Beethoven: Late String Quartets Chamber Chandos

COMPACT DISC ONE

Late String Quartets

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

String Quartet, Op.95 'Serioso' (1810)

22:02

in F minor • in f-Moll • en fa mineur

Nik. Zmeskall von Domanovetz gewidmet

Allegro con brio

4:22

Allegretto ma non troppo -

7:59

Allegro assai vivace ma serioso - Più allegro

4:30

Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato - Allegro

5:01

String Quartet, Op.130 (1825-26)

42:36

in B flat major • in B-Dur • en si bémol majeur

Dédié à Son Altesse Monseigneur le Prince Nicolas de Galitzin,

Lieutenant Colonel de la Garde de Sa Majesté de toutes les Russies

Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro - Tempo I - Allegro -

13:04

Presto - L'istesso tempo - Tempo I

1:56

Poco scherzoso. Andante con moto ma non troppo - [ ] - Tempo I

6:58

Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai

3:08

Cavatine. Adagio molto espressivo

7:34

10.

Finale. Allegro

9:31

11.

Große Fuge, Op.133 (1825)

15:02

in B flat major • in B-Dur • en si bémol majeur

(Grande Fugue, tantôt libre, tantôt recherchée)

Dédiée avec la plus profonde vénération

à Son Altesse Impériale et Royale Éminantissime

Monseigneur le Cardinal Rodolphe, Archiduc d'Autriche, Prince de Hongrie

et de Bohème, Prince Archevêque d'Olmütz etc. etc.

Grand Croix de l'Ordre Hongrois de St Étienne etc. etc.

Overtura. Allegro - Meno mosso e moderato - Allegro - Fuga. [ ] - Meno mosso e moderato -

Total time: 79:05

COMPACT DISC TWO

String Quartet, Op.127 (1824-25)

39:36

in E flat major • in Es-Dur • en mi bémol majeur

Dédié à Son Altesse Monseigneur le Prince Nicolas de Galitzin,

Lieutenant Colonel de la Garde de Sa Majesté Impériale de toutes les Russies

Maestoso - Allegro - Maestoso - Allegro - Maestoso - Allegro

6:42

Adagio ma non troppo e molto cantabile -

16:50

Scherzo. Vivace - Allegro - Tempo I - Allegro - Tempo I - Presto -

8:38

Finale. [Allegro] - Allegro comodo

7:12

String Quartet, Op.131 (1826)

38:46

in C sharp minor • in cis-Moll • en ut dièse mineur

Dédié à Son Excellence Monsieur Le Baron de Stutterheim.

Lieutenant Maréchal de Camp Impérial et Royal d'Autriche etc.

Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo -

7:22

Allegro molto vivace -

2:58

Allegro moderato - Adagio -

0:42

Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Più mosso -

14:29

Presto - Molto poco adagio -

4:46

10.

Adagio quasi un poco andante -

2:22

11.

Allegro - Poco adagio - Tempo I

6:04

Total time: 78:05

COMPACT DISC THREE

String Quartet, Op.132 (1825)

46:58

in A minor • in a-Moll • en la mineur

Dédié à Son Altesse Monseigneur le Prince Nicholas de Galitzin,

Lieutenant Colonel de la Garde de Sa Majesté Impériale de toutes les Russies

Assai sostenuto - Allegro

9:43

Allegro ma non tanto -

8:53

[Trio] - L'istesso tempo - L'istesso tempo -

Da Capo al Fine

Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen

19:37

Tonart. Molto adagio -

Neue Kraft fühlend. Andante -

Molto adagio - Andante -

Molto adagio. Mit innigster Empfindung

Alla marcia, assai vivace - Più allegro - Presto -

2:01

Allegro appassionato - Presto

6:28

String Quartet, Op.135 (1826)

24:28

in F major • in F-Dur • en fa majeur

Dédié à Son Ami Jean Wolfmeier

Allegretto

6:15

Vivace

3:12

Assai lento, cantante e tranquillo - Più lento - Tempo I

8:06

Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß. Muß es sein? Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Adagaio -

6:38

troppo tratto - Adagio -

Es muß sein! Allegro -

Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro - Poco adagio - Tempo I

Total time: 70:53

Chamber: Brodsky Quartet

Daniel Rowland violin

Ian Belton violin

Paul Cassidy viola

Jacqueline Thomas cello

26 and 27 October 2017 (Opp. 133 and 135), 7-10 May 2018 (Opp.95 and 131),

21-24 May 2018 (Opp.130 [except Cavatina] and 132),

and 8-10 April 2019 (Opp. 127 and 130 [Cavatina]

“At every turn of these engrossing and deeply considered readings, I like how the Brodskys ask questions of the music, of the listener too… So the Brodsky’s playing faithfully follows Beethoven into extreme terrain, not least in a radiant 20-minute account of the ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’, anchoring an account of Op. 132 that opens at the outer limit of audibility – I find the Chandos engineering, the differentiation of voices and technical finesse of the recording a pleasure in itself … it’s a set to reckon with …”

Peter Quantrill – Gramophone magazine – March 2020

Performance **** Recording *****

Michael Tanner – BBC Music magazine – March 2020

Classical Album of the Week

“… they [Brodsky Quartet] certainly have their own distinctive virtues, and the highlights reach very high indeed. Technically, these performances are immaculate, so it all comes down to a question of personal taste. To me, the account of the A minor Quartet Op. 132 is the outstanding interpretation here with its serene Adagio, the Heiliger Dankgesang, taken as slowly as anyone could dare, and the intensity of its finale ratcheted up with perfect sureness… As in any cycle of these inexhaustible works, everyone has to pick and choose what they admire, but there is no doubting that these performances of some of the greatest music ever written are to be taken seriously.” ****

Andrew Clements – The Guardian – 10 January 2020

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