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BIS

Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 59, Nos. 1-2

$21.99

Details

Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven
Artist
Chiaroscuro Quartet
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Apr 03, 2026
Catalog #
BIS-2688
UPC
7318599926889

About

The Chiaroscuro Quartet is now offering us the fourth instalment of their ongoing complete recording of Beethoven's string quartets. This latest release spotlights the first two of the three Opus 59 quartets, known as the 'Razumovsky,' named for their patron, the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Razumovsky, who maintained a house quartet in his palace. Beethoven was particularly proud of these new quartets, despite the initial bewilderment they provoked among audiences, critics, and even performers. Famously, when a violinist complained of their difficulty, Beethoven retorted: "Oh, they are not for you, but for a later age." The first, in F major, was almost certainly the longest string quartet composed up to that point, and it's unprecedented weight and density of argument earn it the moniker the Eroica among Beethoven's quartets. The second, in E minor, is often described as a "close cousin" of the Appassionata Sonata, in that both works-composed at around the same time-are permeated by a profound darkness from start to finish. The Chiaroscuro Quartet's previous instalments in this cycle have already garnered superlative praise from the musical press, hailed as "breathtaking," "bristling with excitement and youthful vitality," and "a very special experience." There is no doubt this latest release is poised to achieve similar critical acclaim

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 09:53
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    09:53
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  2. 2 II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 08:30
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
    Duration
    08:30
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  3. 3 III. Adagio molto e mesto - 11:26
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Adagio molto e mesto -
    Duration
    11:26
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  4. 4 IV. Thème russe: Allegro 08:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Thème russe: Allegro
    Duration
    08:17
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  5. 5 I. Allegro 14:49
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    14:49
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  6. 6 II. Molto adagio 11:42
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Molto adagio
    Duration
    11:42
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  7. 7 III. Allegretto 06:06
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegretto
    Duration
    06:06
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet
  8. 8 IV. Finale: Presto 05:51
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Finale: Presto
    Duration
    05:51
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Chiaroscuro Quartet