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RCA

Beethoven: The Middle String Quartets / Tokyo Quartet

$34.99 Only 3 left

Details

Composer
BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN
Artist
TOKYO STRING QUARTET
Format
CD
Label
RCA
Released
Mar 27, 2008
Catalog #
RCA60462
UPC
090266046225

About

Let me say straight away that the Tokyo Quartet's set of the middle-period quartets is among the most impressive to have appeared in recent years. Although I would not necessarily recommend it in preference to the Vegh (Audivis Valois), the Talich (Calliope), or (in the case of the Rasumovsky Quartets) the Lindsay on ASV that have dominated the catalogue for so long, it is surely a set to reckon with. In terms of sheer technical perfection and ensemble it yields no ground to the Vermeer (Teldec), Orford (Delos), Alban Berg (EMI) or Guarneri (RCA). And their technical finesse, spot-on intonation and superb ensemble are all the more impressive for being at the service of the music. I started with the F major Rasumovsky, undoubtedly the greatest of the three, whose opening in the Tokyo's hands is magnificent in its breadth. They have a good feeling for the architecture and shape of each movement, and throughout the work they are fully aware of the depth of this music.

You may recall the hoary adage comparing a translation to a woman: if it is faithful, it is not beautiful, if it is beautiful, it is unfaithful. Similarly, if a performance sets greater store by beauty than fidelity, it risks gaining the former at the cost of the latter; if it sets its sights on truth first and beauty second, it stands to gain both. The Vegh and the Talich often risk beauty of finish in their search for truth. But at its best this sumptuously but truthfully recorded new issue has both ... I like it far more than any of the rival versions that have crossed the Atlantic in recent years.

-- Robert Layton, Gramophone [3/1992]

Tracklist 20 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro 10:53
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    10:53
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  3. 2 II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 09:20
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando
    Duration
    09:20
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  4. 3 III. Adagio molto e mesto - 12:07
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Adagio molto e mesto -
    Duration
    12:07
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  5. 4 IV. Thème russe: Allegro 08:01
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Thème russe: Allegro
    Duration
    08:01
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  6. Disc 2
  7. 1 I. Allegro 09:30
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    09:30
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  8. 2 II. Molto adagio 13:11
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Molto adagio
    Duration
    13:11
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  9. 3 III. Allegretto 07:45
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegretto
    Duration
    07:45
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  10. 4 IV. Finale: Presto 05:33
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Finale: Presto
    Duration
    05:33
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  11. 5 I. Poco adagio - Allegro 09:38
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Poco adagio - Allegro
    Duration
    09:38
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  12. 6 II. Adagio ma non troppo 09:08
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Adagio ma non troppo
    Duration
    09:08
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  13. 7 III. Presto 04:57
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  14. 8 IV. Allegretto con variazioni 06:40
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Allegretto con variazioni
    Duration
    06:40
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  15. Disc 3
  16. 1 I. Introduzione: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace 10:41
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Introduzione: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
    Duration
    10:41
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  17. 2 II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto 09:45
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
    Duration
    09:45
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  18. 3 III. Menuetto grazioso 05:24
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Menuetto grazioso
    Duration
    05:24
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  19. 4 IV. Allegro molto 05:55
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro molto
    Duration
    05:55
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  20. 5 I. Allegro con brio 04:26
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    04:26
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  21. 6 II. Allegretto ma non troppo 07:05
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Allegretto ma non troppo
    Duration
    07:05
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  22. 7 III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso 04:38
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso
    Duration
    04:38
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet
  23. 8 IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato - Allegro 04:48
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato - Allegro
    Duration
    04:48
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Ensemble
    Tokyo String Quartet