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Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets

Box Set, 7 CD

Edward Dusinberre Format: Audio CD
4.8 out of 5 stars 31 ratings
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MP3 Music, January 1, 2017
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Editorial Reviews

Since its formation in 1975, the Takács Quartet has been recognized as one of the world's leading string quartets. Their award-winning recordings include the complete Beethoven String Quartets for Decca, recorded between 2002 and 2004. Decca Classics celebrates the acclaimed quartet with this multi-media presentation of the Beethoven quartets on 7 CDs, 1 Blu-ray Audio disc, a bonus DVD and a 104-page booklet.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 5.31 x 1.38 inches; 14.89 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Decca
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 19, 2017
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Decca
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N4MFPV0
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 9
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
31 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the sound quality of this Beethoven collection, describing it as high-end audio bliss and the greatest chamber music. The recording receives high marks as a benchmark recording, and customers find it to be a superb set. They appreciate the music quality, with one customer noting that each note really counts.

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Sound qualityRecording qualityQualityMusic quality
7 customers mention "Sound quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers praise the sound quality of the album, describing it as high-end audio bliss and the greatest chamber music.

"...book, a BluRay disk containing these recordings in super high fidelity pure audio sound and also a DVD video containing live performances filmed at..." Read more

"...the set in its previous CD release, this set will reward you with superb sound in one of the very great Beethoven surveys, and that is saying a..." Read more

"...Recording was well done. The bonuses Blu-Ray Audio (complete audio of all quartets) and DVD-Video (one quartet from Haydn, Schubert, and Beethoven)...." Read more

"...That's IF you have a system worth playing it on. The CD's sound quite good...." Read more

5 customers mention "Recording quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the recording quality of this album, describing it as a benchmark.

"...are very cleanly articulated by the artists, superlatively captured by the recording technicians etc...." Read more

"...As this was already a high-level digital recording, the improvement is somewhat smaller...." Read more

"...So was it worth it? Absolutely! This is one of the most stunning recordings in my huge collection and the BluRay immerses you in sublime..." Read more

"What a pristine recording. All in all is great here. I never believed in definitive recording/interpretation...." Read more

4 customers mention "Quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the string quartets as a superb set, with one customer noting the beautiful foil-stamped slipcase.

"...I might add that the beautiful foil stamped slipcase is durable heavy-weight pasteboard...." Read more

"...recordings in my huge collection and the BluRay immerses you in sublime glories that beggar description...." Read more

"What a pristine recording. All in all is great here. I never believed in definitive recording/interpretation...." Read more

"Superb sound for a superb set..." Read more

3 customers mention "Music quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the string quartets, with one noting that each note really counts, while another describes them as supreme works of Beethoven.

"...on my shelves with my other sets of these most ultimate and supreme works of Beethoven...." Read more

"The Takacs Quartet is undoubtedly one of the great quartets, and their Beethoven must rank with the small number of the very, very best..." Read more

"...such a concept because of this complete set of the marvelous Beethoven String Quartets. Takacs is exceptional, for each note really counts!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Gregory E. Foster
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar and Highly Recommended Set!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    My Latest acquisition of the Beethoven Quartets.

    Set contains the complete String Quartets on 7 cds plus a 104 page book, a BluRay disk containing these recordings in super high fidelity pure audio sound and also a DVD video containing live performances filmed at Hopetown House, Scotland, of the following works....
    1 Haydn: String Quartet in C major, op.33 no.3 (The Bird)
    2 Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, D810 (Death and the Maiden)
    3 Beethoven: String Quartet in F major, op.59 no.1 (Razumovsky)

    I waited long to add these recordings to my collection as in their 3-volume edition they were very cost prohibitive. Very glad I waited as this new 1-volume edition is irresistibly inexpensive and now includes the bonus BluRay and DVD disks as well.

    I might add that the beautiful foil stamped slipcase is durable heavy-weight pasteboard. The interior CD, BluRay and DVD slipcases are sturdier than the usual box-set variety and also foil stamped, as well as the booklet, again on heavier-than-usual stock and as well foil stamped.

    The performances are very cleanly articulated by the artists, superlatively captured by the recording technicians etc. They are magnificent for sure and I am very happy they are now resting on my shelves with my other sets of these most ultimate and supreme works of Beethoven. I rate them 5 out of 5 stars and consider them indispensable.

    But, I would never give up my sets by these other artists, either.

    The Alexander String Quartet on Foghorn Classics
    The Borodin Quartet on Chandos
    The Guarneri Quartet on RCA
    The Lindsays Quartet on Resonance
    The Quartetto Italiano on Philips
    The Tokyo String Quartet on RCA

    Of all the works by this great man these works are his supreme achievement. If you are unfamiliar with them you by all means need to hear and experience them and preferably in a complete cycle.

    Enjoy!
    operabruin
    46 people found this helpful
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  • Bob Harper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Packaging issue
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Five stars for the performances, one star for the packaging. The Early and Middle sets are two discs each, are are *relatively* easy to extract from their folders. The Lates occupy three discs, and extracting them without tearing the board is almost impossible in the case of the disc containing Quartets 12 and 14, as the opening is toward the center of the folder, making extraction quite difficult. The opening should have been on the outside edge, as it is for the disc containing Quartets 11 and 13. The sleeve for the middle disc is open on both sides, but it’s still a tight squeeze to get the disc out easily. I suppose this is a niggling complaint, but for a set this good surely a package a bit more user-friendly would have been appropriate.
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  • Nathaniel R. Brown
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb sound for a superb set
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The Takacs Quartet is undoubtedly one of the great quartets, and their Beethoven must rank with the small number of the very, very best (Emerson, Vegh, Busch...). The question facing this release is NOT the quality of the performances, but with the quality of the Blu-ray embodiment, and here I must differ a little from some other reviewers: there is added clarity and depth, but if you already own the CD versions, I have to say that the improvement is not so great that one has to acquire this set; the real value of the trickle of Blu-ray releases is the far greater depth the format gives to analog recordings. As this was already a high-level digital recording, the improvement is somewhat smaller. Nevertheless, improvement there is, and if you have a Blu-ray player, or do not have the set in its previous CD release, this set will reward you with superb sound in one of the very great Beethoven surveys, and that is saying a great deal.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Martin Selbrede
    5.0 out of 5 stars I've purchased the three separate CD sets that this box ...
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I've purchased the three separate CD sets that this box is based on, so I was familiar with the performances (I grew up on Quartetto Italiano on vinyl, acquired Emerson and Suske and then Quartetto Italiano on CD, then turned toward these performances). The only reason I bought this was for the Pure-Audio BluRay, as the CDs are duplicates.

    So was it worth it?

    Absolutely! This is one of the most stunning recordings in my huge collection and the BluRay immerses you in sublime glories that beggar description. It took a few movements in for me to realize this was so, and then I couldn't stop listening. Highest recommendation for the BluRay. (Equipment: Oppo 105D, Sennheiser HDVD 800 headphone amp, Sennheiser HD800 headphones. I have yet to push this through my Vandersteen 5A's because I'm enjoying sitting in the middle of the quartet too much with the Sennheisers!)
    42 people found this helpful
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  • Rosevarte
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pristine and Exceptional
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    What a pristine recording. All in all is great here. I never believed in definitive recording/interpretation. However, I almost tempted to change my mind about such a concept because of this complete set of the marvelous Beethoven String Quartets. Takacs is exceptional, for each note really counts! Recording was well done. The bonuses Blu-Ray Audio (complete audio of all quartets) and DVD-Video (one quartet from Haydn, Schubert, and Beethoven). If you are looking for a great interpretation and great recording, you found it. I am not throwing away my other recordings, but this will be considered the n. 1!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • clyde
    5.0 out of 5 stars High End Audio Bliss
    Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I had the CD's. The Blu Ray audio is why you buy this. That's IF you have a system worth playing it on. The CD's sound quite good. If you have a high end audio system with the capability to play Blu Ray audio then this is what you want to get the most out it.
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  • Gregory Kozak
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a remaster of a great cycle. For this price get it even if ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Holy f@"&. What a remaster of a great cycle. For this price get it even if u have to buy a new player to play the DVD audio disc.
    Scary part is if they start remastering everything to this quality.......oh well worst things can happen in old age;)
    12 people found this helpful
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  • John Albanese
    5.0 out of 5 stars Certainly a benchmark recording to some of the greatest chamber music ever written
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Certainly a benchmark recording to some of the greatest chamber music ever written. Both interpretatively and sound. There are a number of close seconds. I will mention one in 70 year old remastered sound the Busch Quartet of the Late Quartets sublime.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Contrapunctus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Neuauflage mit verbessertem Klang
    Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ich möchte mich kurz fassen und nur auf die klanglichen Aspekte dieser Aufnahmen eingehen. Die vorliegende Neuauflage bietet nicht nur mit der hochauflösenden 24-Bit-Fassung auf der beiliegenden Blu-Ray-Disk eine gut hörbare Klangverbesserung, sondern auch auf den enthaltenen 7 CDs.

    Da ich auch schon die damaligen Einzel-Boxen dieses Zyklusses besitze, konnte ich einen direkten A/B-Vergleich der CDs durchführen. Ergebnis: die CDs in der Neuausgabe sind gut hörbar remastert worden: das Klangbild wirkt etwas räumlicher, detaillierter/konturierter/klarer/präsenter. Im Vergleich mit den neuen CDs wirkt die Originalausgabe etwas dumpf.

    Ich kann damit aus eigener Erfahrung diese Neuauflage auch denjenigen empfehlen, die keine Möglichkeit haben, eine Blu-Ray abzuspielen, da das Remastering auch auf den neuen CDs gut hörbar ist.
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  • Blau Jean Claude
    5.0 out of 5 stars Somptueux coffret
    Reviewed in France on April 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Un superbe coffret de sept CD, une très belle prise de son, plus un DVD montrant le Quatuor jouant Haydn, Schubert et Beethoven, (commentaires en VO seulement), plus un blu-ray audio qui reprend l’intégrale des quatuors avec une qualité de son qui donne encore plus d’espace et de lisibilité à une très grande interprétation.
    Un somptueux coffret, (à l’extérieur comme à l’intérieur).
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  • halloomee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent set. Beethoven is probably my favourite composer
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent set.

    Beethoven is probably my favourite composer. His music moves me deeply.

    Here we have the Takacs quartet interpreting his incredible string quartets. The sound is great, both on the standard cd's & on the included bluray disc. As a bonus there is a dvd which was at one stage available as a separate stand alone disc. It's a nice addition to this set.

    The packaging is nice, the booklet well done, however I wish they wouldn't use foldout gatefold covers because the discs are easily scratched when removing/inserting.

    All in all, a worthwhile box set, even if you already have other performer cycles.
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  • audio_289
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sonido sustancialmente mejorado
    Reviewed in Spain on July 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    No voy a añadir nada sobre la incuestionable gran calidad de las interpretaciones aquí recogidas; como poseedor de las ediciones originales de estos discos, puedo asegurar que la calidad del sonido se ha mejorado muy significativamente en la edición presente. Por otra parte, la adición del DVD, con el "Razumovsky" no. 1 de Beethoven, "The Bird" de Haydn, y "La muerte y la doncella" de Schubert, junto con todos los cuartetos de Beethoven en un único disco Blu-ray en alta definición, además de la presentación de todo el material en tan elegante y compacta cajita, hacen muy recomendable la compra.
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  • SB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime recording
    Reviewed in Germany on May 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Absolutely astounding recording - fresh and full of vitality.
    The high definition Bluray is an excellent bonus - magnificent sound.
    What a pity this excellent set is no longer readily available.
    Very glad I've added this to my collection of Beethoven quartets - Alban Berg, Belcea and Melos.
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