Schubert: The Last Four Quartets

Franco Rossi (Artist), Franz Schubert (Artist), Piero Farulli (Artist), Elisa Pegreffi (Artist), Paolo Borciani (Artist), Quartetto Italiano (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 11, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000041BX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,105 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 11-APR-1995

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great interpretations., July 31, 2004

By 

J-c (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schubert: The Last Four Quartets (Audio CD)

The Quartetto Italiano (Le Quartet Italien) have produced a bunch of excellent albums through the years, but among others this one stands out as a crucial release. This is one of the most celebrated recordings of Schubert's late quartets and for some good reasons. Here they introduce one of the finest 'Death and the Maiden' on disc. Although the competition is huge, it remains a refined and enlivened performance that has special merits. Of course, vintage versions by the Busch Quartet and also by the Juilliard String Quartet are steady references the Quartetto will be forgiven for not completely achieving. The Busch Quartet, especially, is still unsurpassed in this domain. The Quartetto's dazzling Quartet in G is equally splendid, as does the Quartettsatz. The music has guts with no compromise on harmonic detail and elegance. The overall clarity of sound and delineation of instruments are striking. Comparatively, the Brandis Quartet -with a particularly excellent 'Rosamunde'- suffers a bit from a slightly harsh top end (violin) that contrasts with the warmer and more disciplined string tone present on the Quartetto Italiano's recording. The Brandis is, sonics aside, a very good set of the quartets even so it can't match the Quartetto in most areas (except, perhaps, for the shimmering 'Rosamunde'). There are plenty of superb recordings of those works, especially the 'Maiden', including (among the names to watch): The Auryn Quartet, Verdi Quartet, Amadeus Quartet, Budapest Quartet, Melos Quartet, Leipzig String Quartet, Alban Berg Quartet, Aria Quartet, Petersen Quartet, Guarneri String Quartet, as well as the famous Emerson Quartet. You can't go wrong with any of them. The Quartetto Italiano belongs to this category, and sometimes it can and effectively does even surpass one or another in a few minor areas. A great package, imbued with a nice touch of quality a la Philips Classics.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Legendary Italians, May 30, 2005

By 

Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert: The Last Four Quartets (Audio CD)

The great composer Franz Schubert is often talked about as a "late bloomer," referring to how his last compositions emerged with great maturity, emotional complexity and consumate skill. These last four quartets are part of this final, masterful phase of Schubert's short life as a composer and should be in every chamber-music collector's shelf.

Among the finest performances of these great quartets stands the recordings here from the legendary Quartetto Italiano - one of the top quartets in the 60's and 70's. The Quartetto Italiano really have a nack for penetrating the depths of such emotive works as #14 or #15 and bring out the intended drama and pathos within.

Their powerful reading of the great, last quartet in G (#15) is especially noted by many major reviewers as one of the finest recordings of this complex masterpiece. The first movement in particular is epic in scale (lasting some 25 minutes) and exudes a powerful, anguished emotional mood which the Italianos bring out with tremedous depth and passion that can send chills down your spine. In all, their playing is of the highest caliber and just sounds superb in terms of synchonicity, intonation and phrasing. Their unison within cresendos is impeccable as was their ability to create sonorities on a "symphonic scale."

However, I found one quirky sonic flaw throughout the entire "Death and the Maiden" and other quartets when listening with headphones: there was an intermittent and jarring "booming" sound that is quite distracting. It is probably not be an issue without headphones, but be forewarned nevertheless. Overall, the sound quality is very good but not perfect given the transfer to CD from the 1960's analog tapes. There is not quite the depth and realism of more modern recordings in general, but this should not discourage purchase for most.

Other quartets to consider for these works are the Guarnari Quartet and, in some works, the Emersons - although the Emerson's style is more "direct" and less "old world graceful" like the Alban Berg's. The Quatuor Mosaiques also recorded a powerful reading of the Rosamunde quartet and others that ranks with the best along with an award-winning recording from the Tacaks Quartet.

All-in-all, I would say the Italianos is one of the finer SETS of Schubert's greatest (last) quartets - although some individual quartets may be better represented by other ensembles. When I hear music of this stature, it reminds me how unfortunate it was for Schubert that his enormous talent and output was not much recognized nor greatly valued in his day outside his close circles. And these last quartets are only a small part of that heritage.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the Italians!, March 9, 2008

By 

Mark Hennicke (A stone's throw from Carnegie Hall) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Schubert: The Last Four Quartets (Audio CD)

The Quartteto Italiano is easily my favorite string quartet. I have owned and enjoyed their complete Mozart and Beethoven sets of string quartets for many years. I was particularly pleased to find this two-disc set in the Philips Duo series of mid-price cds that includes Franz Schubert's last four quartets, because it has confirmed what I suspected even before I heard the recordings: the Italians are premier interpreters of that master composer's work as well! For me, the dramatic intensity they display in the "Death & the Maiden" is unsurpased; this is my favorite performance of the No. 14 quartet in D-minor. They are exceptional in the quartets Nos. 12,13 & 15 as well. The Philips sound is fine throughout, and at such an attractive price, this set is a real bargain. A must have for those who admire the Italian Quartet, as well as those who love the music of Schubert. Highly recommended!