Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Middle String Quartets

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Please see my review of the Guarneri Quartet performance of the Early Beethoven String Quartets, which applies to the whole set. One comment on the recordings themselves. I found the CD transfers produced more spatial clarity and as often is the case with transfers from the "Golden Age of Stereo", some of the expansiveness of the sound is lost. These were recorded in the late 60s, when the emphasis was on big, stereo sound with lots of separation and the CD process can be pretty brutal to some of these recordings. However, I certainly did not find them cramped as one reviewer did, and my only other observation, since I have the LPs, is a loss of some warmth, This, to my ear, has been more than compensated by improved spatial placing of the instruments. Altogether taken, they are splendid document and well worth a listen.

These 60s recordings by the Guarneri Quartet are the strongest of Beethoven's string quartets they performed during that period, and possible thereafter. The dark textures of these "middle quartets" by Beethoven are brought out quite well. One reviewer complained about the sound engineering; I disagree. I personally am not a fan of digital recording, which tends to sound mechanical and artificial and lack warmth. These recordings are quite good, although occasionally there is some unevenness. Also, the viola is unfortunately the weakest of this particular band and robs the Beethoven quartets of the middle range, but thankfully not much. In short, if you want to own just one set of Beethoven's middle quartet recordings, this set is it.

If you're a quartet player, Beethoven's Opus 130s (Late) are probably the Everest of the repertoire, but the Harp, the Serioso and Rasumovsky quartets are the K2 -- incredibly tough and exposed, with chances everywhere to fall off the cliff. The Guarneri were four world-class players with real soloist ability, and these performances have the raw power that comes from their essentially unlimited virtuosity. Steinhardt would have overpowered a lot of quartets, but Soyer and Tree were just as formidible. These guys in the late 60s were kind of taking the baton from the Budapest Quartet -- so these are damn-the-torpedoes interpretations, very 20th century, anything but restrained and civilized. But that may be exactly where Beethoven was going with the music. It would have been nice if they'd been recorded in a hall instead of a studio, but that was the times...Anyway there is tremendous warmth and passion in the playing. And when the Guarneri crank up the prestos, in the world of string quartets I don't think there is anything to match up with them technically.

By the middle to late 60s, the Guarneri Quartet had established itelf as one of the finest string quartets. These recordings are widely recognized as the best of their Beethoven cycle. The performances are both lyrical and dramatic and are to be ranked with the best ever recorded. This album is a "must have" for any lover of Beethoven's quartets. The sound quality of these CDs is good and does not intrude upon the enjoyment of the Guarneri's music making.

Unfortuntately, this recording is an example of 1960s sound engineering at its worst. The instruments are miked so closely and the sound is so bone-dry that the performances can scarcely be enjoyed. It's as if the quartet is sitting in a small room with those noise-reduction panels lining the walls, ceiling and floor.

I recommend listeners look elsewhere -- there are plenty of recordings to choose from for these great pieces.

The middle quartets are not more "adventurous musically" than the late quartets: they are more accessible, more easy to enjoy without an effort, more user-friendly, less "adventurous musically." There are few cheap thrills in the late quartets and this may be what disappoints in Oak Park. I've been listening to the late quartets for more than 20 years and I still get lost. When I'm not up to the effort, I listen to the middle quartets because they are less demanding "musically."

OK, I'm not going to try to compare versions of the quartets because I only have the Guarneri quartets; I don't have the background on that. At this point I have the middle and late quartets on CD (even at a discount, getting the full set is a hefty investment). Having listened to both sets pretty much exclusively for the past couple weeks, I must say that I prefer the middle quartets to the late quartets. They seem to just be a bit more adventurous musically. My favorites are the quartet in C and the quartet in F.