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From: jho@ihu1m.UUCP (Yosi Hoshen)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical,net.audio
Subject: Re: Beethoven quartets?
Message-ID: <656@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 1-Sep-85 02:30:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.656
Posted: Sun Sep  1 02:30:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 07:07:01 EDT
References: <4246@alice.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 37
Xref: watmath net.music.classical:1278 net.audio:5737

> I'm thinking of buying a CD recording of the Beethoven quartets.
> Right now there are two available:  the Smetana Quartet [Denon,
> almost complete but missing (probably) one disc] and the Berg
> Quartet [Angel, complete but possibly reissues of old recordings]
> 
> Has anyone out there listened to these recordings?  Comments?
> Is there some other recording in progress worth waiting for?
> (I'd really like to hear the Guarneri Quartet have a go at it)

I have all the Smetana recordings of the Beethoven Quartets.
All the quartets are available on CD except #16.  Most recently
#14 Op 131 came out.  I know that all the quartets have been
recorded by the Smetana (Josef Suk who collaborates with the
Smetana Quartet has told me that the Smetana Quartet and the
Suk Trio have Completed the recording of Beethoven's Quartets
and Trios for Denon).  The Smetana Quartet recording of Beethoven's
Quartets and Mozart's Quintet (Josef Suk) are my most favorite
recordings.   The performance as well as the quality of the
recorded sound are unmatched by any other chamber music recording.

Denon seems to be the only company who is really committed to 
chamber music recording on CD.  I have tried DGG for the
Death and the Maiden quartet (Schubert) with the Amadeus Quartet. 
I was disappointed by both the performance and the sound.  I 
intend to buy the Smetana recording of this piece  as soon as
it will be out.  I have the Berg Quartet recording of Schuberts
String Quintet.  The performance is good but the CD tends to be
harsh for the first violin.

Besides the Berg and the Smetana Quartets recordings of Beethoven's
quartets, I think there is another complete recording of these
quartets on CBS Sony (Julliard Quartet?).
However, some of these recordings have not received favorable review.

-- 
Yosi Hoshen, AT&T Bell Laboratories
Naperville, Illinois,  Mail: ihnp4!ihu1m!jho