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I was introduced to Beethoven's string quartets by the Emersons through their 3-disc "Trio" set of late quartets. Over time I was able to hear other ensembles (Alban Berg, Suske, Takacs, Cleveland, Talich, Vegh, Italiano, Guarneri, Gewandhaus, among others), and frankly I came to the conclusion that the Emersons were not my favorite in the late works. However, I was still curious enough about the Emersons' Beethoven that when this "Collector's Edition" budget box of the complete quartets came out I didn't hesitate to pick it up. It's a good thing, too, as my impression of the Emersons' early and middle quartets is more consistently positive than with the late quartets. Their energy and dramatic flair suit these more youthful and revolutionary works very well. In particular I consider their recordings of Opp. 59/2, 74, and 95 to be among the very best I've heard. Their early quartets are clean, brisk and dramatic without missing out on the grace of some of the nice slow movements like the adagio cantabile of Op. 18/2 and the andante cantabile of Op. 18/5. The focus on the Emersons' speed and virtuosity tends to overlook the fact that they present the music in scrupulous detail. Consider the buildup to the exquisite climax of the first movement of the 'Harp' quartet - in no other recording are the instrumental balances so clear and carefully handled, and the result is a gorgeously ecstatic finish.
My reservations are mostly regarding the late works, where the short, fast movements like the prestos of Opp. 130 and 131 and the vivace of Op. 135 are played with amazing perfection while critical slow movements like the adagio ma non troppo of Op. 127 and the andante ma non troppo of Op. 131 lack the grace and delicacy needed to seal the deal. Also, the dynamic punches can get tiresome in some movements like the scherzo and finale of Op. 127. These complaints aside, I do think their Opp 132 and 135 are consistently excellent. Outside of the late quartets I also have reservations regarding the finale of Op. 59/3, where not even the Emersons' virtuosity can sustain the manic tempo; The result is that important details and phrasing are smeared in the name of speed.
The recorded acoustic captures each instrument individually while leaving enough room for the sounds to reverberate and coalesce. It is ultra-clear and suits the Emersons' virtuosic ensemble. Liner notes are pretty abbreviated yet these days it seems we are lucky to get anything at all.
There are a lot of great recordings of these works out there, each providing a slightly different perspective on this incredible music. While the Emersons tend to get a bad rap for overlooking depth in favor of excitement, I don't quite see it that way with this collection. In my view their early and middle works stand among the best, even in the slow movements, while the late quartets lack some degree of mystery and reverence. Stylistically they are complementary to other recordings that tend towards the lyrical and searching (Italiano, Suske, Gewandhaus, Vegh, Talich). If you're looking for only one set, the Alban Berg Quartett and the Takacs Quartet take more of a middle road that for my money captures the best of both worlds.
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