Beethoven - Budapest String Quartet / Complete Beethoven [CD]
Budapest String Quartet / Complete Beethoven
Beethoven
CD Rel Date: 1988-04-13
889854970628
"The modern standard of performance in the Beethoven quartets was set by the Budapest String Quartet," wrote The New York Times. One of the 20th century's very finest chamber ensembles, the Budapest String Quartet recorded the complete Beethoven cycle three times - first on 78s in the 1940s, then between 1951 and 1952 in mono, and later in stereo. The 1951-52 cycle, which has acquired legendary status, is now reissued as a complete set, the first time that Sony Classical has published it in it's entirety since the first issue. The Budapest Quartet was the quartet in residence at the Library of Congress from 1938 until 1962, a position created so that they could make regular use of the Library's collection of Stradivarius instruments. Their regular performances at the Library all made use of these remarkable instruments, and the quartet also used them on these recordings, made in the Library itself. This Beethoven cycle has acquired legendary status. Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote that his "favorite performances" of the six early Opus 18 quartets are the ones included here, "supple, luminous and insightful". NPR critic Lloyd Schwartz calls the entire cycle "my touchstone" for Beethoven quartet recordings. Founded 100 years ago in 1917, the Budapest Quartet was at the height of it's success in the early 1950s, under the leadership of first violinist Joseph Roisman. They had settled in the United States in 1938 at the same time as taking up their position at the Library of Congress, and they disbanded after 50 years in 1967.
Tracklist:
- String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 / I. Allegro Con Brio
- String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 / II. Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato
- String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 / III. Scherzo. Allegro Molto
- String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 / IV. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 / I. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 / II. Adagio Cantabile - Allegro
- String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 / III. Scherzo. Allegro - Trio
- String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 / IV. Allegro Molto Quasi Presto
- String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 / I. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 / II. Andante Con Moto
- String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 / III. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 / IV. Presto
- String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 / I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
- String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 / II. Scherzo. Andante Scherzoso Quasi Allegretto
- String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 / III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
- String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 / IV. Allegro - Prestissimo
- String Quartet No. 5 in a Major, Op. 18 / I. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 5 in a Major, Op. 18 / II. Menuetto
- String Quartet No. 5 in a Major, Op. 18 / III. Andante Cantabile - Variations - Poco Adagio
- String Quartet No. 5 in a Major, Op. 18 / IV. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 / I. Allegro Con Brio
- String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 / II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
- String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 / III. Scherzo. Allegro - Trio
- String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 / IV. La Malinconia. Adagio - Allegretto Quasi Allegro
- String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 "Rasoumovsky" / I. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 "Rasoumovsky" / II. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
- String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 "Rasoumovsky" / III. Adagio Molto E Mesto
- String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 "Rasoumovsky" / IV. Allegro - Thème Russe
- String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 "Rasoumovsky" / I. Allegro
- String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 "Rasoumovsky" / II. Molto Adagio
- String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 "Rasoumovsky" / III. Allegretto
- String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 "Rasoumovsky" / IV. Finale - Presto
- String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 "Rasoumovsky" / I. Introduzione - Andante Con Moto - Allegro Vivace
- String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 "Rasoumovsky" / II. Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
- String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 "Rasoumovsky" / III. Menuetto - Grazioso - Trio
- String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 "Rasoumovsky" / IV. Allegro Molto
- String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 "Serioso" / I. Allegro Con Brio
- String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 "Serioso" / II. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
- String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 "Serioso" / III. Allegro Assai Vivace Ma Serioso
- String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 "Serioso" / IV. Larghetto - Allegretto Agitato
- String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp" / I. Poco Adagio - Allegro
- String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp" / II. Adagio, Ma Non Troppo
- String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp" / III. Presto - Piu Presto Quasi Prestissimo
- String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp" / IV. Allegretto Con Variazioni
- String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127 / I. Maestoso - Allegro
- String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127 / II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile
- String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127 / III. Scherzando
- String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127 / IV. Finale
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / I. Adagio, Ma Non Troppo - Allegro
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / II. Presto
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / III. Andante Con Moto, Ma Non Troppo
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / IV. Alla Danza Tedesca - Allegro Assai
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / V. Cavatina - Adagio Molto Espressivo
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130 / VI. Finale - Allegro ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / I. Adagio Ma Non Troppo E Molto Expressivo ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / II. Allegro Molto Vivace ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / III. Allegro Moderato ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / IV. Andante Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / V. Presto ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / VI. Adagio Quasi Un Poco Andante ^1
- String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp minor, Op. 131 / VII. Allegro ^1
- String Quartet No. 15 in a Minor, Op. 132 / I. Assai Sostenuto - Allegro ^1
- String Quartet No. 15 in a Minor, Op. 132 / II. Allegro Ma Non Tanto ^1
- String Quartet No. 15 in a Minor, Op. 132 / III. Molto Adagio - Andante ^1
- String Quartet No. 15 in a Minor, Op. 132 / IV. Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace ^1
- String Quartet No. 15 in a Minor, Op. 132 / V. Allegro Appassionato ^1
- Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133 ^1
- String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 / I. Allegretto ^1
- String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 / II. Vivace ^1
- String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 / III. Lento Assai, Cantante E Tranquillo ^1
- String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135 / IV. Der Schwer Gefasste Entschluss