Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Cleveland Quartet :: Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/6 & 59/1

Perfect Balance of Harmony and Tension

Classicalfan | Reston, VA USA | 11/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have listened to CDs of Beethoven's quartets by four different groups: Alban Berg, Julliard, Kodaly, and Cleveland. They are all excellent. However, if the other quartets all deserve five stars out of five, then the Cleveland Quartet deserves a sixth star. All four groups play together seamlessly and capture all of the energy and passion of Beethoven, but the Cleveland Quartet also has an extra touch of lyrical magic, smooth refinement, and coherent unity in the quality of their performance.



I have listened to this CD several times in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. From the very first note of the first track, the CQ play with a commanding vitality. Their performance of the first movement - Allegro con brio - of the Op. 18/No. 6 Quartet is absolutely electrifying. In the first movement - Allegro - of the first Razumovsky quartet, Op. 59/No. 1 there is a wonderful interaction between the violins playing the melody and the cello that is providing such a strong, swinging rhythm, anchoring the melody and, at the same time, playing in opposition to it; both instruments are very distinct and play against each other in a perfect blend of harmony and tension. The third movement of Op. 59/No.1 - Adagio Molto e Mesto - is a piece of chamber music heaven played with an exquisite tenderness that lets you savor every note.



The sound quality of this digital recording made in July of 1991 and May of 1992 is superbly clear, rich, and full, evoking the impression of highly polished wood, like the wood of the photo of the violin on the cover of the CD insert and the wood of the superb instruments played by these incredibly talented musicians: William Preucil plays a Stradivarious violin from 1701; Peter Salaff, a J.B. Guadegnini violin from 1783; James Dunham, a Gaspar da Salo viola from 1585; and Paul Katz, an Andrea Guarneri cello from 1669.



The CD booklet is well-written and informative, with a lengthy, detailed essay on each of the two quartets on this CD. The essay is in English, with a German and French translation, followed by a separate, detailed essay (only in English) on the Cleveland String Quartet. The CD booklet even includes on the final page some very detailed technical information regarding the microphones, console, digital recording processor, microphone & interconnecting cables, monitor speakers, power amplifiers, and even the control room acoustic treatement and digital editing. Given the exceptional quality of the sound engineering on this CD, as with the vast majority of Telarc CDs, the detailed technical information is understandable. Surely, everyone involved in making this outstanding recording, from the musicians to the sound engineers, had every reason to be proud of this accomplishment. Out of several hundred classical music CD's, I would select the Cleveland Quartet's recordings of all of the Beethoven Quartets, including these two quartets, as amongst my very best, "desert island" CDs. Very highly recommended. Time = 64:14.



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