Beethoven: String Quartets

Beethoven: String Quartets
- Music
Having toured the world with its Beethoven Quartets cycle as the old millennium entered the new, the TakÃ¡cs Quartet now commits some of them to disc. This two-CD set from Decca includes the three Razumovsky quartets, Op. 59, of 1806, and the Harp Quartet, Op. 74, sometimes known as the Lobkowitz after its dedicatee, composed in 1809. Although the latter's presto yields the fastest version of the fate motif Beethoven ever wrote, it is possible to go too quickly, as the TakÃ¡cs does here, making triplets of the first notes, which are not written as such. The speed of the dazzling finale of the Razumovsky No. 3 is impressive, but just fails to grip as firmly as a slightly slower, more controlled performance might.
On the other hand, the ThÃ¨me Russe last movement of the Razumovsky No. 1 is a model of restraint, the playful parts entering from all angles with delightful measured precision, polished and perfect. The TakÃ¡cs' music breathes as if in a meditative trance the broad, shallow arch of the molto adagio, which lasts a satisfying quarter-hour in Razumovsky No. 2. The four play best what is calculated and intricate, like the theme and variations that conclude the Harp Quartet, giving each episode a distinct flavor. Variety is more important than usual on one-composer recordings such as this, and the members of the TakÃ¡cs Quartet prove themselves contemplative Beethovenians, who occasionally mistake the gallop for a stampede. --Rick Jones
Country USA
Brand UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
Manufacturer Philips/Decca
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 028947084723
Model 1992320
ReleaseDate 2002-05-14
UnitCount 2
UPCs 028947084723
EANs 0028947084723

Country	USA
Brand	UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
Manufacturer	Philips/Decca
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	028947084723
Model	1992320
ReleaseDate	2002-05-14
UnitCount	2
UPCs	028947084723
EANs	0028947084723

Beethoven: String Quartets

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