Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3

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

Product Details

• Performer: Cleveland Quartet
• Orchestra: Cleveland Quartet
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (November 25, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CXH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,642 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music of the Spheres - My Very Highest Recommendation., January 5, 2006

By 

Classicalfan "Classicalfan" (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3 (Audio CD)

I have listened to CDs of Beethoven's quartets by four different groups: Alban Berg, Julliard, Kodaly, and Cleveland. They are all excellent. However, if the other quartets all deserve five stars out of five, then the Cleveland Quartet deserves a sixth star. All four groups play together seamlessly and capture all of the energy and passion of Beethoven, but the Cleveland Quartet also has an extra touch of lyrical magic, smooth refinement, and coherent unity in the quality of their performance.

I have listened to this CD several times in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. In the allegro movements, such as the first movement of the second Razumovsky quartet, there is a wonderful interaction between the violins playing the melody and the cello that is providing such a strong rhythm, anchoring the melody and, at the same time, seemingly playing in opposition to it; both instruments are very distinct and play both with, and against each other in a perfect blend of harmony and, in the more rapid passages, a flawless tension that conveys a sense of passion and even urgency in the music. The second movement (Molto Adagio: Si Tratta Questo Pezzo Con Molto de Sentimento) is a piece of chamber music heaven played with an exquisite tenderness, creating an ethereal atmosphere that lets the listener savor every note. In fact, the CD booklet states that at least three separate witnesses who knew Beethoven "claimed, in one place or another, that the idea for this movement came to the composer while he was gazing at th enight sky, contemplating the music of the spheres."

The sound quality is superbly clear, rich, and full, and evokes for me the impression of highly polished wood, like the superb instruments played by these incredibly talented musicians: William Preucil plays a Stradivarious violin from 1701; Peter Salaff, a J.B. Guadegnini violin from 1783; James Dunham, a Gaspar da Salo viola from 1585; and Paul Katz, an Andrea Guarneri cello from 1669.

The CD booklet is well-written and informative, with a lengthy, detailed essay in three sections, with the first section discussing in a general manner Beethoven's composition of all of his string quartets, followed by two separate sections that discuss each of the two quartets on this CD. The essay is in English, with a German and French translation. This is followed by a separate, detailed essay (only in English) on the Cleveland String Quartet. The CD booklet even includes on the final page some exceptionally detailed technical information regarding the microphones, console, digital recording processor, microphone & interconnecting cables, monitor speakers, power amplifiers, and even the control room acoustic treatment and digital editing. Given the exceptional quality of the sound engineering on this CD, as with the vast majority of Telarc CDs, the detailed technical information is understandable. Surely, everyone involved in making this recording, from the musicians to the sound engineers, had every reason to be proud of this accomplishment. Out of several hundred classical music CD's, I would select the Cleveland Quartet's recordings of all of the Beethoven Quartets, including the Razumovsky Quartets, as amongst my very best, "desert island" CDs. This CD has my unqualified and very highest recommendation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another 5 star CD from Cleveland, January 15, 2011

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 59/2 & 59/3 (Audio CD)

After reading the detailed review by classicalfan, I can only add that I agree completely about this CD. I also have greatly enjoyed the Cleveland's CD of #12 and #14. These, I think, are the best of the Cleveland set. The sound is both warm and transparent on both discs. I weould not hesitate to buy either of these. The full set, however, contains several performances that do mot match the excellence of these two CDs.