Belcea Quartet – Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets Vol. 1 (2012) [LINN FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Belcea Quartet – Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets Vol.1 (2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24bit/96kHz | Time – 233:20 minutes | 4,29 GB | Genre: Classical
Official Digital Download – Source: LinnRecords.com | Covers & Digital booklet

With the participation of Corina Belcea, Krzysztof Chorzelski, Antoine Lederlin and Axel schacher, The Belcea Quartet impress with their renditions of Beethoven quartets…

Rather than presenting their Beethoven set in a neat chronological series, the Belcea Quartet mix quartets of different periods on each CD, as the Alban Berg Quartet did some years ago. Also like the ABQ, these performances are described as being recorded ‘in concert’, but applause has been edited out and indeed there’s nothing to suggest live performance.

I’m particularly impressed by the Belcea’s close attention to dynamics. Beethoven, whose performance indications are more copious than his predecessors’ and contemporaries’, clearly related dynamics to form and phrasing, so the exactness of the placing of crescendos, the vivid distinction between piano and pianissimo, give the music an authentic life – illuminating the composer’s imagination. Similarly, the Belcea’s insistence that slurs denote a true legato helps enormously in conveying the music’s emotional import. Their playing may have a very different sound from the string quartets of Beethoven’s day but the way the music breathes and moves gives a clear picture of his intentions.

Nearly all the time the Belcea’s polish is a delight. But in the Presto movement of Op 131, where Beethoven has a number of jokes at the players’ expense, expecting them to dovetail rhythmic fragments at high speed, the effect is so smooth that the listener may be unaware of any humorous intent. More often, though, the Belcea are at their best in the scherzo-like movements – those in Op 18 Nos 1 and 6, Op 95 and Op 127 are outstanding, and other pieces of a light-hearted character are similarly alert, and dramatic or playful as appropriate. Beethoven provided metronome marks for all his quartets up to Op 95. Some of his speeds are challengingly fast; for such pieces as the finale of Op 59 No 3 the Belceas, playing as quickly as they can successfully manage, create a genuinely brilliant, exciting effect. But there are a few places where attention to the marked tempi might have helped their interpretation. The slow movement of Op 18 No 1 is beautifully played but with a more flowing accompaniment the music would have made a greater impact. Similarly, at a faster tempo the second movement of Op 18 No 4 could have shown more of the scherzoso quality that Beethoven asks for. However, the moderately paced finale of Op 127 (with no metronome mark or tempo indication) is strikingly successful, with its finely balanced textures and sensitive legato phrasing. All in all, this promises to be an outstanding set – not the last word on these endlessly fascinating works, perhaps, but performances of great artistry and perception.

Tracklist:
01 – String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: I. Allegro con brio
02 – String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: II. Adagio, ma non troppo
03 – String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: III. Scherzo. Allegro
04 – String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: IV. La malinconia. Adagio
05 – String Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6: V. Allegretto quasi allegro
06 – String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: I. Maestoso – Allegro
07 – String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: II. Adagio
08 – String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: III. Scherzando vivace
09 – String Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat Major, Op. 127: IV. Finale
10 – String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2: I. Allegro
11 – String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile
12 – String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro
13 – String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2: IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto
14 – String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3: I. Andante con moto
15 – String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3: II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
16 – String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3: III. Menuetto & Trio
17 – String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3: IV. Allegro molto
18 – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95: I. Allegro con brio
19 – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95: II. Allegretto ma non troppo
20 – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95: III. Allegro assai vivace
21 – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95: IV. Larghetto espressivo
22 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
23 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: II. Allegro molto vivace
24 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: III. Allegro moderato
25 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
26 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: V. Presto
27 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
28 – String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: VII. Allegro
29 – String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1: I. Allegro con brio
30 – String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1: II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
31 – String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto
32 – String Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1: IV. Allegro
33 – String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: I. Allegro, ma non tanto
34 – String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: II. Andante scherzoso
35 – String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: III. Menuetto. Allegretto
36 – String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4: IV. Allegro