1.95 million at Sotheby's, Schoenberg's view of the work as "_a call for freedom from convention_", Benjamin Britten, history of the reactions that the work received in the 1826, psychological speculation, musicology, the Takács Quartet, and Ligeti's salute to Beethoven.

Definitely worth a read, it's very insightful.


----------



## Couac Addict

Another for Takács. Worthy mentions go to Emerson and Busch quartets.


----------



## OlivierM

My vote will go to the Arditti String Quartet's version, from their 1989 album's "Arditti".
Very deep cello, quite slower than other renditions (16'54 instead of the usual ~15'30).


----------



## Guest

OlivierM said:


> My vote will go to the Arditti String Quartet's version, from their 1989 album's "Arditti".
> Very deep cello, quite slower than other renditions (16'54 instead of the usual ~15'30).
> View attachment 54011


I heard them play it in concert. It was intense, but perhaps a bit mechanical.


----------



## Mandryka

OlivierM said:


> My vote will go to the Arditti String Quartet's version, from their 1989 album's "Arditti".
> Very deep cello, quite slower than other renditions (16'54 instead of the usual ~15'30).
> View attachment 54011


I enjoyed this more than most quartet versions, so thanks for making me aware of it. It is intense, as the post above says they were in concert, but there's a sort of matter-of-fact quality which works for me in the music. It reminds me a bit of Gulda's style.


----------



## Cheyenne

Furtwängler's String Orchestra version..! (There are three recordings, of which two have been issued commercially -- the one most commonly available is the best: my memory is a bit vague on the issue.)


----------



## Blake

All the big-name quartets are worth a listen. It really narrows down to what mood you're in. If I want more bite, I'd go Alban Berg or Takacs. If I want some serious sophistication, I'd go with Italiano. If I want something in between, I'd go with Tokyo.


----------

