Beethoven: The Late Quartets

Read About This Recording

In 1823, after completing the massive Ninth Symphony, Ludwig van Beethoven began the first of what have become known as the late quartets, designed for a small audience of friends. Over the next three years, he wrote five tremendous works plus the "Grosse Fuge" ("Great Fugue"). Although misunderstood and dismissed in the 19th century, the New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians (the encylopedic reference for Classical music) labels these works simply "Beethoven's greatest music."

The Yale Quartet is probably the perfect ensemble for this project: They're musicians' musicians, a quiet group of intelligent, top-notch professionals playing not to impress huge audiences, but solely for the love of the music. They manage to capture the whole of it — the intimacy, the classical perfection, the raw physical power and, most of all, the emotional and musical message.

By way of example, listen to the slow movement of the Quartet No. 15, Op. 132. Beethoven stopped work on this quartet during a serious illness. When he resumed, he penned an excruciatingly beautiful Molto Adagio and titled it, "Hymn of Thanksgiving to the Divinity from a Convalescent," in the Lydian Mode with an accompanying Andante, "Feeling New Strength." The Yale Quartet performs this with both a cool serenity and a warm emotional energy, never allowing one to dominate — the performance is overwhelming.

Buy this set. Keep it. Hand it down to your children. Once you're familiar with the late quartets there may be other interpretations you will want to own as well, but this one will always hold a special place.

—Carlton Wilkinson

Quotes

"Without doubt this is one of the great Beethoven Quartet recordings in the catalogue." —San Francisco Chronicle

Contents

Exclusive!

Includes String Quartets: No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127; No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130; No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131; No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132; Grosse Fuge in B-flat, Op. 133; No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135.

Syoko Aki, Yoko Matsuda, Violins; Walter Trampler, David Schwartz, Violas; Aldo Parisot, Cello; The Yale String Quartet; Broadus Erle, Leader.

CD Special Features

SBM - Super Bit Mapping

Ultra Analog 20 Bit Digital

Remastered using B & W Matrix 801 Loudspeakers