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Beethoven, Complete String Quartets - Amadeus Quartet 7CD

Posted By: btz39
Beethoven, Complete String Quartets - Amadeus Quartet 7CD

Beethoven, Complete String Quartets - Amadeus Quartet
Stereo | 7 CD | EAC Rip | APE (tracks) | NO LOG | Booklet | 2.2 Gb | RAR 3% Rec.
Label: Deutsche Grammophon | 423 473-2 | 1962
Classical - Viennese School

The untimely death of Peter Schidlof on 15 August 1987 resulted not only in the loss of a great violist: it also marked the end of an era in which, for almost 40 years, the Amadeus Quartet was one of the leading chamber music ensembles in the world. Together in the same formation for a longer time than any other string quartet, the four Amadeus members - Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel, Peter Schidlof and Martin Lovett - were close both as musical colleagues and as friends in private life; and this artistic "marriage", born out of a special fate which brought the Amadeus together after the War, could not survive the loss of one of its partners. They had always agreed that if any member could no longer play, for whatever reason, the Quartet would not continue; and the cellist Martin Lovett expressed what his colleagues clearly fell when he said, "Peter is simply irreplaceable". Indeed, it would be impossible for anyone to take his place without completely changing the sound and character of the ensemble. The quality of their playing was marked by a unique sonority and homogeneity, which derived from a common "schooling" with the great violinist and teacher Max Postal. It had a flexibility that could shape a phrase for its full expressive, emotional effect: yet the members of the quartet each projected very individual and contrasting musical personalities.

But even though the voice of the Amadeus Quartet in the concert hall has been stilled, it lives on in their recordings. In September 1951, just three years after their debut at the Wigmore Hall in London, they made their first recording for Deutsche Grammophon Schubert's Quartet in G major. D 887; and 36 years later, in March 1987, this essential part of their career came full circle with the release of their third recording of the same composer's great C major Quintet, which - although it could not be foreseen - was to be their final one for DG. During the 23 years when the Amadeus was under exclusive contract to Deutsche Grammophon, the Quartet recorded well over 100 works, a legacy that will allow future generations of musicians and music lovers to experience their inimitable performances of the great chamber music repertoire. From all their recordings of works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and other composers, perhaps the most fitting choice as a tribute to the Amadeus - one closest to their hearts - is their Beethoven quartet cycle. It is with pride and affection that Deutsche Grammophon now issues these celebrated interpretations in a newly remastered Compact Disc collection. For many, the name of the Amadeus Quartet was synonymous with the finest in music-making; it will be difficult to imagine the world of chamber music without them.

Steven E. Paul


CD 1

String Quartet No.1 in F, Op.18 No.1

1. Allegro con brio [07:01]
2. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato [08:34]
3. Scherzo (Allegro molto) [03:10]
4. Allegro [05:41]

String Quartet No.2 in G, Op.18 No.2

5. Allegro [05:45]
6. Adagio cantabile - Allegro - Tempo I [06:19]
7. Scherzo (Allegro) [04:18]
8. Allegro molto, quasi presto [05:38]

String Quartet No.3 in D, Op.18 No.3

9. Allegro [05:43]
10. Andante con moto [07:58]
11. Allegro [03:03]
12. Presto [04:51]

CD 2

String Quartet No.4 in C minor, Op.18 No.4

1. Allegro ma non tanto [06:36]
2. Andante scherzoso, quasi allegretto [05:37]
3. Menuetto (Allegretto) [03:46]
4. Allegro [04:17]

String Quartet No.5 in A, Op.18 No.5

5. Allegro [04:50]
6. Menuetto [04:55]
7. Andante cantabile [10:16]
8. Allegro [04:53]

String Quartet No.6 in B flat, Op.18 No.6

9. Allegro con brio [04:29]
10. Adagio ma non troppo [07:37]
11. Scherzo (Allegro) [03:24]
12. La Malinconia (Adagio - Allegretto quasi allegro - Adagio - Allegretto - Poco adagio - Prestissimo) [08:37]

CD 3

String Quartet No.7 in F, Op.59 No.1 - "Rasumovsky No. 1"

1. Allegro [10:01]
2. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando [08:29]
3. Adagio molto e mesto [12:09]
4. Thème russe (Allegro) [06:38]

String Quartet No.8 in E minor, Op.59 No.2 -"Rasumovsky No. 2"

5. Allegro [08:22]
6. Molto adagio [11:35]
7. Allegretto [07:08]
8. Finale (Presto) [05:25]

Total Playing Time: [1:09:47]

CD 4

String Quartet No.9 in C, Op.59 No.3 - "Rasumovsky No. 3"

1. Introduzione (Andante con moto) - Allegro vivace [08:13]
2. Andante con moto quasi allegretto [09:23]
3. Menuetto (Grazioso) [04:42]
4. Allegro molto [06:03]

Recording Date: Mai-1959
Publishing Date: 1960

String Quartet No.10 in E flat, Op.74 - "Harp"

5. Poco adagio - Allegro [08:35]
6. Adagio ma non troppo [10:06]
7. Presto - Più presto quasi prestissimo [05:24]
8. Allegretto con variazioni [06:57]

Recording Date: Jun-1960
Publishing Date: 1960

CD 5

String Quartet No.11 in F minor, Op.95 - "Serioso"

1. Allegro con brio [04:47]
2. Allegretto ma non troppo [06:53]
3. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso [04:21]
4. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato [04:41]

String Quartet No.12 in E flat, Op.127

5. Maestoso - Allegro [06:51]
6. Adagio ma non troppo e molto cantabile [15:09]
7. Scherzando vivace [08:05]
8. Finale [06:27]

Grosse Fuge in B flat, Op.133

9. Overtura (Allegro) - Meno mosso e moderato - Allegro - Fuga [04:41]
10. Meno mosso e moderato - Allegro molto e con brio [02:54]
11. Allegro molto e con brio - meno mosso e moderato [03:30]
12. Meno mosso e moderato [01:02]
13. Allegro molto e con brio [01:51]
14. Allegro [01:27]

Total Playing Time: [1:12:39]

CD 6

String Quartet No.13 in B flat, Op.130

1. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro [08:31]
2. Presto [01:54]
3. Andante con moto ma non troppo. Poco scherzando [06:08]
4. Alla danza tedesca (Allegro assai) [02:41]
5. Cavatina ( Adagio molto espressivo) [06:32]
6. Finale (Allegro) [07:27]

String Quartet No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.131

7. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo [06:58]
8. Allegro molto vivace [03:05]
9. Allegro moderato [00:56]
10. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Più mosso - Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio, ma non troppo e semplice - Allegretto [14:17]
11. Presto [05:27]
12. Adagio quasi un poco andante [02:04]
13. Allegro [06:30]

Recording Date: Okt-1962 Jun-1963
Publishing Date: 1963
Total Playing Time: [1:12:30]

CD 7

String Quartet No.15 in A minor, Op.132
1. Assai sostenuto - Allegro [10:26]
2. Allegro ma non tanto [07:41]
3. Canzona di ringraziamento offerta alla divinità da un guarito, in modo lidico (Molto adagio) - Sentendo nuova forza (Andante) [15:58]
4. Alla marcia, assai vivace - Più allegro - Presto [02:16]
5. Allegro appassionato [06:27]

String Quartet No.16 in F, Op.135
6. Allegretto [06:42]
7. Vivace [03:24]
8. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo [08:10]
9. Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß (Grave - Allegro - Grave ma non troppo tratto - Allegro) [07:03]


Total Playing Time: [1:08:07]
Recording Date: Apr 1962-1963
Publishing Date: 1963