Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4, 5 & 6 / Brandis Quartet

On this CD:

1. String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Wolfgang Boettcher, Thomas Brandis, Peter Brem, Wilfred Strehle, Brandis Quartet

2. String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Wolfgang Boettcher, Thomas Brandis, Peter Brem, Wilfred Strehle, Brandis Quartet

3. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Wolfgang Boettcher, Thomas Brandis, Peter Brem, Wilfred Strehle, Brandis Quartet

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
For years the Nimbus label turned out such unlistenably echoey recordings that it's still necessary to check out the vintage of any Nimbus recording. This one is relatively recent and sounds just fine. The performances are fine too--vastly superior to an earlier Nimbus series by the Medici Quartet. In these early Beethoven Quartets, the Brandis offers a sensible alternative to the more driving approach of the Emerson Quartet, expansive and reflective without becoming slack. No one performance tells you everything you need to know about a Beethoven Quartet; this disc ranks among the most worthwhile opinions available. --Leslie Gerber

Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4, 5 & 6 / Brandis Quartet, Music, Beethoven, Brandis Quartet, Classical, Classical Music
Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4 & 5
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Incredibly Beautiful Sublime Musicianship
 Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4 & 5

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18/1-3
  2. Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 18/6 & 59/1

ASIN: B000003D1H
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

  1. I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
  2. II. Andante Scherzoso Quasi Allegretto
  3. III. Menuetto: Allegro; Trio
  4. IV. Allegro
  5. I. Allegro
  6. II. Menuetto
  7. III. Andante Cantabile
  8. IV. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Incredibly Beautiful Sublime Musicianship.......2005-11-18

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 and smooth refinement in the quality of their performance. The musicians perform with an elegance as smooth as silk, while also capturing liveliness of the quartets' allegro movements.

I have listened to this CD many times and thoroughly enjoyed it every time. In the allegro movements there is a wonderful interaction between the violins playing the melody and the cello that is providing such a strong rhythm, anchoring the melody while, at the same time, playing in opposition to it; both instruments are very distinct and play both with and against each other in a perfect blend of harmony and, in the more rapid passages, a flawless tension that beautifully conveys the passion and energy in the music.

The sound quality of this digital recording is superbly clear, rich, and full, and evokes for me the impression of highly polished wood, like 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, in English with German and French translations, followed by a separate 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 late quartets, as amongst my very best, "desert island" CDs. This CD has my highest recommendation. Time = 64:14.

Beethoven: The Early String Quartets Op. 18 Nos. 1-6; String Quintet Op. 29; Quartet Op. 14 No. 1
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Hard to beat.
  • Agree with previous reviewer except....
  • Brilliant technique and understanding of early Beethoven
 Beethoven: The Early String Quartets Op. 18 Nos. 1-6; String Quintet Op. 29; Quartet Op. 14 No. 1

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Ludwig Van Beethoven: Middle Quartets, Op. 59, 74, 95

ASIN: B000003FBJ
Release Date: 1993-04-06

Tracks:

  1. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Allegro con brio
  2. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
  3. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Scherzo: Allegro molto
  4. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 1 In F Major: Allegro
  5. Quartet, Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: Allegro
  6. Quartet, Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: Adagio cantabile
  7. Quartet, Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: Scherzo: Allegro
  8. Quartet, Op. 18 No.2 In G Major: Allegro molto quasi presto
  9. Quartet In F Major (After Second Piano Sonata, Op. 14, No. 1): Allegro moderato
  10. Quartet In F Major (After Second Piano Sonata, Op. 14, No. 1): Allegretto
  11. Quartet In F Major (After Second Piano Sonata, Op. 14, No. 1): Allegro

Tracks:

  1. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Allegro
  2. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Andante con moto
  3. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Allegro
  4. Quartet, Op. 18 No. 3 In D Major: Presto
  5. Quartet, Op 18, No.4 In C Minor: Allegro ma non tanto
  6. Quartet, Op 18, No.4 In C Minor: Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
  7. Quartet, Op 18, No.4 In C Minor: Menuetto: Allegretto
  8. Quartet, Op 18, No.4 In C Minor: Allegro
  9. Quartet, Op. 18. No. 6 In B-Flat Major: Allegro con brio
  10. Quartet, Op. 18. No. 6 In B-Flat Major: Adagio ma non troppo
  11. Quartet, Op. 18. No. 6 In B-Flat Major: Scherzo: Allegro
  12. Quartet, Op. 18. No. 6 In B-Flat Major: La malinconia: Adagio
  13. Quartet, Op. 18. No. 6 In B-Flat Major: Allegretto quasi allegro

Tracks:

  1. Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 In A Major: Allegro
  2. Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 In A Major: Menuetto
  3. Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 In A Major: Andante cantabile (Variazioni)
  4. Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 In A Major: Allegro
  5. Quintet, Op. 29 In C Major: Allegro moderato
  6. Quintet, Op. 29 In C Major: Adagio molto espressivo
  7. Quintet, Op. 29 In C Major: Scherzo: Allegro
  8. Quintet, Op. 29 In C Major: Presto

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Hard to beat........2005-12-14

Hard to fault the Tokyo Quartet in any way. Wonderful musicians in every sense. RCA's sound is perfection. And that Beethoven guy? Not bad. So you either like them or you don't. Which is what all these reviews come down to in the end. Personal preferences.

I think the TQ does a bang up job. I have their complete Beethoven cycle and listen to them all. Frequently. For me, their Middle and Late Quartet recordings are superior to this collection. Why? Personal preference. I prefer the Petersen and Prezak Quartets for the Op. 18. I also prefer strawberry-rhubarb pie to cherry. Just barely. Doesen't make me right in either case. It's so great to be able to listen to all of them. And the Emerson and the Takacs and the Lindsay (1 & 2) and the Talich and the Vegh. I don't want to do without any of them. I only wish the Panocha would do a Beethoven cycle.

Point is, you can't go wrong with any quartet skilled enough to record. You can only listen to as many as you can, as often as you can to develop your own tastes. And expand your spirit.

And 'fungicus'? Try the Petersen and Prazak Op18/1. For what it's worth, I like them better than the Vegh. How do you feel about strawberry-rhubarb pie?

5 out of 5 stars Agree with previous reviewer except...........2003-07-12

The previous reviewer has nailed things down pretty well; I agree with almost everything he/she has said. Except the opinion about the Amadeus quartet! That ensemble's first violinist had a nasty, wicked vibrato habit, a trait that drives me up the wall. Other than that, the Amadeus's early quartets aren't too bad.

Then there's the Vegh quartet playing one of the early Beethovens. If any ensemble plays the Opus 18, no. 1 better than the Vegh, please let me know. The Tokyo is good, no doubt about it. But as far as Op 18/#1 is concerned, I say "forget it! The Vegh is tops."

Finally, yes, the Tokyo isn't too good in the late quartets. Kind of unfortunate.

5 out of 5 stars Brilliant technique and understanding of early Beethoven.......2001-03-02

When at their best, the technical wizardry of the Tokyo Quartet is matched by at most two other ensembles, the Alban Berg and (maybe) the Emerson. The Tokyo has been criticized, rightly I think, for glossing over the profoundly introspective and emotional sections of the late quartets. Oundjian's excessive vibrato is also annoying in the late works. By way of contrast, the early Beethoven quartets are perfect showpieces that play to the strengths of the Tokyo Quartet: splendid tone and intonation, perfect unison, and the ability to turn on a dime.

These recordings also have wonderful sound quality. Overall, I rate this as the best recording of Beethoven's Opus 18, closely followed by the Alban Berg and the Amadeus.
Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4, 5 & 6 / Brandis Quartet
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A warm performance with well-judged tempos and tonal beauty
 Beethoven: String Quartets, Op. 18, Nos. 4, 5 & 6 / Brandis Quartet

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000037ET
Release Date: 1994-08-02

Tracks:

  1. Str Qt in c, Op.18, No.4: I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
  2. Str Qt in c, Op.18, No.4: II. Scherzo: Andante Scherzoso Quasi Allegretto
  3. Str Qt in c, Op.18, No.4: III. Menuetto E Trio: Allegretto
  4. Str Qt in c, Op.18, No.4: IV. Allegro
  5. Str Qt in A, Op.18, No.5: I. Allegro
  6. Str Qt in A, Op.18, No.5: II. Menuetto E Trio
  7. Str Qt in A, Op.18, No.5: III. Andante Cantabile
  8. Str Qt in A, Op.18, No.5: IV. Allegro
  9. Str Qt in B flat, Op.18, No.6: I. Allegro Con Brio
  10. Str Qt in B flat, Op.18, No.6: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
  11. Str Qt in B flat, Op.18, No.6: III. Scherzo E Trio: Allegro
  12. Str Qt in B flat, Op.18, No.6: IV. La Malinconia: Adagio-Allegretto Quasi Allegro

Amazon.com

For years the Nimbus label turned out such unlistenably echoey recordings that it's still necessary to check out the vintage of any Nimbus recording. This one is relatively recent and sounds just fine. The performances are fine too--vastly superior to an earlier Nimbus series by the Medici Quartet. In these early Beethoven Quartets, the Brandis offers a sensible alternative to the more driving approach of the Emerson Quartet, expansive and reflective without becoming slack. No one performance tells you everything you need to know about a Beethoven Quartet; this disc ranks among the most worthwhile opinions available. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A warm performance with well-judged tempos and tonal beauty.......1999-08-24

With the final three quartets of Opus 18 on this recording (Nos. 4-6), you get a lot of chamber music (over 75 minutes) on this CD. That could be good or bad, or both if we were presented with spotty renditions. Fortunately, the Brandis Quartet offers a consistently high-quality set of performances. The quartet had been together for 15 years when this 1993 recording was made. That time spent together shows in the harmony and sensitive interplay between the members. Thomas Brandis, the former concertmaster for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, leads a group colleagues from the BPO and the university where he teaches. The performances are cultured with tempos well-suited for music which Beethoven wrote after a decade of living in one of the 19th Century, European centers of urbanity, Vienna. But don't assume cultured means boring. Listen to the Allegro in the A major Quartet (No. 5) for some exciting and fancy bow-work. The buoyancy and charm of the Haydn-like C minor quartet (No. 4) comes through in this recording by Nimbus. The recording field for these pieces is crowded with the likes of the Quartetto Italiano's and the Talich Quartet's older recordings, and the more-recent entries by the Tokyo String and Emerson Quartets. The Brandis Quartet's performance represents thoughtful, unglamorous music-making that gives deference to the composer's genius. In a field of tough-choices, this is a very good one.
Beethoven: Early String Quartets Op.18, Nos.1-6
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Beethoven: Early String Quartets Op.18, Nos.1-6

    Manufacturer: Everest Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by BeethovenAll Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B0000023HK
    Release Date: 1996-06-18

    Tracks:

    1. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.1 In F Major: Allegro con brio
    2. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.1 In F Major: Adagio affetuoso ed appassionato
    3. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.1 In F Major: Scherzo: Allegro molto
    4. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.1 In F Major: Allegro
    5. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.2 In G Major: Allegro
    6. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.2 In G Major: Adagio cantabile
    7. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.2 In G Major: Scherzo: Allegro
    8. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.2 In G Major: Allegro molto quasi presto
    9. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.3 In D Major: Allegro
    10. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.3 In D Major: Andante con moto
    11. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.3 In D Major: Allegro
    12. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.3 In D Major: Presto

    Tracks:

    1. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.4 In C Minor: Allegro ma non tanto
    2. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.4 In C Minor: Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegro
    3. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.4 In C Minor: Menuetto: Allegretto
    4. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.4 In C Minor: Allegro
    5. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.5 In A Major: Allegro
    6. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.5 In A Major: Menuetto
    7. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.5 In A Major: Andante contabile
    8. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.5 In A Major: Allegro
    9. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.6 In B-Flat Major: Allegro con brio
    10. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.6 In B-Flat Major: Adagio, ma non troppo
    11. The Early String Quartets, Op.18, No.6 In B-Flat Major: Scherzo: Allegro
    12. La Malinconia, Adagio; Allegretto quasi allegro

    Music Review:

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    4. Brahms: Sonata in Dm No3, Op108; Schubert: Sonatina in Am D385, Op137/2
    5. Bruch: Trio in C Minor, Op. 5/8 Pieces, Op. 83
    6. Byrd: Mass for Five Voices with the Propers for All Saints Day
    7. Carl Nielsen's Commotio and Other Danish Organ Works
    8. Chopin: Favourite Chopin
    9. Chopin: Preludes, Berceuse, Fantasy in F minor
    10. Christmas from Lichfield

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