Beethoven: The Late String Quartets [Original recording remastered]

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Busch Quartet (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Busch Quartet
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (March 11, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0013FSV5M
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,061 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: 1. Maestoso - Allegro

2. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: 2. Adagio ma non troppo, molto cantabile

3. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: 3. Scherzando vivace

4. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: 4. Finale

5. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: 1. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo

6. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: 2. Allegro molto vivace

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: 1. Allegro con brio

2. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: 2. Allegretto ma non troppo

3. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: 3. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso

4. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: 4. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato - Allegro

5. String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130: 1. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro

6. String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130: 2. Presto

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: 1. Allegro sostenuto - Allegro

2. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: 2. Allegro ma non tanto

3. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: 3. Molto adagio - Neue Kraft fühlend - Andante (Heiliger Dankgesan

4. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: 4. Alla marcia, assai vivace

5. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: 5. Allegro appassionato

6. String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135: 1. Allegretto

See all 9 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding performance and recording, April 17, 2008

By 

Hank (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (Audio CD)

This performance is simply in a class by itself. The Busch Quartet plays with complete selflessness as they are very dedicated to the music and do not exhibit mere 'showmanship' which was common in their day and in ours. One reviewer criticized the sound quality - I have the EMI records from some years ago which was the earlier transfer - I think the sound of the CD is different in the sense that it has a more forward sound-stage and with the mono sound this may make it sound a bit constricted at first, but this passes quickly as you listen -the range is very good, the clarity is excellent, and overall I like listening to these transfers quite a bit more than I did to the records. My recommendation is to get these recordings right away and if you are a fan of the late quartets your ears will be opened to a much deeper level of interpretation and you will hear sensitive and profound readings of these masterpieces.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supreme quartet playing in very listenable sound, April 8, 2008

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (Audio CD)

What's an innocent reader to do? Here we have one reviewer who's outraged by EMI's remastering of the Busch Quartet's legendary Beethoven while I find it eminently listenable. To my ears the upper third of the higher frequencies hasn't disappeared -- the latest technology doesn't surgically amputate the frequency range, to begin with -- and in place of the dry, boxy sound one associates with the Busch recordings, these have a bit of bloom. Pitch has been nicely stabilized as well. I guess you'll have to hear some samples and decide for yourself. I only want to say that as a veteran listener to historical recordings, these offered less ear fatigue and more pleasure than previous issues I've heard.

As for the readings themselves, the Gramophone's comments still ring true: "The Busch recorded nine of Beethoven's 16 string quartets for HMV and American Columbia during the 1930s and early 1940s. Though other eminent quartet groups recorded Beethoven during this period, none rivalled the Busch's reputation for getting to the heart of Beethoven's inspiration."

P.S. -- Given the variable sources, there is sometimes a bit of residual hiss (as in Op. 132), sometimes none (Op. 131), and violin tone can be a little squeaky or not, depending.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historic Beethoven, compromised sound, May 3, 2009

By 

A. B. Mendillo (Kingston, Rhode Island) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (Audio CD)

According to the booklet notes accompanying this reissue, the transfers from 78s were done by EMI's Andrew Walter (Op. 130 and 133) and by the Seth B. Winner Sound Studios, Inc. I don't know anything about Mr. Winner. I do know that Mr. Walter is EMI's top transfer engineer, succeeding EMI's late, great Keith Hardwick---but Mr. Walter transferred only the Opp. 130/133, the originals of which were actually recorded in Liederkranz Hall in NYC in 1941 by American Columbia. The remaining items---apparently transferred from 78s by Mr. Winner---were recorded 1932-1937 by EMI in Abbey Road Studio No. 3 by balance engineer Edward Fowler. (Mr. Fowler was among EMI's best balance engineers during that period. It was he who recorded the Schnabel Beethoven and Schubert sonata series.)

[Added in edit: It's important to read the commentaries to this review. The booklet notes that I was relying on may not list correctly which transfer engineers worked on these recordings. If you are interested in these performances, it might be a good idea to investigate the Dutton transfers, which are said to have better sound. I haven't heard them, but I have many other Dutton transfers from 78s and none is less than sensationally good.]

With this engineering pedigree why is it, then, that these transfers sound so dull? There is no air aound the instruments, no resonance, no room ambiance. The players seem to be performing in a sonic void. In my opinion the present transfers do not do justice to the sound on the source material. My guess is that the perceived need to remove "the inherent noise of the original 78's", as reviewer "rater25" stated, led to sacrifice of the frequency ranges where you find both the surface noise and the room ambiance. (And yes, some of the string sound too.) It's not that these transfers are unlistenable. It's that they sound as if you're listening from the last row of an acoustically-great concert room---and the balcony above your head is blocking most of the room ambiance. If you've been in seats like that, you know how frustrating it can be.

As for the performances---yes, they are historic, and yes, they preserve the warm interpretations of some very great musicians. But in all respect I would have to say that we have moved on. (I say this as one who loves both the performers and the recorded legacy of the 78 rpm epoch.)

For equally sublime readings of late Beethoven, try the Tokyo on RCA Red Seal (deleted by BMG Sony, but still available from Amazon's associated sellers), or try the Budapest Columbia stereo set, released by Sony in a single box in 2010. Another set of interest is the 1953 Hungarian (the mono Hungarian, not the later stereo remake) on EMI if you can find it. Or try the Guarneri. These quartets play in the same expressive style of the Busch players, but they have first-rate sound, their intonation is better, and they don't use portamento. There are other string quartets who are as good in late Beethoven.