A fresh take on beethoven...
Valerie Little | Austin, TX | 10/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I initially found it a little strange that of all the string quartet literature available, the Miro had decided on the Beethoven op. 18 SQs. There have already been so many recordings, but somehow the quartet has managed to convince even me, not a huge fan of Beethoven in general, into loving these works. Miro plays with a kind of freakish technical accuracy (even in live performance), but still brings a huge palette of colors and fresh musical ideas to these often recorded and performed quartets. Pay special attention to No. 1 and No. 4.
I highly recommend seeing them play live (as I'm sure Beethoven will make up a staple of their rep for the year), just to see the commanding, yet approachable presence they have as a group on the stage. For students especially, it's a great lesson in chamber music without ever picking up your instrument! All in all, the new CD is a gem, but coming from Miro, I wouldn't expect anything less."
Strong and Lively
eido | 09/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are plenty of good places to go for recordings of Beethoven string quartets. I first fell in love with these works through listening at my library to the Guarneri String Quartet's rendition. When I first started collecting the quartets myself, I was hesitant to splurge on a two disk set for each period, and that is when I discovered the Cleveland quartet. For practical purposes, it is nice to be able to buy the quartets a little more selectively-- you can acquire the quartets one disk at a time! (Though over the years I have inevitably collected all the quartets.) For aesthetic purposes, the Cleveland quartet offers technically polished performances with brisk tempos (just the way Beethoven would have like them), and lively interpretations.The Op. 18 quartets of Beethoven's reveal his still present youth, showing clearly the influence of Mozart and Haydn as Beethoven grows and asserts himself stylistically. These are lively, playful works, and they possess an energy that only Beethoven can bestow upon the music. One should really have the complete Op. 18 set, but if you are looking for an introduction to Beethoven's quartets, this is a wonderful place to begin."
Do Not Hesitate
James W. Phelan | Bloomfield, NJ United States | 12/20/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a brilliant interpretation of Beethoven's groundbreaking quartets. The sound provided by Vanguard is first-rate. The play is lively, dead-on rhythmically and all musicians hit every note right in the sweet spot...the cd is very attractively packaged and the liner notes are not stodgy like most liner notes...it is an approach like this to classical masterworks that can possibly attract a new generation of listeners. I have the venerated Emerson String Quartet recording and it is wonderful as well but there is room for this one in any collection. If I could only keep one set, it would be this one for its exhuberance and superb sound quality. My favorite reading for many years was a very old one from the Hungarian Quartet which I bought on vinyl, probably in the late 60's or early 70's. It has been years since I've listened to any vinyl...I am not sure that the Hungarian set could hold up against the Miro's, even if the sonic quality of the recordings were equal, which, unfortunately, they can never be."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1