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Beethoven: The Late String Quartets

4.1 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

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Beethoven: The Late String Quartets Amazon Music Unlimited
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Audio CD, March 15, 1988
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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 I. Maestoso - Allegro
2 II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
3 III. Scherzando vivace
4 IV. Finale
5 I. Adagio ma non troppo
6 II. Presto
7 III. Andante con moto ma non troppo
8 IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai
9 V. Cavatina - Adagio molto espressivo

Disc: 2

1 Große Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133 "Grand Fugue"
2 VI. Finale. Allegro
3 I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto espressivo
4 II. Allegro molto vivace
5 III. Allegro moderato
6 IV. Andante, a non troppo e molto cantabile; Più mosso; Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio; Allegretto; Adagio, ma non troppo e simplice; Allegretto
7 V. Presto
8 VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
9 VII. Allegro

Disc: 3

1 I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro
2 II. Allegro ma non tanto
3 III. Molto adagio
4 IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace
5 V. Allegro appassionato
6 I. Allegretto
7 II. Vivace
8 III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
9 IV. Grave ma non torppo tratto - Allegro

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.69 x 5 x 1.1 inches; 11.68 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Sony Classical
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 1988
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 30 minutes
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ November 18, 2006
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Sony Classical
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0000025QP
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
14 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the string quartets for their quality, with one noting they are among Beethoven's best works. The music receives positive feedback for its tone, with one customer highlighting its perfect intonation.

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3 customers mention "Quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise these string quartets, with one describing them as perfect bookends to Beethoven's work.

"Never have I heard the extraordinary and even 'strange' or 'otherworldly' character of the late Beethoven string quartets better than in the..." Read more

"...127 is even better than the Guarneri's work. These two sets make perfect bookends - different looks on the same works, both of which would make..." Read more

"This is about as good as Beethoven can get...." Read more

3 customers mention "Tone"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the tone of the music, with one describing it as lush and stunningly played.

"...Their lush tone and perfect intonation is well suited to the spiritual heights of these most spiritual of all works. Still....." Read more

"...Some of Beethoven's most daunting and beautiful music, stunningly played." Read more

"An outstanding recording of some of the finest quartet music ever written!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2014
    Never have I heard the extraordinary and even 'strange' or 'otherworldly' character of the late Beethoven string quartets better than in the performance of the Julliard Quartet. They perfectly caption what could not be better described then as the revolution in the writing of string quartets that these late quartets represent. One could even say that some passages lay a bomb under the expectations of contemporary listereners and even now could almost shock you. So powerful and profound is this music while only using the modest means of four string instruments. Away with civilised chitchat, away with certainty! Here comes Beethoven!

    Highly, highly reccomended. Recording techniques may have bettered afterwards (relative to your taste) but this performance has a unique character and quality that are nowhere else to be found (imho)
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2013
    The defacto standard in performance of these wonderful pieces is the late 1960s recording by the Guarneri Quartet on RCA (still availabale on Red Seal and highly recommended). Their lush tone and perfect intonation is well suited to the spiritual heights of these most spiritual of all works. Still..

    Beethoven was a growling man, and sometimes you need to dig in. That's where the Julliard Quartet shines - you can practically hear the rosin sizzling. They are always on the beat and in time, their playing is lean and athletic, and the performance here of Op. 127 is even better than the Guarneri's work. These two sets make perfect bookends - different looks on the same works, both of which would make Beethoven proud.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013
    This is about as good as Beethoven can get. The Julliards are so far inside the music I'm surprised they could see each other during the recording session. Some of Beethoven's most daunting and beautiful music, stunningly played.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
    An outstanding recording of some of the finest quartet music ever written! I purchased this as a gift for my mother and now can't wait to treat myself to the same recording!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2009
    From allmusic.com where this got 5/5 for perfonmance and 4.5/5 for sound

    If you don't already have any recordings of Beethoven's late string quartets, by all means get this one by the Alban Berg Quartet. There hasn't been a set to equal it since it was originally released in a different configuration in the early '90s -- the Emerson's overly enthusiastic but not especially insightful set? oh, come on! -- and there hadn't been many to equal it before the '90s, only the Quartetto Italiano's wonderfully balanced and incredibly lovely set, the Quatuor Végh's supremely intense and transcendentally sublime set, and the Berg's own earlier, extremely concentrated and austerely passionate set. And even the Italiano, the Végh, and the earlier Berg could only equal what the latter Berg achieves in this set. Recorded live in Vienna in 1989, the second Berg set is even more concentrated -- listen to the Fugue that opens the C sharp minor quartet -- and even more passionate -- listen to the Cavatina at the center of the B flat major quartet. Better yet, the tone is more beautiful -- listen to the Lento assai e cantante tranquillo in the F major quartet. And, best of all, the interpretations are more luminous -- listen to the coda of the Molto adagio of the A minor quartet. While you can never have too many great recordings of Beethoven's late quartets, if you can only have one, get this one. EMI's live digital sound is a bit close, but palpably real.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2005
    Since no one's reviewed this, I'll wade in, ignorance notwithstanding.

    Just bought this set last night so I don't know what to think yet. Picked it over the competing Emerson S.Q. set because a guide I consulted (I was in Borders) suggested that while Emerson's playing may be more correct, the ABQ's live performance is more spirited. This is evidently one of the major recordings of the late quartets, so worth a listen regardless of whether it's the "best."

    My initial impression of the C sharp minor quartet is that the Quartetto Italiano's version has more pathos to it ... isn't that helpful?

    More when I've had a chance to assimilate. (Came here to see what smarter folk had written.)
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2005
    I have lived with the Juilliard's Beethoven String Quartets for over 30 years. I had the LP version of the complete Quartets from the 70's. I updated to all 3 CD sets (Early, Middle, & Late) from the 80's. With the Juilliard, you do not get surface polish or detached athleticism. What you do get is real flesh & blood musicians mining deep into Beethoven's soul. No wonder Grammaphone rarely acknowledges the Juilliards. They may be less "civilized" than the string quartets of Europe, however, the Juilliards find the very essence of Beethoven.
    18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • lobinyk
    3.0 out of 5 stars sp コードを変えて聞いてみたら
    Reviewed in Japan on February 24, 2021
    我が家の装置に付けている通常のspコードでは音が固く聴きずらいので、安価な音圧の低いspコードに変えてみたら少し聞き易くなり音も緻密になったようだ。しかし、録音自体に色気がなくオンマイクで固い音に変わりはないようだ。その点、セッション録音のアルバンベルクsqのほうが音も演奏自体も断然いいし、演奏もアナログ録音のスメタナsqには劣る。このジュリアードsqのライヴ演奏を楽しむにはやわらかい音の出る装置をお持ちの方にはいいだろうと思う。
    Report
  • TDK FUNK
    1.0 out of 5 stars ディスク2が不良品です。
    Reviewed in Japan on January 23, 2017
    ディスク2が不良品です。13番が2度収録されており、14番が欠落しております。購入のさいはご注意ください。出品者に確認してからご注文したほうが良いです。