# Seeking a good recording of Beethoven's late string quartets



## Tricky Fish (Aug 11, 2014)

Hello all,

I'm looking for a good recording of Beethoven's late string quartets.

Can anyone recommnd an album / recording?

Tricky


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

There are a lot of good recordings, and few really horrendous ones -- but over time you will realize that no one ensemble does them all perfectly to your taste. So, after listening widely, you will probably find yourself assembling a set of perfect-to-me performances that embraces two or three or four or five different string quartets. So you can start nearly anywhere to familiarize yourself with the music and then go from there.


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## arnerich (Aug 19, 2016)

The Guarneri Quartet recordings are my favorite.


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## Machiavel (Apr 12, 2010)

I will recommend the only one I got. I don't know it's place in history but I really enjoy it. The Takacs quartet.

I would like a recommendation for a cycle that is the opposite of them there is such a thing?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Spring loose of a Washington and get this for a buck. You won't be sorry.

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Co...&qid=1489460420&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0

Naw, a buck? Couldn't be any good! Ya think?

For Machiavel: Opposite of the Takacs? Try the Italiano.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Alban Berg quartet doing a pretty good job, just my 2 cents.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Pugg said:


> The Alban Berg quartet doing a pretty good job, just my 2 cents.


I like Berg 4tet also


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Takacs quartet.


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## Schumanniac (Dec 11, 2016)

My recording is a 2 CD set by the Quartetto Italiano, i've listened to many others, but these gentlemen nailed it in my book. They're an amazing group overall.

The playing is perfect whether its violent, lyrical or a maddened dance. The sound quality is clear as well, no white noise and muddy textures, and since its a studio recording no bronchitis inflicted moron coughing every 3 seconds, dropping pennies or whatever shennanigans these audiences indulge in. Cant remember the price though if thats a factor.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Olias said:


> Takacs quartet.


Decca is about to release the entire Takacs cycle as a box set for about USD$10 more than the late quartets alone.

http://www.mdt.co.uk/beethoven-comp...quartet-decca-7cds-blu-rayaudio-dvdvideo.html


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## Myriadi (Mar 6, 2016)

Just adding another vote for Takacs. But if you're ever interested in the history of how these works were performed in the 20th century, you'll find a lot of fascinating finds in recordings made by the Busch SQ and the Budapest SQ.


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## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

arnerich said:


> The Guarneri Quartet recordings are my favorite.


Do all players use Guarneri violins/instruments in this recording?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'll go with the majority in recommending the Takacs as a good modern recording. However, personally, I prefer the first Lindsay Quartet cycle because it goes to the heart of the pieces.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I don't know the Takacs quartet's late Beethoven. I 'didn't go there' because I bought and didn't care for their Op. 18 discs all that much. Decent, but lacking sufficient 'lightness of touch', perhaps?

My personal preference is for the Quartetto Italiano and the Quatuor Talich (whole cycle), the Alban Bergs and the Tokyo Quartet (later quartets from Op. 74 on). But the best advice is probably to sample a few ensembles and go with those you like best.


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

Budapest quartet!!


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

I prefer Alban Berg to Takacs in the late quartets, but you can't really go wrong with either. The Tokyo String Quartet is another excellent choice.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Takacs Quartet is the best modern version


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

My first "imprinting" of the Late Quartets was the analog Guarneri on RCA. It remains my favorite. The later digital Philips by them is also good.

I heard The Yale Quartet at the Library of Congress and was impressed, so I got that on Vanguard.

I have the Tackacs, but like TurnaboutVox, I feel their speciality is Bartok. 

I heard The Borodin Quartet, and liked it. I do not have it.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

My choices are:

the *Vegh quartet *(their second recording on Astrée) and 
the *Alexander quartet *(their first recording on Oehms).


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## Francis Poulenc (Nov 6, 2016)

I've always liked the Mitropoulos transcription for string orchestra of the 16th:


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I only have one recording, by the Tokyo String Quartet, but they do a bang-up job of them!

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I remember hearing the _Juilliard String Quartet,_ good plying but horrible recorded.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

Another vote for Quartetto Italiano. Superb recording quality, and terrific performances start to finish.

Tokyo is very good as well and often available quite cheaply.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

TurnaboutVox said:


> I don't know the Takacs quartet's late Beethoven. I 'didn't go there' because I bought and didn't care for their Op. 18 discs all that much. Decent, but lacking sufficient 'lightness of touch', perhaps?
> 
> My personal preference is for the Quartetto Italiano and the Quatuor Talich (whole cycle), the Alban Bergs and the Tokyo Quartet (later quartets from Op. 74 on). But the best advice is probably to sample a few ensembles and go with those you like best.


I love the Talich recording. That, Alben Berg and Tokyo are my current go-to sets.


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I heard only one of the late string quartets, Emerson Quartet/DG.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

+1 on the Italiano box set. Strong performance and very good recording with excellent stereo spread.

+1 on the Emerson DG set. Very strong performance and excellent recording quality; you can hear the cello in the Emerson recordings better than any other LVB 4tet cycle I've heard.

-09


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## Ekim the Insubordinate (May 24, 2015)

Yet another vote for the Takacs Quartet. For that matter, just buy all the string quartets by them.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Alban Berg or Italiano are my two preferences.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I second the old RCA Tokyo Quartet performances, not only of the late quartets, but of the early and middle quartets too.

Be careful, though. The Tokyo changed personnel and afterward, the performances were not as good as the original group's.


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## jailhouse (Sep 2, 2016)

I don't know the Takacs quartets late beethoven, but I know their bartok intimately. If it's anywhere close to that level, it's incredible.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Takacs have been my favorite for Beethoven for a long time. Unlike some, they don't back down! Not a pretty picture sometimes, but that not why we listen to Beethoven anyway.


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## yetti66 (Jan 30, 2017)

Adding a curveball - any fan of the late LvB quartets should hear Bernstein's recording of the op.131 and op.135 quartets with the Vienna Phil. The performance is not re-orchestrated for full symphony - the VPO plays the 4 parts/ instruments with 4 string sections only.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

yetti66 said:


> Adding a curveball - any fan of the late LvB quartets should hear Bernstein's recording of the op.131 and op.135 quartets with the Vienna Phil. The performance is not re-orchestrated for full symphony - the VPO plays the 4 parts/ instruments with 4 string sections only.


Agreed. This is one of my favorite CDs.


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## lluissineu (Dec 27, 2016)

Among all musical genres I admit being an absolute bumpkin in Chamber music. I have docena of different recordings of symph onic or choral works, even operas, but I don't have aby recording of Beethoven quartets.

Thanks for your comments.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

yetti66 said:


> Adding a curveball - any fan of the late LvB quartets should hear Bernstein's recording of the op.131 and op.135 quartets with the Vienna Phil. The performance is not re-orchestrated for full symphony - the VPO plays the 4 parts/ instruments with 4 string sections only.


I spy Double Basses in his recording!


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

I have always rated the Lindsay St Qt as number one even allowing for the heavy breathing of Peter Cropper.


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## Ekim the Insubordinate (May 24, 2015)

jailhouse said:


> I don't know the Takacs quartets late beethoven, but I know their bartok intimately. If it's anywhere close to that level, it's incredible.


I am a huge fan of the Takacs Quartet. I haven't heard their Bartok - I don't have much of his works. But I quite enjoy most of what they do. Their Beethoven quartet cycle on Decca is wonderful. The late quartets are the stars, but the Razumovsky quartets are also very good. Also on Decca, they recorded the Dvorak piano quintet that is wonderful as well.

They then moved to Hyperion, and on there, I really love their Schubert Death and the Maiden and Rosamunde quartets. They have also recorded Schumann, Brahms, Britten, Haydn - I have quite a few of them. Very good indeed.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

lluissineu said:


> Among all musical genres I admit being an absolute bumpkin in Chamber music. I have docena of different recordings of symph onic or choral works, even operas, but I don't have any recording of Beethoven quartets.
> 
> Thanks for your comments.


Go out and buy a nice set.


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## JohnD (Jan 27, 2014)

pcnog11 said:


> Do all players (in the Guarneri Quartet) use Guarneri violins/instruments in this recording?


Ironically, they don't. From Wikipedia:

Despite the group's name, only one instrument made by the celebrated Guarneri family of Cremona was played for any significant time by a member of the quartet: for many years David Soyer used an Andrea Guarneri cello made in 1669. He later switched to a Gagliano cello made in Naples in 1778. After trying several violins (including a Guarneri), Steinhardt settled on a Cremona instrument made by Lorenzo Storioni in the late 18th century. Dalley plays a French violin made in 1810 by Nicholas Lupot. In the quartet's early years Tree played a viola (patterned after Andrea Guarneri's "Conte Vitale") made by Harvey Fairbanks, a luthier from Binghamton NY. Later, his primary instrument became a 1750 viola made by Dominicus Busan of Venice; he also plays a modern instrument made by Hiroshi Iizuka. Wiley plays a cello made around 1700 by Matteo Gofriller of Venice.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The earlier Tokyo String Quartet version on RCA is one of the finest.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Pugg said:


> Go out and buy a nice set.


Hear, hear! This is music from a lifetime and for a lifetime.


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## WaterRat (May 19, 2015)

Manxfeeder said:


> ... However, personally, I prefer the first Lindsay Quartet cycle because it goes to the heart of the pieces.


Another vote for the Lindsay here, for the reason quoted above. I prefer them over the Alban Berg and the Quartetto Italiano. The Takacs I am less familiar with.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Italiano or Emerson. Excellent performances and recordings from both quartets. I'd recommend you spend a couple of extra $ and get the complete sets or both or either. Both are quite affordable, and the LVB quartets are an investment which will pay dividends for an exceedingly long time.

-09


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

There are so many great ones! I don't think you can go wrong with:

Takács
Amazon US*$36*, recorded 2002/2004









Tokyo
Amazon US*$15*, recorded 1989-1992









Alban Berg
Amazon US*$22*, recorded 1975/1983









Now, here's the thing, why not just go big and pick up the Emerson box?
Then you will have all of the standard repertoire.
Amazon US*$101*, Beethoven recorded 1990/1997


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Emerson are by far the most virtuosic I've heard. It's kind of startling at first.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I do love my Tokyo set, but I haven't compared them to anyone else yet. I want to digest these versions first!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Blake said:


> Emerson are by far the most virtuosic I've heard. It's kind of startling at first.


I personally rate the Alban Berg set higher , each his/ her own I guess


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I do love my Tokyo set, but I haven't compared them to anyone else yet. I want to digest these versions first!


The Tokyo are hard to beat. There's one cycle I prefer, but it's doubtless just personal taste.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Emerson complete LVB quartets box set: $28. at amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-String-Quartets-Emerson-Quartet/dp/B00469GZM8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494413038&sr=8-1&keywords=emerson+beethoven


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

"I personally rate the Alban Berg set higher , each his/ her own I guess"

I really enjoyed that set, as well. I just think Emerson is at the top when it comes to precision.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

There are so many very good performances that it comes down to personal choice

I have Takacs and the Alben Berg

Both splendid


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Blake said:


> "I personally rate the Alban Berg set higher , each his/ her own I guess"
> 
> I really enjoyed that set, as well. I just think Emerson is at the top when it comes to precision.


I let you know in time, I ordered them .


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

The Hungarian Quartet. I grew up with their Stereo set, but their remastered mono set is available now for under $10 and it's wonderful too.


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