Beethoven: The Middle Quartets

Quartetto Italiano

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Beethoven: The Middle Quartets Review

by James Leonard

With tonal breath and depth coupled with ensemble clarity and virtuoso flexibility, the Quartetto Italiano's early-'70s recordings of Beethoven so-called "Middle Quartets" are models of postwar chamber music performance practice. In each of the three enormous Op. 59 quartets plus the intensely lyrical Op. 74 quartet and the fiercely dramatic Op. 95 quartet, the Italiano articulates every marking in the scores with exemplary lucidity but expresses the human heart of the music with consummate sensitivity. Compared with other ensemble's recordings, the Italiano's "Middle Quartets" may seem too lush, too warm, or even too beautiful for some listeners, and for them there are the rigors of the Alban Berg Quartet's recordings or the intensities of the Quatuor Végh's recordings. But the undeniable brilliance of the playing and the incontestable profundities of the interpretations will surely win over all but the most obdurate critics, particularly in these incredibly clean and unbelievably present stereo recordings by Philips.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
String Quartet No. 7 in F major ("Rasumovsky 1"), Op. 59/1
1	1. Allegro Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	11:40	Amazon
2	2. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	09:00	Amazon
3	3. Adagio moltoe mesto Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	13:07	Amazon
4	4. Thème russe (Allegro) Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	06:40	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ("Rasumovsky 2"), Op. 59/2
1	1. Allegro Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	10:30	Amazon
2	2. Molto adagio Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	14:25	Amazon
3	3. Allegretto Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	08:06	Amazon
4	4. Finale (Presto) Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	05:46	Amazon
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ("Serioso"), Op. 95
5	1. Allegro con brio Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	04:23	Amazon
6	2. Allegretto ma non troppo Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	06:58	Amazon
7	3. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	04:09	Amazon
8	4. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	05:01	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
String Quartet No. 9 in C major ("Rasumovsky 3"), Op. 59/3
1	1. Introduzione (Andante con moto) - Allegro vivace Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	10:42	Amazon
2	2. Andante con moto quasi allegretto Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	10:01	Amazon
3	3. Menuetto (Grazioso) Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	05:01	Amazon
4	4. Allegro molto Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	06:28	Amazon
String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ("Harp"), Op. 74
5	1. Poco adagio - Allegro Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	10:20	Amazon
6	2. Adagio ma non troppo Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	10:09	Amazon
7	3. Presto - Più presto quasi prestissimo Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	05:25	Amazon
8	4. Allegretto con variazioni Ludwig van Beethoven	Quartetto Italiano	06:53	Amazon

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