Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a splendid set. I'm familiar with a number of other recordings--Cleveland, Takacs, Emerson, Budapest, Kodaly, etc.--but this is the best overall to my taste. The tone and sound are just beautiful. There is plenty of passion but no harshness. Plenty of gentleness and simply beauty when they are called for. Lots of dynamic range and varied tempi. On almost every movement (except for me Op 59 #1 second movement) they make the music come across in a fresh way that one can return to over and over.
Also, beautifully recorded.
Can't imagine anything better (though the Auryn quartet is wonderful, as well.)

Founded in 1971, the Alban Berg Quartet of Vienna was the dominant ensemble in the quartets of Mozart and Beethoven for two decades. Such was their pre-eminence that EMI recorded two complete Beethoven cycles with them over the span of less than five years. The first was made in the studio in 1985, the second was recorded live at the Mozart Saal in Vienna in 1989--since the latter contains applause, it's obvious which is which upon hearing htem. But online stores like Amazon, Tower, and Crotchet do not distinguish between the two. The one pictured herer is the studio cycle.

By general consensus the live recordings are warmer and freer in interpretation, the studio ones being noticeably more tightly controlled and polished. Virtually every critic prefers the 1989 cycle, which indeed is probably the best from the post-Budapest Quartet era (even surpassing the virtuosic Takacs and Emerson cycles of the last decade by combining intensity, genuine Viennese style, and sheer technical ease). I've bought both cycles and can attest that EMI's digital sound from 1985 is edgy and over-bright, making it impossible to listen comoftably at real-life volume levels, while the 1989 concert readings are in excellent sound, adding yet another reason to acquire the later set.

The orange-jacket Red Line series, offered a sisngle CD at a time, is from 1985 and should be avoided. The "Great Recordings of the Century" set of the late quartets, with a photo of the four members of the Alban Berg on the cover, is from the live 1989 cycle. the only missing link is the possibility that the pictured box set here has been remastered, which the 1985 cyle certainly deserves.

P.S. - A commenter offers a correction: Only the Late Quartets from this cycle were digitally recorded, and first appeared on LP in 1984. The Early and Middle Quartets were made in 1981 and 1979, respectively, and are analogue recordings, as I remember first buying them in "Seraphim" boxed sets on LP. The first CD remastering appears to have been in 1985, however, unfortunately, the entire cycle was not recorded "in the studio in 1985," as you suggest.

This quartet made a deep impression on me. I have listened to performances by Quartetto Italiano, Emerson, Amadeus, Cleveland, Lindsey, Vegh, Budapest and others and although each quartet has it's strengths, I believe the Berg Quartet gives the best overall performance of these works.

This remarkable ensemble seems to propel the music forward with a jet-engine thrust, while at the same time paying the greatest attention to detail, without getting lost in the minutia. By comparison, other quartets tend to sound rather square.

If you want depth of feeling, hair raising excitement, and a positively authoritative performance of Beethoven's greatest works, you honestly can't do better than the ABQ.

By the way, did I mention the tone? The tone, the tone, Oh God the tone.

Enjoy.

This set is one of those opportunities to get in on wonderful performances at a great price. I had to weigh in because I was surprised to find some less than stellar reviews of this set- one reviewer below actually wrote a review for a completely different recording, giving this one 3 stars not even having heard it.

I found this set unerringly well recorded, unmistakably well played, and all together a great deal- 7 full length quality recordings of the greatest string quartets ever written for less than $45! There are performances that are as good (for example, check the Quatuor Mosaiques readings of the Op. 18 for a great sounding period performance take), and those are certainly collectable for the die-hard or purist, but I have yet to find a complete set of the Beethoven quartets that I would give a higher recommendation than this one.

** Update 2.6.06 - the Takacs Quartet Beethoven cycle (though so far only issued as three separate multi-disc packages) is well worth the time of anyone interested in these works, albeit at a much higher total price.

On LP I own any number of complete Beethoven String Quartets played by the great masters of that genre. I bought them all as a teenager and in college. When I started buying CDs a complete Beethoven set for over $100 by a great quartet became out of my price range at the time. To find the Berg Quartet, (a favorite group of mine), surveying these great works at this price from Amazon is one of the best bargains going.

I went immediately to Op. 135 and found it marvelous in concept, execution and recording. I've now listened to almost all the quartets, and the consistency is wonderful. Because I'm in the business I'm using only high end professional equipment for playback and the sound is truly "You Are There". The recordings capture the upper overtones of all the instruments without the least harhsness, no mean feat. The blend of the group and the hall is articulated in a way that happens on only a very few recordings. Ocassionally one can hear a minor difference in what might be placement of microphones, even from movement to movement. This could, in fact, be the result of a temperature or humidity change in the recording venue. You have to pay very close attention to notice this and it does nothing to diminish these sonic wonders) Worth thrice the price.

I know it's saying a great deal with the excellent full sets of these quartets to choose from, but these overall are my favorites. The playing is excellent, balanced and perfectly toned. There are unquestionably the deep emotional commitment of the Vegh Quartet, the intelligence of the Juilliard, the parlor intimacy of the Talisch and the muscular intensity of the Italiano. And the serious collector needs to listen to these sets, or selections of, for a rounded understanding of these works. But for a consistency of quality and feeling throughout a traversal of all the quartets I believe the Berg set wins an arguably close contest--at least for me.

I am only writing this review in dispute of RB Townsend remarks below.
I have been listening to this mostly Live set for a few years now on high end Audiophile equipment and notice NO problems with sound at all.
It is clear, clean, crisp, transparent and rich with no "glare" at all.
if it is "well lit", this would suit Beethoven's strings perfectly.
An absolutely stunning performance with a Superb sound stage and sound.
All the other reviewers and the buyers who agree with their assessments (a hundred of them) can't be wrong.
With all due respect, Perhaps Mr. Townsend is listening to this on an Aiwa bookshelf System. Perhaps.

Though I've been weaned on the Quartetto Italiano's style, with a good dose of the Quatuor Végh's second traversal of the cycle, this is the set I return to most. Compared with those two, the ABQ (Alban Berg Quartett) tend to adopt quicker tempos, reveling in the kind of precision that attracts adjectives such as "dispassionate" or "soulless." Nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike similar modern interpreters such as the Emerson Quartet, the ABQ understands flawless technique to be a pre-requisite for tackling these pieces, not an end in and of itself. They also highlight Beethoven's revolutionary bent--their readings are more in line with their namesake than with, say, Schubert or Mendelssohn. The "Grosse Fuge" and Op. 131 are particularly convincing, but there is not a dud in the set. And if you absolutely must have your Beethoven old-fashioned, then dig all the way back to the Busch Quartet for watershed performances.

It may not bear mentioning for most people on this page, but these works are considered to be at the heart of the string quartet repertoire, and chamber music repertoire in general. Personally speaking, the late quartets in particular are some of my favorite compositions in all of music. They offer a singular perspective on the final musical thoughts of Ludwig van Beethoven's life, and seem to transcend time and genre. The quartets as a whole are notable for offering a fairly complete cross-section of Beethoven's progress as a composer while revealing some of his most experimental and personal musical expressions.

Performances: The Alban Berg Quartett approach these work with a Viennese grace that acknowledges the classical roots of Beethoven's music while highlighting the energetic and frequently unsettled nature that define his idiom. In taking this balanced approach they can claim equal success in such distinct movements as the lengthy andante of Op. 131 and the off-kilter vivace of Op. 135. Technically their playing is impeccable, with excellent intonation and disciplined ensemble.

I find myself most drawn to the ABQ's accounts of the early and late quartets. Their middle quartets are very good as well, but for some reason don't quite stand alongside my favorites (see the Takacs, Emerson, Cleveland quartets).

Sound Quality: Sound seems to be a sticking point for this set, which was recorded between 1978 and 1983 - the middle and early groups first (in analogue) and finally the late quartets (in early digital). The early and middle groups were then digitally remastered in 1985. The sound overall is spacious, in the same vein as the Takacs cycle, but with just a bit less clarity of texture - unsurprising given the two decades separating the two cycles. Also, I find that the upper registers (violins especially) can be overrepresented and excessively bright at times, and the sound can get rough at the loudest dynamics. To my ears the late quartets benefit slightly from their later recording date, being a bit clearer and better balanced. In my experience these recordings seem particularly sensitive to speaker/headphone quality - I am much more satisfied with the sound when using my best headphones. Finally, if you listen to MP3s it is a good idea to use a high bit rate when you rip the music. Overall I prefer the sound of more recent recordings (like Takacs, Cleveland, and ESQ) but I still find these recordings quite listenable.

CD Issues: The most irritating things about this set have nothing to do with the recording, but rather with the CDs. First, there are four tracks in the middle quartets in which two movements have been combined into a single track. This was a deliberate decision, as it is reflected in the track list in the booklet, but I can't think of a good rationale for doing this. Also, the order of the quartets may irk those who seek to easily locate a particular quartet. Early, middle and late quartets are jumbled together on each disc, perhaps in an effort to provide a program-like experience. In reality, I don't tend to listen to more than one quartet at a time and so flipping through the discs to find the one I want is an irritation. If you listen primarily to MP3s these problems are easily dealt with using basic software by creating playlists or changing the metadata, and by separating out the combined movements (this can all be done in iTunes). Then, if you plan on listening to CDs, you could burn the quartets in the desired order. For MP3 listeners proficient in iTunes or similar software these quirks will be a minor initial inconvenience, but for others it could present an insurmountable obstacle to enjoying the music.

Price & Packaging: The last thing to consider about this set is its price, which makes it one of the most inexpensive complete sets of Beethoven's quartets. The packaging of the set is good, with a quality box, unique sleeves for each CD, and fairly thorough, though sometimes pretentious liner notes.

Conclusion: If you can come to terms with the obnoxious CD issues and find the sound quality acceptable, the Alban Berg Quartett's Beethoven cycle is a great deal. Frankly, because there are some great modern recordings with better balanced sound, this cycle might not be my first recommendation for someone looking to own only one set of these works. The expensive Takacs set in particular can be seen as major competition, since they have a similarly balanced approach (without the Viennese flavor) and a similar, slightly superior acoustic. The Emerson Quartet set is now priced similarly to this one and provides a more revolutionary, less traditional approach in a closer, crystal clear acoustic. The Cleveland Quartet are not unlike the Emersons in their virtuosity and recorded acoustic but play with somewhat more sensitivity and flexibility. None of this is to diminish at all the quality of the Alban Berg Quartett's performances, which are distinguished for their intellectual and emotional grasp of the music as well as their superb technical execution. I have found that my opinion of this set improves with time, and upon hearing other recordings.

I bought this set with great expectations and the Alban Bergs held up to thos gerat expectation. The tone is flawless, the music infused with feeling, the phrasing superb, the ensemble perfect. This is a superb cycle from one of the greatest string quartets of the world.