Beethoven – String Quartets
Chiaroscuro Quartet
- Format
- Digital
The Chiaroscuro Quartet now presents us with the fourth installment of its ongoing complete recording of the string quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven. This latest release focuses on the first two of the three quartets from Opus 59, known as the 'Razumovsky Quartets' and named after their patron, the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Razumovsky, who maintained a quartet in his palace. Beethoven was particularly proud of these new quartets, although they initially caused confusion among the public, critics, and even performers. When a violinist complained about the degree of difficulty, Beethoven famously replied: "Oh, they are not for you, but for a later time."
The first in F major was almost certainly the longest string quartet to date, and the unparalleled weight and density gave it the nickname "Eroica" among Beethoven's quartets. The second in E minor is often described as a "close relative" of the "Appassionata" Sonata, because both works—which were composed around the same time—are permeated from beginning to end by a deep darkness. The previous releases of the Chiaroscuro Quartet in this cycle have already received the highest praise from the music press, praised as "breathtaking", "brimming with excitement and youthful vitality" and "a very special experience". There is no doubt that this latest release will also receive such glowing reviews.
Tracklist
- 01 String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: I. Allegro 07:35
- 02 String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: II. Andante con moto 07:08
- 03 String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: III. Allegro 02:43
- 04 String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18 No. 3: IV. Presto 05:34
- 05 String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 No. 1: I. Allegro con brio 08:45
- 06 String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 No. 1: II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 08:49
- 07 String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 No. 1: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto 03:04
- 08 String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18 No. 1: IV. Allegro 06:12
- 09 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 No. 2: I. Allegro 07:30
- 10 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile – Allegro 05:54
- 11 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro 04:04
- 12 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18 No. 2: IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto 05:10
- 01 String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4: I. Allegro ma non tanto 08:11
- 02 String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4: II. Scherzo. Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto 07:01
- 03 String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4: III. Menuetto. Allegretto 03:22
- 04 String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18 No. 4: IV. Allegro 04:05
- 05 String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: I. Allegro 06:26
- 06 String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: II. Menuetto 04:57
- 07 String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile 08:56
- 08 String Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18 No. 5: IV. Allegro 06:14
- 09 String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 No. 6: I. Allegro con brio 05:59
- 10 String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 No. 6: II. Adagio ma non troppo 06:52
- 11 String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 No. 6: III. Scherzo. Allegro 03:00
- 12 String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18 No. 6: IV. La Malinconia. Adagio – Allegretto quasi allegro 08:16
- 01 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 "Razumovsky No. 1": I. Allegro 10:16
- 02 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 "Razumovsky No. 1": II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 08:35
- 03 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 "Razumovsky No. 1": III. Adagio molto e mesto 11:40
- 04 String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59 No. 1 "Razumovsky No. 1": IV. Thème russe. Allegro 07:11
- 05 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky No. 2": I. Allegro 09:18
- 06 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky No. 2": II. Molto adagio 12:06
- 07 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky No. 2": III. Allegretto 07:25
- 08 String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky No. 2": IV. Finale. Presto 05:17
- 01 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 "Razumovsky No. 3": I. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace 10:08
- 02 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 "Razumovsky No. 3": II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto 08:49
- 03 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 "Razumovsky No. 3": III. Menuetto. Grazioso 05:06
- 04 String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59 No. 3 "Razumovsky No. 3": IV. Allegro molto 05:25
- 05 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp": I. Poco adagio – Allegro 09:17
- 06 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp": II. Adagio ma non troppo 08:54
- 07 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp": III. Presto – Più presto quasi prestissimo 04:46
- 08 String Quartet No. 10 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74 "Harp": IV. Allegretto con variazioni – Un poco più vivace – Allegro 06:34
- 09 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Serioso": I. Allegro con brio - Recorded 1994 04:05
- 10 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Serioso": II. Allegretto ma non troppo - Recorded 1994 06:30
- 11 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Serioso": III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso – Più allegro - Recorded 1994 04:03
- 12 String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 "Serioso": IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro - Recorded 1994 04:16
- 01 String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: I. Maestoso – Allegro 06:58
- 02 String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile – Andante con moto – Adagio molto espressivo 14:23
- 03 String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: III. Scherzando vivace 08:13
- 04 String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: IV. Finale. Allegro 06:35
- 05 String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo 06:21
- 06 String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: II. Allegro molto vivace 02:45
