# Your top 5 Beethoven string quartet cycles..........



## Itullian

I know it's a tough one,
But what are your top 5 Beethoven string quartet cycles?
Thanks


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## JohnP

In alphabetical order, since I love things in every set:

Belcea
Borodin
Prazak
Suske
Takacs


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## Merl

As you know, Itullian, I'm as daft as you for collecting LVB SQ cycles (I just picked up the Gewandhaus on cd this week even though I have it digitally but I couldn't turn it down for a tenner). Trying to choose a favourite 5 is near impossible as there's so many I like so I won't commit myself to a top 5 however I will say that there are some very consistent cycles out there. I will say that the cycles below are made up of generally very high quality performances (but others will disagree and say others). We are truly spoiled for Beethoven SQ sets.

Smetana 2
Artemis
Prazak
Ebene
Takacs
Alexander 2
Leipziger
Gewandhaus
Italiano
Alban Berg 1
Tokyo 1
Vegh 2
Suske

Really I could go on...... I like way more than those and as I've found out many cycles out there have at least one killer performance in them.


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## D Smith

Belcea Quartet
Quartetto Italiano
Elias String Quartet
Quatuor Ebene
Cuarteto Casals


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## Allegro Con Brio

Takacs
Vegh stereo
Italiano
Lindsay (controversial, I know...)
Budapest

Honorable mentions: Auryn, ABQ, Juilliard (did they do a complete set?), Wihan, Alexander on Naive


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## jimsumner

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Honorable mentions: Juilliard (did they do a complete set?)


I believe they did three, one each in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.


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## Kreisler jr

The Juilliards did a few (mostly late, opp.95,131,132,135?) quartets around 1960 for RCA but the "complete" cycle on Sony/CBS has middle quartets from the mid-1960s and another recording of the late quartets ca. 1970.

I think there is only one more complete recording from the digital age (1980s) but some more singles. So it seems more like two full cycles and two incomplete ones.


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## Josquin13

My top five (listed in no particular order), & I should add that I find these five cycles compliment each other particularly well:

1. Smetana Quartet, Denon/Supraphon. There is also an earlier 1960s Beethoven cycle from the Smetana Quartet, as well, but only the Late Quartets have been issued to date (by Supraphon--here's a link: 



). As for the Smetana's later 1976-85 Beethoven cycle for Denon (which is partly digital, partly analogue), the players were older musicians by that time, and indeed retired soon after finishing the cycle. So, the strength of the Smetana's Denon set isn't so much in their performances of the more 'classical' Early Quartets, as it is in the Middle & especially the Late Quartets, which they had been playing for decades. Supraphon has recently reissued the Denon cycle in 24-bit remasters. Here's a You Tube link to the Late Quartets from the Supraphon/Denon set, along with the rest of the cycle--just scroll up, if interested: 



.

2. Alban Berg Quartet, Studio EMI--their first cycle. Only the Late Quartets in this cycle were digitally recorded, while the Early & Middle Quartets are analogue recordings. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, EMI has never bothered to remaster these recordings since their initial release on CD in the 1980s! (though it's possible that they've been remastered in Japan since...?). To my ears, this cycle most shows its age, sound-wise, in the analogue recordings from the late 1970s; that is, via the 1980s CD remasters (though the LPs & any possible recent Japanese remasters may be a different story...). Which is why I'd like to see the Berg's 1st cycle newly remastered in DSD (or AMSI). Generally speaking, I prefer the Berg's playing on their EMI studio cycle to the later live EMI cycle (which was recorded from a series of concerts given in Vienna that were also filmed). However, I do like the Late Quartets from the live cycle. Nevertheless, both are terrific cycles, and technically speaking, the Bergs are more secure than most groups. After all, this was a quartet whose remarkable technical address served to raise the standard of string quartet playing back in the 1970s & 80s, which along with their teaching & coaching of young quartets, helped to give birth to the 'golden age' of string quartet playing that we are presently enjoying today, with so many exceptionally fine quartet groups on the scene.

--The following You Tube clips appear to be a mixture of the Alban Berg Quartet's two cycles: 



.

--Here too is the Alban Berg Quartet playing the Beethoven quartet that I would consider to be his greatest chamber work, Quartet No. 15, Op. 132, & the performance is drawn from the Berg's live cycle in Vienna:






3. Quarteto Italiano, Philips--The primary reason that I would strongly recommend Quartetto Italiano's Beethoven cycle is to hear their beautiful slow movements, & especially in the Late Quartets. For me, only the Smetana Quartet on Denon & possibly the Takacs Quartet & live Bergs are able to find a similar depth of insight into these movements.

Quartetto Italiano: 
--String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: 



--Middle "Rasumovsky" Quartets: 




4. Gewandhaus-Quartett, NCA (digital)--In contrast to the other groups, the Gewandhaus-Quartett takes a more refined, classical approach to Beethoven's quartets. Their playing is also fairly HIP, as they claim to play in a much older Beethoven tradition that was passed down to them, generation by generation, over the long existence of this quartet: Indeed, the Gewandhaus-Quartett is the oldest consecutive string quartet in the world, having premiered a number of these quartets for Beethoven himself! To my ears, their approach is not dissimilar to the style of string playing found in the Gewandhaus Orchestra during the Masur years. I'd describe the playing as 'Mendelssohnian', if that makes sense. & it pays off big in the quartets & movements where an extra degree of textural clarity is a real advantage, such as in the more classically orientated Early Quartets, and in the 'traffic jam' that is the Grosse Fuge, etc.. However, I wish that NCA had released these recordings on Hybrid SACD, as they did with most of the other digital recordings by this excellent group. The CD sound is fine, but it could have been something more special.

--Quartet No. 5, Op. 18--in my estimation, this is a great performance:





--Grosse Fuge in B flat Major, Op. 133: 




4 1/2. For a viable & possibly even preferable alternative to the Gewandhaus-Quartett, I also like the Süske Quartett, who play in the same Leipzig string tradition. (This cycle was released by Berlin Classics & later Brilliant, but I slightly prefer the sound on the Berlin CDs.) Which isn't too surprising, considering that their 1st violinist, Karl Süske, was a former member of both the Gewandhaus-Quartett and 1st violinist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also the father of Conrad Süske, who is the current 1st violinist of the Gewandhaus-Quartett (a group that have long tended to keep their successors within the family).

--The Süske Quartet cycle (analogue): 




5. Takacs Quartet, Decca. This is a very fine modern cycle. But unfortunately, I've never been crazy about the sound engineering that the Decca gave the Takacs, as the violins can grate on me at times (which I admit may be partly a stereo dependent issue...). However, the sound problems were supposedly fixed in Decca's later remastering of the cycle, as the reissue offers a much improved sound quality according to the reviews that I've read. Unfortunately, the single box set reissue stayed in print only briefly & is now hard to find. (I missed it myself & am waiting for a reissue.)

--The Takacs Quartet cycle--here's a YT link to the latest remastered versions: 




With that said, I'm still searching for a new cycle that offers the rare combination of playing that is on the same level as my 5 favorite sets above, but also comes in the latest 'state of the art' audiophile DSD sound. I haven't found it yet. (Quartetto di Cremona and the Prazak Quartet--who I normally like, both disappointed me with their hybrid SACD cycles, and I only know a small portion of Cuarteto Casals' recent cycle.) Maybe when the Merel Quartet finishes their new cycle, we'll have one? But if not the Merels, then one of the many other remarkable quartets today. The time is certainly ripe for a great new cycle to appear in audiophile sound.


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## Merl

Kreisler jr said:


> The Juilliards did a few (mostly late, opp.95,131,132,135?) quartets around 1960 for RCA but the "complete" cycle on Sony/CBS has middle quartets from the mid-1960s and another recording of the late quartets ca. 1970.
> 
> I think there is only one more complete recording from the digital age (1980s) but some more singles. So it seems more like two full cycles and two incomplete ones.


You're right Kreisler. The Juilliards' first complete cycle was recorded between 1964 and 1970 (see original cover below) and the second cycle was recorded live around 1982 at the Library of Congress (pics below). There is an incomplete RCA set but these are massively OOP last time I looked.

Cycle 1








Cycle 2 






















I prefer their later Library of Congress set, personally. Interesting that you admire most of sets that I do, Jos. Perfect description of them too. Great minds? . I agree with you about the Di Cremona set too which frustrates me. Some performances are superb but others are highly nuanced. There's few I wouldn't recommend tbh. I will say avoid the Barylli for the late quartets (they really don't have a clue but are fine in the earliest and middles) and the Vanbrugh just because there's few stand-out performances, it's not brilliantly recorded either. These days I rarely play the Medicis but there's nothing wrong with their cycle, it's just that so many others play them with much more character. I tend to avoid the Lindsays first cycle as the intonation sucks, the first Wihan cycle as it sounds like it was recorded in a cave (their 2nd one is much better) and the celebrated Amadeus early 60s set as I find it a bit 'magnolia' (but not on every quartet).


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## CnC Bartok

My top 5, sort of in order of preference....

1. Talich Quartet
2. Gewandhaus Quartet
3. Smetana Quartet
4. Quartetto Italiano
5. A toss-up between the Endellion Quartet and the later Vegh Quartet.

I note that this is a similar selection to Josquin's above, not identical, but similar. I was also tempted to squeeze in the wonderful Suske set too, but five means five, ok six...! 

I too feel my choices compliment each other well, although I myself find the Gewandhaus more exciting than classical in their approach. As far as I am concerned, nobody beats the Talich set for good old-fashioned Innigkeit......

25 complete sets and counting, a mere half-hearted amateur compared to the illustrious Merl and Itullian :tiphat:


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## Kreisler jr

The RCA Beethoven appeared in one of the larger Juilliard boxes and before that partly on Testament. I have not heard any of them but apparently some listeners prefer the RCA opp.131+132.

I have "only" about 5 complete cycles: Hungarian Q stereo/EMI, Juilliard Sony 1960s/70s, Vegh stereo/Naive, Melos/DG, Musikverein/Platz but lots of partial cycles (e.g. Emerson Q. sans op.18, late quartets with Yale, Smetana, LaSalle) and single recordings. By now I have reached a saturation point, I got one volume of the Casals but haven't bothered with any complete cycles for years.

The historically most important not quite complete cycle is probably by the Busch quartet. 
Among my favorite more recent recordings are those by the Hagen quartet who are also still a few quartets short of complete (I think op.59/3, 74 and one or two of op.18 are still missing)


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## Merl

Kreisler jr said:


> The historically most important not quite complete cycle is probably by the Busch quartet.
> Among my favorite more recent recordings are those by the Hagen quartet who are also still a few quartets short of complete (I think op.59/3, 74 and one or two of op.18 are still missing)


There's also a mostly complete Petersen Quartet cycle to go with the almost Hagen cycle. As far as the Busch Quartet I have never got the hype. On some performances their intonation is well ropey, the recorded sound is, unsurprisingly, bloody awful and I don't hear anything wonderful or magical in their ensemble playing however I know I'm in the minority there.


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## Kreisler jr

In the early-mid-2000s I collected all the single Hagen discs, all the Petersen (missing are opp. 18/5, 59,1+3,74) and a few of the Auryn and Artemis. The first two never finished their cycles, I found the Auryn a bit bland and when the Artemis later came in a box I also felt that I had enough Beethoven quartets. I also got some of the earlyish (1980s-90s) HIP recordings (Turner and Smithson op.18, op.59/3+18/4 with Schuppanzigh, they picked unfortunately two of my least favorite Beethoven quartets...) but while they are very good I have never been convinced of clear benefits of the HIP approach for Beethoven (or Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn) string quartets.

I find the Busch more distinctive than the other (more but not quite complete) historical (1930s/40s) set by the Budapest. They might be technically better but basically "early modern", i.e. one can get a generally similar style in much better sound quality etc.


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## Knorf

*Tokyo 2*. There's so much more going on with this cycle than people seem willing or able to acknowledge. Don't dismiss it; for me it's one of the most insightful cycles.
*Emerson*. One of the most underrated cycles (meaning around here), but it set a new standard. I wish I hadn't avoided it for so many years. 
*Italiano*. So gloriously musical!
*Tokyo 1*. Just really good, and very consistent. 
*Guarneri*. A bit hit and miss, I confess, but the hits are knockouts.

On my radar as a "I need to get this": *Leipziger Streichquartett*

A standard recommendation I could not freakin' stand: *Lindsay*. I don't get it's popularity at all. Such ugly playing, such wretched intonation. *Vegh* gets recommended a lot, but I never heard that cycle as particularly special or insightful, either. YMMV


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## Brahmsianhorn

1. Busch Quartet (Nos. 1, 9, 11-16, Grosse fugue) (Pearl, EMI, Sony, Arbiter)
2. Budapest Quartet (Bridge)
3. Vegh Quartet (Valois)
4. Hungarian Quartet (Erato, EMI)
5. Hollywood Quartet (Nos. 12-16) (Testament)
6. Talich Quartet (Calliope)
7. Italian Quartet (Philips)
9. Lindsay Quartet (ASV)
9. Takacs Quartet (Decca)
10. Alban Berg Quartet (EMI)

.


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## SanAntone

Quartetto Italiano
Belcea
Alban Berg
Borodin
Hagen


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## Merl

With the Emersons, Auryns and Artemis quartets disbanding, now would be a good time to buy their cycles before they go out of print and become collectors' items. All are highly recommended too.


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## wkasimer

Merl said:


> With the Emersons, Auryns and Artemis quartets disbanding, now would be a good time to buy their cycles before they go out of print and become collectors' items. All are highly recommended too.


I'm not too concerned - many of the Beethoven quartet cycles by the great (and not so great) quartets of the past have never gone out of print and are still available. Are there any really worthwhile cycles that haven't been recently or currently available? I can only think of the Melos' two traversals.


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## Kreisler jr

And the early 1970s Melos on Intercord is not very good; their op.59,2+3 was the first Beethoven quartet disc I ever bought, but I had heard a few others before that) 
Their Melos DG deserves more recognition than it receives, I think and this might be because of unavailability since the mid/late 1990s or so, but I am biased because this was my first complete recording of the quartets I bought with money I got for my 18th birthday...
The recordings of the Koeckert quartet that was rather famous in the 1950s/60s and preceded the Amadeus as the "house quartet" of DG, have mostly vanished from the catalogue. 
There are probably a few more examples.


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## wkasimer

Kreisler jr said:


> And the early 1970s Melos on Intercord is not very good; their op.59,2+3 was the first Beethoven quartet disc I ever bought, but I had heard a few others before that)


I agree about the first Melos. I actually owned the entire cycle on CD at one time, and didn't find it compelling enough to warrant the shelf space.



> Their Melos DG deserves more recognition than it receives, I think and this might be because of unavailability since the mid/late 1990s or so, but I am biased because this was my first complete recording of the quartets I bought with money I got for my 18th birthday...


The DG Melos was one of my first sets, too. And while there are others I prefer, I still listen to it now and then. The Melos was a pretty good group, that was sort of pushed out of the DG catalogue by the Emersons.



> The recordings of the Koeckert quartet that was rather famous in the 1950s/60s and preceded the Amadeus as the "house quartet" of DG, have mostly vanished from the catalogue.


These were available from Japan a couple of years ago, but seem to be unavailable at the moment, although they can be streamed on Spotify.


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## Kreisler jr

When I got interested in this music ca. 1989-90, the Emerson and Hagen were still on the margins with only a few recordings. 
With shopping mostly restricted to local stores (and as a beginner still in high school I would not think of ordering expensive stuff from abroad) the Alban Berg Quartet was probably the dominant and best known ensemble, then Melos because DG was of course also well distributed and advertised. Next might have been the then recently disbanded Amadeus, the Guarneri, Vermeer or even Juilliard. The Melos had had their Beethoven "boxed" (it was the 3 3-disc-boxes in an additional cardboard) because of their 25th anniversary and it was almost half the price of the ABQ, despite being quite new recordings... The only cheaper option would have been the Hungarian? in mono, I wanted digital, of course. 
I still think they are quite good, especially in the middle quartets.

They got replaced at DG by the Emersons in the 1990s and made a bunch or recordings for harmonia mundi.

DG has a poor track record for re-issuing chamber music. The analogue Melos recordings of the 70s (Schubert, Mozart, Cherubini,...) came out on CD usually once in the early 1990s and after they left the label there were no reissues. The LaSalle legacy has also not been treated very well, except for their 2nd viennese school recordings. The same with the Tokyo Quartet's Haydn, Bartok... And also the Hagen quartet's recordings after they left the label.
Let's rather do another Karajan edition, I guess...


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## Merl

Kreisler jr said:


> When I got interested in this music ca. 1989-90, the Emerson and Hagen were still on the margins with only a few recordings.
> With shopping mostly restricted to local stores (and as a beginner still in high school I would not think of ordering expensive stuff from abroad) the Alban Berg Quartet was probably the dominant and best known ensemble, then Melos because DG was of course also well distributed and advertised. Next might have been the then recently disbanded Amadeus, the Guarneri, Vermeer or even Juilliard. The Melos had had their Beethoven "boxed" (it was the 3 3-disc-boxes in an additional cardboard) because of their 25th anniversary and it was almost half the price of the ABQ, despite being quite new recordings... The only cheaper option would have been the Hungarian? in mono, I wanted digital, of course.
> I still think they are quite good, especially in the middle quartets.
> 
> They got replaced at DG by the Emersons in the 1990s and made a bunch or recordings for harmonia mundi.
> 
> DG has a poor track record for re-issuing chamber music. The analogue Melos recordings of the 70s (Schubert, Mozart, Cherubini,...) came out on CD usually once in the early 1990s and after they left the label there were no reissues. The LaSalle legacy has also not been treated very well, except for their 2nd viennese school recordings. The same with the Tokyo Quartet's Haydn, Bartok... And also the Hagen quartet's recordings after they left the label.
> Let's rather do another Karajan edition, I guess...


Tbh, Kreisler, everything apart from the best sellers seem to disappear from the catalogue these days. The Alexander cycle on Foghorn seemed to go out of print after about 25 minutes at its original affordable price but then got rereleased at double the price. Now the only copies that show up tend to be around £70-£100 and even secondhand copies rarely go for less than £50. Btw, If you want the first Alexander cycle (which is very good too) the best way is to get one of the Brilliant Classics Beethoven big boxes (i think it's the one with the Zinman symphony cycle in it too) or thru individual discs that originally came out on Arte Nova.

I agree with you, Kreisler and wkasimer, about the first Melos set. Like the Medici and the Vanbrugh theres nothing 'wrong' with it, its just that others do it with far more personality (however the Medicis do have a few very good performances in that set). For anyone starting out on a budget I always recommend the Alban Berg cycle as a) it's nearly always in print b) it can often be picked up dirt cheap c) its a high quality set.

The problem with that Koeckert cycle (if you can get hold of it) is that DG gave them a rather flat, trebly, scratchy sound that sounds pretty harsh. If you compare it with other mono quartet recordings of the early to mid 50s they often sound way better than it. Its a shame as many of the performances are really good and full of character. They should dig them out and remaster them as those recordings do them no favours at all. A lot can be done with those recordings (check out the Pristine remasters of the Hollywood late quartets if you want proof of that) but i doubt theres a big enough market for them to bother. Shame!



wkasimer said:


> I'm not too concerned - many of the Beethoven quartet cycles by the great (and not so great) quartets of the past have never gone out of print and are still available. Are there any really worthwhile cycles that haven't been recently or currently available? I can only think of the Melos' two traversals.


The last time I looked the complete Takacs box was only available via streaming, digital download or in its individual 3 releases. The last new box I saw advertised was over £140!


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## Itullian

All those reasons are why i purchased the Dover Quartet's Volume 1 of their new Beethoven cycle. Once i saw that volume 2 is on its way, i grabbed it.


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## wkasimer

Itullian said:


> All those reasons are why i purchased the Dover Quartet's Volume 1 of their new Beethoven cycle. Once i saw that volume 2 is on its way now, i grabbed it.


I haven't seen any evidence of Volume 2. Volume 1 is exceptional, though....


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## wkasimer

Merl said:


> Tbh, Kreisler, everything apart from the best sellers seem to disappear from the catalogue these days. The Alexander cycle on Foghorn seemed to go out of print after about 25 minutes at its original affordable price but then got rereleased at double the price. Now the only copies that show up tend to be around £70-£100 and even secondhand copies rarely go for less than £50.


There's a sealed copy on eBay at the moment, at a decent price (around US$50), and there are still new copies on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Complete-Quartets-Alexander-Quartet/dp/B002XDE9GI


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## Itullian

wkasimer said:


> I haven't seen any evidence of Volume 2. Volume 1 is exceptional, though....


Saw it on another site. Saw the picture of it.
It says Volume 2, the middle quartets.
Due for October release.
Along with the BIS hip cycle with that quartet with the long name.


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## wkasimer

Itullian said:


> Saw it on another site. Saw the picture of it.
> It says Volume 2, the middle quartets.
> Due for October release.


Strange that Cedille doesn't even list it on their own website, though....


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## Itullian




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## Itullian

This will be a new hip cycle.


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## Itullian

Josquin13 said:


> My top five (listed in no particular order), & I should add that I find these five cycles compliment each other particularly well:
> 
> 1. Smetana Quartet, Denon/Supraphon. There is also an earlier 1960s Beethoven cycle from the Smetana Quartet, as well, but only the Late Quartets have been issued to date (by Supraphon--here's a link:
> 
> 
> 
> ). As for the Smetana's later 1976-85 Beethoven cycle for Denon (which is partly digital, partly analogue), the players were older musicians by that time, and indeed retired soon after finishing the cycle. So, the strength of the Smetana's Denon set isn't so much in their performances of the more 'classical' Early Quartets, as it is in the Middle & especially the Late Quartets, which they had been playing for decades. Supraphon has recently reissued the Denon cycle in 24-bit remasters. Here's a You Tube link to the Late Quartets from the Supraphon/Denon set, along with the rest of the cycle--just scroll up, if interested:
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> 2. Alban Berg Quartet, Studio EMI--their first cycle. Only the Late Quartets in this cycle were digitally recorded, while the Early & Middle Quartets are analogue recordings. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, EMI has never bothered to remaster these recordings since their initial release on CD in the 1980s! (though it's possible that they've been remastered in Japan since...?). To my ears, this cycle most shows its age, sound-wise, in the analogue recordings from the late 1970s; that is, via the 1980s CD remasters (though the LPs & any possible recent Japanese remasters may be a different story...). Which is why I'd like to see the Berg's 1st cycle newly remastered in DSD (or AMSI). Generally speaking, I prefer the Berg's playing on their EMI studio cycle to the later live EMI cycle (which was recorded from a series of concerts given in Vienna that were also filmed). However, I do like the Late Quartets from the live cycle. Nevertheless, both are terrific cycles, and technically speaking, the Bergs are more secure than most groups. After all, this was a quartet whose remarkable technical address served to raise the standard of string quartet playing back in the 1970s & 80s, which along with their teaching & coaching of young quartets, helped to give birth to the 'golden age' of string quartet playing that we are presently enjoying today, with so many exceptionally fine quartet groups on the scene.
> 
> --The following You Tube clips appear to be a mixture of the Alban Berg Quartet's two cycles:
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> --Here too is the Alban Berg Quartet playing the Beethoven quartet that I would consider to be his greatest chamber work, Quartet No. 15, Op. 132, & the performance is drawn from the Berg's live cycle in Vienna:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3. Quarteto Italiano, Philips--The primary reason that I would strongly recommend Quartetto Italiano's Beethoven cycle is to hear their beautiful slow movements, & especially in the Late Quartets. For me, only the Smetana Quartet on Denon & possibly the Takacs Quartet & live Bergs are able to find a similar depth of insight into these movements.
> 
> Quartetto Italiano:
> --String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132:
> 
> 
> 
> --Middle "Rasumovsky" Quartets:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 4. Gewandhaus-Quartett, NCA (digital)--In contrast to the other groups, the Gewandhaus-Quartett takes a more refined, classical approach to Beethoven's quartets. Their playing is also fairly HIP, as they claim to play in a much older Beethoven tradition that was passed down to them, generation by generation, over the long existence of this quartet: Indeed, the Gewandhaus-Quartett is the oldest consecutive string quartet in the world, having premiered a number of these quartets for Beethoven himself! To my ears, their approach is not dissimilar to the style of string playing found in the Gewandhaus Orchestra during the Masur years. I'd describe the playing as 'Mendelssohnian', if that makes sense. & it pays off big in the quartets & movements where an extra degree of textural clarity is a real advantage, such as in the more classically orientated Early Quartets, and in the 'traffic jam' that is the Grosse Fuge, etc.. However, I wish that NCA had released these recordings on Hybrid SACD, as they did with most of the other digital recordings by this excellent group. The CD sound is fine, but it could have been something more special.
> 
> --Quartet No. 5, Op. 18--in my estimation, this is a great performance:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --Grosse Fuge in B flat Major, Op. 133:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 4 1/2. For a viable & possibly even preferable alternative to the Gewandhaus-Quartett, I also like the Süske Quartett, who play in the same Leipzig string tradition. (This cycle was released by Berlin Classics & later Brilliant, but I slightly prefer the sound on the Berlin CDs.) Which isn't too surprising, considering that their 1st violinist, Karl Süske, was a former member of both the Gewandhaus-Quartett and 1st violinist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also the father of Conrad Süske, who is the current 1st violinist of the Gewandhaus-Quartett (a group that have long tended to keep their successors within the family).
> 
> --The Süske Quartet cycle (analogue):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5. Takacs Quartet, Decca. This is a very fine modern cycle. But unfortunately, I've never been crazy about the sound engineering that the Decca gave the Takacs, as the violins can grate on me at times (which I admit may be partly a stereo dependent issue...). However, the sound problems were supposedly fixed in Decca's later remastering of the cycle, as the reissue offers a much improved sound quality according to the reviews that I've read. Unfortunately, the single box set reissue stayed in print only briefly & is now hard to find. (I missed it myself & am waiting for a reissue.)
> 
> --The Takacs Quartet cycle--here's a YT link to the latest remastered versions:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With that said, I'm still searching for a new cycle that offers the rare combination of playing that is on the same level as my 5 favorite sets above, but also comes in the latest 'state of the art' audiophile DSD sound. I haven't found it yet. (Quartetto di Cremona and the Prazak Quartet--who I normally like, both disappointed me with their hybrid SACD cycles, and I only know a small portion of Cuarteto Casals' recent cycle.) Maybe when the Merel Quartet finishes their new cycle, we'll have one? But if not the Merels, then one of the many other remarkable quartets today. The time is certainly ripe for a great new cycle to appear in audiophile sound.


Try the new Dover Quartet issues. They are in great sound and have great performance.


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## Itullian

Volume 2 is now listed on Amazon for October release.

As well as the Chiaroscuro Quartet volume one.


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## Merl

Itullian said:


> Volume 2 is now listed on Amazon for October release.
> 
> As well as the Chiaroscuro Quartet volume one.


Looking forward to both, Itullian. If the Chairoscuro set is as good as their other stuff it should be a cracker. Expectations are high from me.


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## Itullian

Merl said:


> Looking forward to both, Itullian. If the Chairoscuro set is as good as their other stuff it should be a cracker. Expectations are high from me.


Same here!! ..............


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## Bruckner Anton

1. Guarneri's Philips Cycle
Powerful, vivid, subtle and to-the-point performance. Great interpretation for all the three periods. My current favorite set. Generally great sound quality despite the over-amplified bass.

2. Quartetto Italiano on Philips
Extremely well-balanced voices through the entire set which is rarely heard on recordings (just check the coda of the first movement of op.74). Rich, controlled, subtle performance. My favorite for late quartets (just check the slow movement of op.135). A few places in the mid quartets may be a bit lack of momentum. Excellent sound quality.

3. Gewandhaus quartet
Well-balanced, consistant, neatly done. Great overall quality of the performance. No exaggeration or short of emotions in mid and late quartets. A bit murky sound, but still better than a lot of sets.

4. Melos quartet on DG
Quite rich and energetic interpretation overall (might be a bit fast for some people). Good details but no over-do. Unlike Philips Recordings, the balance of the sound is a bit towards treble, but generally very good and clear.

5. Takacs quartet on Decca
Swift and neat performance in modern approach. Highly skillful playing and energetic interpretation. A bit lack of voice balance and details in a few pieces. Perfect sound quality.


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## Oldhoosierdude

My personal Beethoven string quartet journey....

If you look through this thread you find some recommendations. Pay attention to a member offering free download of the Cleveland Quartet LP cycle from the 70's. It's a good one and the price is right.

My fav is The Fine Arts Quartet 1959-66. Great remastered sound. Low price at the time. I think I purchased from the Amaz place.


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## CnC Bartok

Has anyone here heard the recently released historical cycle from the Koeckert Quartet on DGG? It's only available as a download, I believe, but I have to confess I am tempted....not cheap, mind....!

Early to mid 1950s recordings...


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## Merl

CnC Bartok said:


> Has anyone here heard the recently released historical cycle from the Koeckert Quartet on DGG? It's only available as a download, I believe, but I have to confess I am tempted....not cheap, mind....!
> 
> Early to mid 1950s recordings...
> 
> View attachment 159778


I mentioned this a couple of pages back. Don't know if its been remastered but it needs to be. If it's not I wouldn't bother, CnC. Nowt wrong with the playing, btw.


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## CnC Bartok

Merl said:


> I mentioned this a couple of pages back. Don't know if its been remastered but it needs to be. If it's not I wouldn't bother, CnC. Nowt wrong with the playing, btw.


I've listened to some snippets on both Amazon and Presto, and sound-wise, they seem OK, a bit dry and maybe a bit harsh, but otherwise clean (which is the most important criterion as far as my ears are concerned!) These are downloads, so I'd assume some sort of remastering has indeed taken place.....


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## Merl

The Koeckert cycle has finally turned up in this form on Spotify as sets of the earlies, middles and lates. Before now they werent complete on Spotify and were individual performances in their original transfer form, which was not pleasant sounding. The new ones have a 2020 date on them and some investigation has revealed that DG did, in fact, remaster them before re-releasing them. They certainly sound much better but they're still a little dry. It's still just a solid set for me and others do it much better, in better sound, but I'd be interested what others thought who've heard them think. Due to its age you expect the Koeckert to be highly characterful but from what I've heard they're pretty good, standard but unspectacular readings.


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## wkasimer

Merl said:


> The Koeckert cycle has finally turned up in this form on Spotify as sets of the earlies, middles and lates. Before now they werent complete on Spotify and were individual performances in their original transfer form, which was not pleasant sounding. The new ones have a 2020 date on them and some investigation has revealed that DG did, in fact, remaster them before re-releasing them. They certainly sound much better but they're still a little dry. It's still just a solid set for me and others do it much better, in better sound, but I'd be interested what others thought who've heard them think. Due to its age you expect the Koeckert to be highly characterful but from what I've heard they're pretty good, standard but unspectacular readings.


I listened to some of it via Spotify, and agree with Merl. I wouldn't call it "generic", but there's nothing particularly special about the playing or the interpretations. I suspect that I'd have felt differently when it was first issued, when there was much less competition on record - although even then I would have preferred the first Hungarian Quartet and first complete Budapest Quartet traversals.

BTW, this was issued on physical CD's for a few weeks a year or two ago.


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## wkasimer

This site may be of interest:

https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-survey-of-beethoven-string-quartet.html


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## Merl

wkasimer said:


> This site may be of interest:
> 
> https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-survey-of-beethoven-string-quartet.html


The only trouble with Ionart's LVB SQ and Symphony cycle sites is they're now very out of date and not all the information on them is totally correct (esp the Symphony cycles site). However, as a quick reference it's still very good. I have sent a few friendly messages to the owner with additional cycle info but none of those emails has been acknowledged or answered.

Last updates were 2 years ago on the SQ cycle (so Kuss, Ebene, etc are missing) and 3 years on the symphony cycles (about 20+ missing from that one including original omissions - eg Trevino, Ashkenazy, etc).


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## CnC Bartok

Well, despite the indifference expressed by a couple of gents here, I have bitten the bullet and bought the Koeckert's Late Quartets as a download. I have to say I am enjoying them very much, very fine playing, and the ear does quite quickly adjust to the rather dry and trebly sound. I must admit that the least convincing is in the glorious slow movements, especially Op.131 and 132, these are more Munch than Constable, and there are a couple of moments in the Grosse Fuge where things almost get unravelled.

But generally very very good indeed!


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## Merl

^ Ain't no gentlemen here, CnC. :lol:


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## CnC Bartok

Merl said:


> ^ Ain't no gentlemen here, CnC. :lol:


How very true!........


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## RuneNaljoss

Merl, unfortunately, I do not get any notices when comments are left. (You could ping me on various Social Media under @ClassicalCritic.) But the String Quartet Cycle has been updated now! Ditto DSCH-Quartet Cycle. Working on Bartok. Will tend to the others in good time. Thanks for all your hints and tips. Jens


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