Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Borodin String Quartet :: Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 59, 1 & 3 "Rasumovsky"; Op. 95; Op. 132

Best op. 132 on the market!

04/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Borodin Quartet, although of little fame compared to many other recorded performers of this prestiguous repertoire, simply outplays them all! As a musicologist and performer I have listened to numerous recordings of Beethoven's late string quartets by the world's most famous ensembles, and Borodin simply soars in this op. 132 in terms of ensemble-play and interpretation. The end of the "Heiliger Dankgesang" is an wonder of ecstatic intensity, the opening is played with a non-vibrato sonority and impeccable tuning I have never heard better. More than any other quartet I have heard this one fully and consistently master the variations in tone that this piece demands and the full equality of the parts implicit in Beethoven's writing. On top of it all this 2-cd set is remarkably cheap. It would have been an irrestible offer at even 2,5 times the price. My very warmest recommendation to all fans of the late quartets. I cannot wait to hear the Borodin Quartet play the rest."

Excellent Value, but renditions lacking sensitivity in parts

07/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This duo-CD is excellent value: Very cheap indeed, less than $15 for four of the major quartets! However, this reviewer found the Borodin Quartet's interpretations lacking sensitivity in a few places. Some parts are played in a brusque manner which I feel should be played more slowly and with more feeling. The sound is all right, but not perfect. There is a slight feel of a radio hall recording. However, for those interested in sampling these masterworks for the first time, this duo CD is an ideal buy."

This IS the Best op.132 On the Market

Andrew DiGelsomina | Creation Croatia | 06/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The other reviewer hit it dead on. I've heard the Takacs, Vegh, Juillard, Italiano....NONE of them top this one. Op.59, 1 is done especially well here as well. This is one of the best bargains you will ever get, don't hesitate to buy this. The 3rd movement of 0p.132, the Hymn of Gratitude, is the most emotionally effecting piece of music I've everh heard, and it is done to most powerful effect HERE.



Opus 132, for me, is everything music is about...what it's meant to be. The expression of profound gratitude, humor, courage; the attempt to share those feelings with as many whom will open up to it. A most personal expression made perfectly accessible to those willing to open up...just a short 13 or 14 minutes. How many things could be as spiritual?



The third movement begins by only intimating at what will eventually become a surging, primordial bass line of massive emotional impact. The real "theme" doesn't really become apparent until well after the hymn's initial rounds of development. The structure of the movement makes me think of having the 30/30 hindsight of a person recovering from grievous illness (whether emotional, physical, or spiritual has no matter). A person whom, upon serious consideration of his or her past, sees, at first ephermally and finally with utmost Revelation, the binding motif that ties things together. Through all the stages...conception, birth, infancy, puberty, maturity, dormition...Assumption.



There aren't many pieces of music that...well, it reminds me of the word rapture. The etymology of that word has to do with birds of prey and how they lift something up and out. Listening to a piece like opus 132 takes me up and out, and when I come back, it's to a place of immense peace and good spirit. I truly believe that pieces like that could help change people, to make them come together and love each other a little more every day. I don't care how naive that sounds.



In any event, this cd is priced phenomenally cheap, and I'd go as far to say that both the best op. 132 and op. 59, 1 are on here. This is VERY much worth it."