Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887 (Op. posth. 161)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by New Leipzig String Quartet

2. String Trio in B flat major, D. 471
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by New Leipzig String Quartet

3. String Quartet (fragment), D. 2c (D. 998)
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by New Leipzig String Quartet

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This ensemble was still the New Leipzig String Quartet when this recording was made because the old Leipzig String Quartet hadn't retired yet. The ensemble was audacious enough to choose Schubert's difficult last String Quartet for Volume 1 of its series, but the attempt is triumphant. This is compelling Schubert playing, immediately expressive and right in your face. The power of the music in this performance is strong enough to keep you riveted through its great length (50 minutes!). The modest, unfinished Trio is done with a completely different approach, suiting its nature very well. The one-minute fragment by the 12-year-old boy composer is a tantalizing encore. Large-hall reverberant sound but very good of its type. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Str Qt In a D804 Op.29: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Str Qt In a D804 Op.29: Andante
Str Qt In a D804 Op.29: Minuetto. Allegretto/Trio/Minuetto Da Capo
Str Qt In a D804 Op.29: Allegro Moderato
Qt In g/B D18: Andante/Presto Vivace
Qt In g/B D18: Menuetto/Trio/Meneutto Da Capo
Qt In g/B D18: Andante
Qt In g/B D18: Presto
Ov In B flat (Fragment) D470: Allegro

Amazon.com

This disc, Volume 2 of the series, is best heard backwards. The half-minute fragment doesn't tell us much about anything, being too brief. But the very early Quartet, D. 18, is a touchingly sincere work of the very young Schubert (apparently about age 13). Its ending is extremely awkward, but other parts of the score are surprisingly affecting for such early work. This piece should definitely not be heard after the great masterpiece in A Minor, which makes it seem very trivial by contrast. The Leipzig Quartet's playing of these pieces is very Schubertian--melodically oriented and with plenty of overt drama. --Leslie Gerber

Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Great Performances by Talented Musicians From The Eastern Bloc

Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schubert: Complete Quartets, Vol. 5
Complete String Quartets 4

ASIN: B0000273VK
Release Date: 1994-01-05

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor D. 810, 'Death And The Maiden': Allegro
String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor D. 810, 'Death And The Maiden': Andante con moto
String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor D. 810, 'Death And The Maiden': Scherzo: (Allegro molto)
String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor D. 810, 'Death And The Maiden': Presto
String Quartet No. 12 In C Minor D. 703, 'Quartettsatz': Allegro assai

Customer Reviews:

Great Performances by Talented Musicians From The Eastern Bloc.......2005-10-20

Naxos is probably the best of the smaller labels in classical music. Although Deutsche Grammophon and Phillips are probably the leading contenders along with Sony, they have to pay a high price to make a deal with the likes of Perlman or I Musici di Roma. This among other factors, increases the cost of manufacture and distribution. Naxos is a small independent European label that essentially saw a shrude opening in this market after the Cold War. With the collapse of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe, many state-paid musicians and orchestras found themselves out of work and disbanded. Many of them made deals with Naxos and that is why they are so cheap compared to other labels. The low price has nothing to do with the quality of performance however and that is evident by this performance here.

Schubert was an early Romantic who emulated Beethoven but who was certainly not his imitator. This is perhaps best demonstrated by String Quartet No. 14 which is one of his later works. The piece is named 'Death & The Maiden' because it was based on a German poem of the same title depicting a young but doomed little girl walking innocently along while Death hovers above her. The supporting strings sound more at a scherzo pace instead of the allegro dominating the movement. All of the strings rush in to make their presnce known at once. The suspenseful arangements in which the strings are playing both extended and short frantic notes creates a sense of suspense, that somehting is about to happen. The piece then changes to a more melodic pace but quited short notes behind remind the listener that something is still lurking in the background. This piece is quite advanced for its time and is something more akin to what Schumann or Brahms would compose over 30 years after Schubert's death.

Naxos is usually always a great buy unless you strictly prefer the reputed groups and musicians contracted by the major labels such as Phillips, DG, or Sony. The price is certainly not an indication of performance at all because Eastern Europe and Russia spent a lot of money for musical academies and performances which generated many great musicians. This album is a perfect example.

Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

More than adequate

Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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Schubert: String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 1
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ASIN: B0000013UI
Release Date: 1995-05-23

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Andante
Menuetto: Allegretto
Allegro Moderato
Allegro Moderato
Scherzo: Prestissimo
Adagio
Allegro

Customer Reviews:

More than adequate.......2004-05-16

This recording by the Kodaly Quartet includes one of Schubert's "earlier" (1813) quartets (# 10, D 87) and one of his better-known later (1824) ones (# 13, D 804, the "Rosamunde"). It's a good introduction to Schubert's charming quartet style.

The performance is good; no complaints. At $7, it's not quite up to the standard set by some more extensive recordings (Alban Berg and Bosch on EMI; Quartetto Italiano on Phillips). BTW, if you're into Schubert's string quartets, the Melos-Quartett Stuttgart 6 CD complete set on Polygram, for $43, is an excellent deal.

Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1
Average customer rating:

One of the Greatest SQs of All Time...

Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: MD&G Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000021F6
Release Date: 1995-08-22

Tracks:

Allegro Molto Moderato
Andante Un Poco Mosso
Scherzo. Allegro Moderato/Trio. Allegretto/Scherzo Da Capo
Allegro Assai
Allegro/Andante Sostenuto (Fragment)
Str Trio B Flat D 471: 2. Andante Sostenuto (Fragment)
String Quartet Fragment D 2c

Amazon.com

This ensemble was still the New Leipzig String Quartet when this recording was made because the old Leipzig String Quartet hadn't retired yet. The ensemble was audacious enough to choose Schubert's difficult last String Quartet for Volume 1 of its series, but the attempt is triumphant. This is compelling Schubert playing, immediately expressive and right in your face. The power of the music in this performance is strong enough to keep you riveted through its great length (50 minutes!). The modest, unfinished Trio is done with a completely different approach, suiting its nature very well. The one-minute fragment by the 12-year-old boy composer is a tantalizing encore. Large-hall reverberant sound but very good of its type. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

One of the Greatest SQs of All Time..........2005-06-12

Exemplifying what the mad Schumann termed "heavenly length," Schubert's great G major SQ rivals Beethoven's four late quartets, and Schoenberg's First and Fourth SQs.

Within Schubert's oeuvre, the G major SQ groups with the Rosamunde SQ, Death and the Maiden SQ, and the Double 'Cello Quintet. With performance time of approx. 55mins, the mighty G major is assuredly one of the greatest SQs of all time. The sonic textures alternate between dazzingly thick and clotted chords to shimmering translucent filligree. Incredible!

Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 5

Average customer rating:

Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 5

Manufacturer: MD&G Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000021FA
Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

Qt D.87 in E Flat: Allegro Moderato
Qt D.87 in E Flat: Scherzo: 1. Prestissimo/2. Trio/3. Prestissimo Da Capo
Qt D.87 in E Flat: Adagio
Qt D.87 in E Flat: Allegro
Qt Movt (Fragment) D.103 in c: 1. Grave/2. Allegro
Qt D.74 in D: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Qt D.74 in D: Andante
Qt D.74 in D: 1. Minuetto. Allegretto/2. Trio/3. Minuetto Da Capo
Qt D.74 in D: Allegro

Amazon.com

This disc is not part of your basic chamber music Top 100 collection. Both of these string quartets were written when Schubert was 16 years old, although D. 87 was long thought to be a later work until a dated partial manuscript turned up. So these aren't the heartrending, deeply emotional works of Schubert's last years. They are, though, amazingly personal works for such a young composer, each one fully worthy of a place on a concert program. This series by the Leipzig String Quartet has been consistently excellent, and these are the best recordings of either work I've heard. Fine sound, too. --Leslie Gerber

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