Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Complete Quartets

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If you're in the market for a complete set of Beethoven's incomparable string quartets, there are a lot of options to choose from. But for a perfect blend of stunning ensemble playing, crystal-clear recording quality, and exceptional musicality, this Delos box set by the Orford Quartet is the one to own.

From the opening notes of the first of the Opus 18 quartets, it's clear that this is no ordinary disc. The Orford Quartet's familiarity with and enjoyment of the material shines through every note of this, one of Beethoven's most melodious and accessible chamber works. It is however, in the more treacherous straits of the middle "Razumovsky" quartets and the nearly unnavigable, tortuous channels of the late quartets, that the true mastery of these musicians becomes apparent. The infamous Op. 133 Grosse Fugue (recorded here as an individual work, rather than attached to the quartet for which it was originally written as an alternative ending) is also played beautifully, though even the Orford's thoughtful reading can't render it truly accessible.

Most complete recordings of the Beethoven string quartets are arranged chronologically, with the first part of the set being made up of the "easy listening" quartets of the Opus 18 set, followed by the more challenging middle period quartets, and ending with the difficult but rewarding late period quartets and the Grosse Fugue. Rather than follow the path of least resistance, the Orford has paired early period with late period quartets on the first and last discs of the set, and grouped the "Razumovsky" quartets with the "Serioso" (Op. 95) and "Harfen" (Op. 74) in the middle. This makes it impossible for the listener who prefers Beethoven's more sedate, truly Classical early work to easily avoid the sturm und drang of his more intricately structured and emotionally charged late period quartets.

If you want a little light Beethoven for dessert, then the first two discs of the Emerson Quartet's recording of this set give a credible, if occasionally unbalanced, reading of the melodious Opus 18 quartets. If, on the other hand, you're in the mood for a seven-course meal of all the flavors that the Maestro could serve up, then settle in with this incredible Delos set, and let the Orford Quartet serve up a veritable Christmas feast for the ear, the heart, and the mind.

I will concentrate my review on the 3 Razumovskys op 59.I have heard many quartets play these,and downloaded tons from amazon. These include Italiano,Emerson,Takacs,Vegh,Tokyo,Alexander,Vermeer,Gewandhaus,Shanghai,New Budapest,Borodin etc etc
To my amazement the Orford are at the top with another underrated quartet -the New Hungarian Quartet on Vox and the Tokyo recent one. All these have highly musical and really sensitive slow movements.Listen to Takacs good but bland op 59 no 1 adagio,then to the Orford or Tokyo. Totally more subtle phrasing and more awareness of the rests(silences).Only other at top of this is Talich who are fragile but amazing too.
I really think the Emersons are overrated. They could have beeen amazing as they are indeed excellent musicians but let themsleves down by 2 things-sliding on notes which gets so irritating,and the tempos are way too fast in some movements. Shame as they are really musical in their own way. I find Takacs too aggressive in some parts and they also have a blandness in slow movement of op 59 no 1 though are good.
Alban Berg Quartet is way overrated!!! Bland and glossy with zero subtlety in some movements. Listen to their op 59 no 1.Vermeer Quartet is good but let down by a too thick texture-the 1st violin osmetimes sounds like a wah-wah.
So I urge you to listen to the Orford. Interesting that their op 59 no 1 allegro is very like the Vegh quartet-and they are seen as one of best of all time.

High-powered playing; good ensemble; beautiful tone. But hardly one of the better sets of LvB quartets. Others may find merits in their style, but I don't. Indeed, I'm thinking of selling these 8 CD's as soon as I get around to it.

What's the problem? Expresssive exaggeration; dynamics exaggeration; and too self-aware. And the speed is so broad that it's close to being annoyingly slow. Take the first Rasumovsky quartet (Opus 59, #1). The Orford takes 43 minutes to play it, about 3 minutes longer than most other ensembles. Consequently, no grip, a loss of tention, resulting in a complete lack of excitment.

Presently I have 12 complete sets of these Beethoven quartets. And I rank the Orford at number 11, better than the Amadeus, slightly worse than the Hungarians, but a long way from the Budapest and the Italiano.

I place this set with that of the Quartetto Italiano's performances of the Beethoven string quartets. While Italiano's set is just plain beautifully boring, the Orford set is equally boring because it is simply uninvolved. The Orford set is more "high-powered" than that of the Italiano, but the end result is the same. Slow tempos don't necessarily translate into "expressive depth," and fast tempos don't necessarily equal "exhilarating spirit." Better performances and recordings abound at lower prices.