# The Vegh Quartet Beethoven string quartet set...........



## Itullian

What's your opinion on this set?
Is it the best, as touted by many?
It's rustic sounding with much character.
The stereo sound is ok.
What do you think?


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## philoctetes

yes.............................................................


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## Merl

I love it, as you know Itullian  but it's not everyone's best set. Some prefer a smoother, digital sound. Others prefer less edge. However, for sheer 'rustic' (perfect adjective, Itullian) charm there's not a set I've found to beat it. I love the Italianos and the Takacs too but I just love the earthiness of this set. I gather you're less impressed?


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## Itullian

So far Im liking it.
Not sure how high I would rank it right now.
my first listen.


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## CnC Bartok

It's certainly one of the very very best as far as I am concerned.


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## Kiki

Oh dear, the moment I read "rustic" my eyes lit up (twice!). I'm a newbie to these quartets; only knows a handful of them and have been pondering which set I should get. Does "rustic" also imply "attack" and "fast"? I gather this Naïve set is the one recorded in the 70s. Is the cello audible? Grateful for your advice!


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## Merl

Everything is audible. By rustic I suspect Itullian means that there's an earthiness to these recordings that makes them stand out. Fast? Not particularly but they do have bite and that's what I like about them. It's something I enjoy in LvB symphony cycles too.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Listening to no. 4 now. I prefer newer recordings that are more "wet". This is pretty dry, one reason I didn't enjoy so much the Busch quartet. The recording sounds like they're in the other room here... 
...They're not!
...I listened to the 1952 recording...
SORRY! 
I started again with the right recording. I agree that it has character. I like this! No overplaying, that I value in the music of the period. Without looking at the score, I sense they are playing naturally and following the dynamics that lie in the composition.


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## Kiki

Merl said:


> Everything is audible. By rustic I suspect Itullian means that there's an earthiness to these recordings that makes them stand out. Fast? Not particularly but they do have bite and that's what I like about them. It's something I enjoy in LvB symphony cycles too.


That's brilliant. Thanks, Merl! "Earthiness" & "bite" sound like my cup of tea. I also like that in Beethoven's symphonies.


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## Manxfeeder

Is this the cycle that was released on the Valois label? 

And is this a purchase? It seems to be out of print and going as high as $250 on Amazon.


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## KenOC

The Vegh cycle used to be talked about as a very fine one. It seems to be mentioned less in the last few years.

I checked it out by listening to Op. 127, my usual "test" quartet. I found the performances good but nothing really special. There were a few (minor) bobbles and intonation issues, but they didn't detract much. Some places, though, seemed a bit slack and lacking intensity. Note that I listened _only _to the Op. 127.

I didn't like the sound. It was shrill and (as mentioned above) dry. I really dislike quartet recordings overloaded with reverb, but here there seems none at all. As a result, there is no noticeable "presence".

My set is a 1986 Auvidis Valois reissue of performances in Paris from 1972-74. There is a later reissue on Naive that may or may not be remastered in better sound (shown in the OP). I'm pretty sure the performances are the same ones.

The Vegh Qt's earlier mono recordings from 1952 are running around out there, often in combo with its Bartok cycle on 14 CDs at a very cheap price. Most seem to prefer the stereo cycle.


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## Manxfeeder

I have their late quartets on Valois. The cello is closely miked, but it gives me the feeling that I am behind him, eavesdropping on a group of elder wise musicians sharing their years of wisdom. Their recording of Op. 132 is my favorite interpretation, especially the third movement: simple, spiritual, profound.


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## KenOC

Manxfeeder said:


> I have their late quartets on Valois. The cello is closely miked, but it gives me the feeling that I am behind him, eavesdropping on a group of elder wise musicians sharing their years of wisdom. Their recording of Op. 132 is my favorite interpretation, especially the third movement: simple, spiritual, profound.


I listened to the Heiliger Dankgesang on headphones. The sound is more balanced but still very dry. The performance is very good and quite intense in last portion (as it should be). They take it a bit faster than usual -- I prefer it slower, almost (but not quite) to the point of arousing impatience. But that's a personal thing.

I was thinking -- what must the audience have thought at the initial performance? This is like nothing else ever written at the time (or since, for that matter). Did any of them have any conception of what they were hearing?

Anyway, I liked this performance a lot better than the Vegh's Op. 127!


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## DarkAngel

Itullian said:


> What's your opinion on this set?
> Is it the best, as touted by many?
> It's rustic sounding with much character.
> The stereo sound is ok.
> What do you think?





> Everything is audible. By rustic I suspect Itullian means that there's an earthiness to these recordings that makes them stand out. Fast? Not particularly but they do have bite and that's what I like about them. It's something I enjoy in LvB symphony cycles too.


I am not a big fan, overall just average for me, nowhere near as good as Alexanders (2) we recently mentioned in other thread

Sound has issues with slightly opaque hazy lower string sound allowing lead strings to dance over a "thick" background, but loosing the detailed interplay between 4 instruments that should be more clearly heard, not especially dramatic performances in style but perhaps "rustic" in the way Beethoven 6th evokes the relaxed country landscapes


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## Merl

I'm not a fan of the mono set. I agree the stereo set is a little dry but I love the character of the playing. I dance between sets often in the SQs. Takacs is my fave of the more 'current' sets but tbh I'm like a kid in a sweet shop with many recordings as they all have something good to recommend them. The Cypress cycle is a really good one too as is Auryn.


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## Itullian

Great set.
Unique sound to this quartet.
Polished but a rough timber.


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## numinisgos

I. Vegh (The 1952 Haydn Society Recordings) for the late quartets, Opp. 127, 130, 131, 132, 133. 
II. Quartetto Italiano for the early and middle period quartets. 
III. Takacs for a high standard take on the whole ouevre. 

Exemplary corresponding alternatives are the ones by the Budapest SQ (1951-2 recs.) (I), Amadeus SQ (II), and Kodaly SQ (III).


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## Holden4th

This is the set that finally turned me on to the LvB quartets. 

I bought my first LvB SQ set in the 1970s, a beautiful vinyl set in 10 striking all black covers. I never heard more than 4 of the LPs. I just couldn't get into the music. It took a few years before I ventured again with a Naxos CD of Op 18 (Kodaly's) which I quite enjoyed. The Hollywood SQ late quartets went down quite well but the mono sound for chamber music was a bit of a disappointment. I then bought the Hungarian II and once again couldn't get into them. The box is sitting in my shelves with about half the CDs unplayed

When the Veghs were re released and I read many of the reviews I thought "Why not have one more try". I'm glad I did. I have listened to a number of different ensembles via streaming but none of them grab me the way these do. There is something elemental about this recording that I can't put my finger on. There is something there that is, to me, 'essential' Beethoven. The drama, the 'sturm und drang' the achingly beautiful slow movements, The capriciousness at times that catches you by surprise.

So from my limited perspective, this is the best recording of the LvB quartets.


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## Kreisler jr

Which one had the "all black" covers as LPs?


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## Merl

I've found over the years that if you do side by side comparisons of each quartet the Vegh's rarely are a 'best' recommendation for each quartet. However its as a set they do better and this is also true of the Itallianos (especially) that the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, IMO. I rarely play less than a quarter of that cycle at once. if I want to just hear a single LVB quartet I'll often turn to others (eg. Artemis or Danish for #13, Leipziger in #7).


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