Gewandhaus Quartet - Beethoven - The String Quartets: Box Set 10CDs (2004)

On the tenth CD I would like to give you the opportunity of becoming familiar with the styles of interpretation of Bethoven employed by the earlier Gewandhaus-Quartett line-ups.
One of the oldest recordings in existence of this ensemble dates from the year 1916. The Gewandhasu-Quartett of that time performed Beethoven's String Quartet in C sharp major, op. 131 in the line-up of Edgar Wallgandt and Karl Wolschke (violins), Carl Herrmann (viola) and the unforgotten Julius Klengel (violoncello). We would like to thank the 'Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk' (MDR / Central German Broadcasting Corporation) for putting a copy of the digital processing of the original shellac disc at our disposal.
Furthermore, recordings of Beethoven are to be heard performed by the Gewandhaus-Quartett from the year 1968, with the primarius Gerhard Bosse – as well as recordings from the year 1985, with the quartet line-up formed around the primarius Karl Suske. In this case we would like to send out 'many thanks' to the management of the Gewandhaus – for putting this live recording, made in the Mendelssohn Hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, at our disposal.
Between the examples of music, interviews with former members of the quartet should help to give an insight into their personal views – and into the specific styles of interpretation used by the Gewandhaus-Quartett during the course of the previous century. These interviews feature recordings of Martin Hoffmeister (a journalist with MDR) in conversation with Gerhard Bosse (primarius from 1955 to 1977), Karl Suske (primarius from 1977 to 1993) and Dietmar Hallmann (viola from 1959 to 1993).
In addition, out recording of the Piano Sonata op, 14 No. 1, which was transcribed for string quartet by the highly esteemed Beethoven himself, is also to be heard on this CD.
I wish you the greatest of pleasure while listening to these sound recordings – yours, most sincerely,
Frank-Michael Erden

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18, No. 1
1. I. Allegro con brio 8:44
2. II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 9:28
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro molto 3:27
4. IV. Allegro 6:30

String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18, No. 2
5. I. Allegro 7:39
6. II. Adagio cantabile 5:31
7. III. Scherzo: Allegro 4:27
8. IV. Allegro molto quasi presto 5:16

Disc 2:

String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18, No. 3
1. I. Allegro 8:05
2. II. Andante con moto 7:16
3. III. Allegro 3:40
4. IV. Presto 6:49

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
5. I. Allegro ma non tanto 8:23
6. II. Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto 6:52
7. III. Menuetto: Allegretto - Trio 3:48
8. IV. Allegro - Prestissimo 4:14

Disc 3:

String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18, No. 5
1. I. Allegro 9:51
2. II. Menuetto 5:13
3. III. Andante cantabile 8:38
4. IV. Allegro 6:55

String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18, No. 6
5. I. Allegro con brio 9:07
6. II. Adagio ma non troppo 6:55
7. III. Scherzo: Allegro 3:23
8. IV. La Malinconia: Adagio - Allegretto quasi allegro 7:51

Disc 4:

String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1, "Rasumovsky"
1. I. Allegro 9:27
2. II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 8:32
3. III. Adagio molto e mesto - 11:13
4. IV. Theme russe: Allegro 8:10

Disc 5:

String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2, "Rasumovsky"
1. I. Allegro 14:21
2. II. Molto adagio 12:41
3. III. Allegretto 7:13
4. IV. Finale: Presto 5:36

String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74, "Harp"
5. I. Poco adagio - Allegro 9:31
6. II. Adagio ma non troppo 9:46
7. III. Presto 5:05
8. IV. Allegretto con variazioni 6:32

Disc 6:

String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, "Rasumovsky"
1. I. Introduzione: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace 10:42
2. II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto 9:45
3. III. Menuetto: Grazioso - 5:01
4. IV. Allegro molto 6:08

String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, "Serioso"
5. I. Allegro con brio 4:15
6. II. Allegretto ma non troppo 6:30
7. III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso 4:39
8. IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato - Allegro 4:54

Disc 7:

String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127
1. I. Maestoso - Allegro 6:16
2. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Andante con moto - 15:59
3. III. Scherzando vivace - Presto - Tempo I 7:36
4. IV. Finale 7:33

String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
5. I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressivo - 6:22
6. II. Allegro molto vivace - 3:00
7. III. Allegro moderato - Adagio - 0:49
8. IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile 13:50
9. V. Presto - Molto poco adagio - 5:56
10. VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante - 1:53
11. VII. Allegro 6:21

Disc 8:

String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130
1. I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro 8:54
2. II. Presto 2:01
3. III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo 6:38
4. IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai 3:28
5. V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo - 6:40
6. VI. Finale: Allegro 8:13

Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133
7. Grosse Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133 16:02

Disc 9:

String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
1. I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro 9:16
2. II. Allegro ma non tanto 9:17
3. III. Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenden an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart: Molto adagio - Neue Kraftfuhtend: Andante - Molto adagio 16:21
4. IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace - Piu allegro - 2:12
5. V. Allegro appassionato 6:51

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
6. I. Allegretto 6:06
7. II. Vivace 3:21
8. III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo 6:34
9. IV. Der schwer gefasste Entschluss: Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro 6:28

Disc 10:

Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister (Including audio examples)

String Quartet No. 14 (rec. 1916)
1. IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile (excerpt) 3:58
2. V. Presto - Molto poco adagio (excerpt) 3:59
3. Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister: Prof. Gerhard Bosse in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister Gerhard Bosse 1:38

String Quartet No. 10 (rec. 1968)
4. I. Poco adagio - Allegro (excerpt) 2:30
5. Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister: Prof. Gerhard Bosse in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister Gerhard Bosse 4:22

String Quartet No. 10 (rec. 1968)
6. III. Presto (excerpt) 3:35
7. Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister: Prof. Dietmar Hallmann in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister Dietmar Hallmann 3:20

String Quartet No. 10 (rec. 1968)
8. IV. Allegretto con variazioni (excerpt) 2:12
9. Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister: Prof. Dietmar Hallmann in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister Dietmar Hallmann 4:05

String Quartet No. 14 (rec. 1985)
10. III. Allegro moderato - Adagio - IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile (excerpt) 8:03
11. Conversations with Martin Hoffmeister: Prof. Karl Suske in conversation with Martin Hoffmeister Karl Suske 3:56

String Quartet in F major, Hess 34 (arr. of Piano Sonata in E major, Op. 14, No. 1) (rec. 1997)
12. I. Allegro moderato 6:20
13. II. Allegretto 3:40
14. III. Allegro 3:40

Total Time: 9h 28min

Discography Box Sets MP3 320 CBR 2000s Classical

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