The Guarneri Quartet has forgotten more about the late quartets of Beethoven than most ... more
other ensembles will ever know. They understand the profound lyrical impulse behind these works, and they manage the paradoxical feat of imparting a sublime sense of inevitability to the music while achieving spontaneity at the same time. The interpretations serve the music admirably, though the sound is somewhat veiled. Although the set is rather awkwardly laid out--Op. 127 is split between two discs, and the Grosse Fuge appears on a separate disc from Op. 130, to which it was the original finale--the insights are worth the trouble. --Ted Libbey
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Advantages: Music of astonishing perfection; performances that are breathtaking and up to the task. Disadvantages: Cheesy cover art.
Certain compositions stand out in history as the quintessence, the ne plus ultra of their form. Think: Bach?s ?Goldberg Variations,? ?Mass in B Minor,? and ?Art of Fugue,? Mozart?s ?Requiem,? and Beethoven?s Ninth Symphony and Piano Sonatas, Opus 109-111. Among this company, Beethoven?slatestringquartets, two of which are featured on this Philips archival reissue, easily join the ranks of some of the loftiest creations of mankind. There is a touch of absurdity in ?rating? such works; they have been universally acknowledged as among the greatest in the Western canon. They are absolutely essential listening for any classical music devotee, and for anyone and all with a yen for discovering greatness in human achievements. The rating (I must remind myself) is for the recording and performances. Happily, these are also the ne plus ultra ...
Advantages: Excellent backing tracks, competent vocals, a couple of strong pop hits Disadvantages: Not much in the way of soul, some dull tracks, all rather dated now
on the radio. What I didn?t realise at the time was they were formed specifically to cash in on the northern soul market that was so popular in the 70s.
The Pearls
The Pearls were two session singers who had been working steadily since the late 1950s in one of the UK?s first girl bands, the Vernon Girls. Lyn Cornell and Ann Simmons then pursued solo careers with some minor success during the sixties, with Cornell reaching number 30 with a cover version of the song ?Never on a Sunday? in 1960 but they found session work and working as backing singers more lucrative after failed solo singles releases.
In 1972 producer Phil Swern decided he wanted to record a cover version of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas? B-side ?Third Finger Left Hand? to cash in on the song?s popularity on the northern soul scene.
At that time there wasn?t much ...
Advantages: The writing, the setting, the music Disadvantages: The characters are not sow ell defined or likable
I bought this book, An Equal Music by Vikram Seth, for the grand sum of one penny on the basis of a review written by Floon. I was enchanted by his description of the storyline and the author?s writing style. I was not disappointed.
The author, Vikram Seth states, in an author?s note located on the last page of the book, that, ?Music to me is dearer even than speech?. To convey this, he focuses his novel on the world of music and its performance.
The central character, Michael Holme, is the second violinist in a London-based stringquartet. His life has settled somewhat into a rut. He plays his violin; teaches the violin; makes love to one of his students, Virginie; rings his father; all as a matter of routine.
His comfortable lifestyle is suddenly disturbed by a series of events each connected and occurring in parallel ...
Product Information for "Beethoven: Late String Quartets" »
Product details
Title
Beethoven: Late String Quartets
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Orchestra / Ensemble(s)
Wihan Quartet
Date of Release
02/02/2009
Label / Distributor
Nimbus Alliance / Nimbus
Pieces in Set
3
Genre(s)
Other
Genre(s)
Chamber
SPAR Code
DDD
EAN
710357610028
Work 1
Work Title
String Quartet No. 12 in E flat, Op. 127
Excerpt(s)
1. Maestoso_Allegro 2. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile 3. Scherzando vivace 4. Finale
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1823/4
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
Work 2
Work Title
String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
Excerpt(s)
1. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo (fugue) 2. Allegro molto vivace 3. Allegro moderato 4. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile 5. Presto 6. Adagio quasi un poco andante 7. Allegro
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1826
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
Work 3
Work Title
String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Op. 130
Excerpt(s)
1. Adagio ma non troppo_Allegro 2. Presto 3. Andante con moto ma non troppo 4. Alla danza tedesca (allegro assai) 5. Cavatina (adagio molto espressivo) 6. Allegro
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1825/6
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
Work 4
Work Title
Grosse Fuge in B flat, Op. 133
Excerpt(s)
1. Grosse Fuge in B flat, Op. 133
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1826
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
Work 5
Work Title
String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
Excerpt(s)
1. Assai sostenuto_Allegro 2. Allegro ma non tanto 3. Molto adagio (Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart) 4. Alla marcia, assai vivace 5. Allegro appassionato
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1825
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
Work 6
Work Title
String Quartet No. 16 in F, Op. 135
Excerpt(s)
1. Allegretto 2. Vivace 3. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo 4. Der schwer gefasste Entschluss
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Genre
Chamber
Date Written
1826
Orchestra / Ensemble
Wihan Quartet
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Listed on Ciao since
17/02/2009
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