Belcea Quartet - Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets (Intégrale Des Quatuors À Cordes), Vol. 2 (2013) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist:

[8:00] 01. - String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: I. Allegro
[7:41] 02. - String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: II. Andante con moto
[3:13] 03. - String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: III. Allegro
[6:16] 04. - String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: IV. Presto
[6:41] 05. - String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: I. Allegro
[4:56] 06. - String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: II. Menuetto – Trio
[9:52] 07. - String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile
[6:33] 08. - String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: IV. Allegro
[15:48] 09. - Grosse Fuge for String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 133
[9:59] 10. - String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky': I. Allegro
[9:13] 11. - String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky': II. Allegro vivace e sempre scherzando
[13:37] 12. - String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky': III. Adagio molto e mesto
[8:07] 13. - String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 'Razumovsky': IV. Thème russe, allegro
[9:38] 14. - String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 'Razumovsky': I. Allegro
[13:52] 15. - String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 'Razumovsky': II. Molto adagio
[6:44] 16. - String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 'Razumovsky': III. Allegretto
[5:22] 17. - String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 'Razumovsky': IV. Finale, presto
[9:50] 18. - String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 'Harp': I. Poco adagio – Allegro
[9:44] 19. - String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 'Harp': II. Adagio ma non troppo
[4:49] 20. - String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 'Harp': III. Presto
[7:03] 21. - String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 'Harp': IV. Allegretto con variazioni
[9:29] 22. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
[1:53] 23. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: II. Presto
[7:13] 24. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo
[3:13] 25. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: IV. Alla danza tedesca, allegro assai
[7:19] 26. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: V. Cavatina, adagio molto espressivo
[10:37] 27. - String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: VI. Finale – Allegro
[9:23] 28. - String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: I. Allegro sostenuto - Allegro
[8:37] 29. - String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: II. Allegro ma non tanto
[19:36] 30. - String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: III. Molto adagio
[8:49] 31. - String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132: IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace
[6:16] 32. - String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: I. Allegretto
[3:10] 33. - String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: II. Vivace
[7:42] 34. - String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
[7:31] 35. - String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: IV. Grave, ma non troppo tratto – Allegro

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ABOUT THE ALBUM
4 disc(s) - 35 track(s)
Total length: 04:47:27
Main artist: Belcea Quartet
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Label: Zig-Zag Territoires
Area: Allemagne
Genre: Klassiek Kamermuziek Kwartetten
Period: Musique Romantique
Hi-Res 24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo
Digital booklet
2013 Outhere Music France

Because the Belcea Quartet has divided the string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven between two box sets, and arranged them so that early, middle, and late works appear in each volume, newcomers to this music may find the program a bit arbitrary and slightly complicated. Undoubtedly, the Belcea wants listeners to approach these landmark works with new ears, and to prevent the expectations that come with time-honored groupings. Hearing the three "Razumovsky" quartets played together, for example, or the Grosse Fuge with its original parent work, Op. 130, listeners might lose that most essential feature in Beethoven, the element of surprise. And the Belcea is quite good at surprises. The group takes pains to articulate the quartets in unpredictable ways, giving each part a strong character, accentuating passages that are often smoothed over, and providing an edginess that maintains suspense. Tempos are on the brisk side, and the string tone is sometimes brusque and even rough, with a kind of grit that is almost harsh. The tension is at its most pronounced in the Grosse Fuge, which is played with a manic frenzy that tangles the counterpoint to the point of incomprehensibility and makes the work unnecessarily grotesque. However, this is an extreme case, and the remaining works are played with less aggressiveness and more humanity. By far the loveliest playing is in the slow movements, particularly in the tender Cavatina of Op. 130, and the sublime Lento assai of Op. 135. Still, taken as a whole, the Belcea's interpretations are bracing and vigorous by most standards, and listeners should sample this set extensively before purchasing.
© TiVo


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