Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. 1. Maestoso - Allegro
2. 2. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
3. 3. Scherzando vivace
4. 4. Finale
5. 1. Assai sostenuto - Allegro
6. 2. Allegro ma non troppo
7. 3. Canzona di ringraziamento. Molto adagio
8. 4. Alla Marcia, assai vivace
9. 5. Allegro appassionato

Disc 2:

1. 1. Allegretto
2. 2. Vivace
3. 3. Lento assai e cantante tranquillo
4. 4. Grave ma non troppo tratto - Allegro
5. 1. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
6. 2. Allegro molto vivace
7. 3. Allegro moderato
8. 4. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
9. 5. Presto
10. 6. Adagio quasi un poco andante
11. 7. Allegro
12. Minuet

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49009 in Music
• Released on: 1997-06-03
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Supreme Beethoven.
The Budapest quartet was at its peak in the 1940's, when Sasha Schneider was its full-time second violinist. Their sound was warm, precise, and broadly swinging (listen to the opening of Opus 18, no. 4, for a taste of what I mean). The Guarneri, the Clevland, the Emerson, plus a few others learned about quartet playing from the Budapest, and they have freely acknowledged their indebtedness. Read the story of the Budapest quartet in 'Con Brio', a biography by Nat Brandt, the son-in-law of Boris Kroyt (the Budapest's incomparable violist.)

Here's a way to get a complete set of the 16 Beethoven quartets by the Budapest.

1) Sony 62870 (these 2 CD's). Budapest at its best.
2) Sony 62873, 2 CD's, similar to 1) above, containing all the Late quartets, except #13, and the Grosse Fugue. Budapest at its best.
3) Sony 46545, Sony's Essential Classics, stereo, containing #7 and #8. A very inexpensive CD; over 70 minutes of gorgeous music. Quartet #7 (the Rasumovsky No. 1) was the Budapest's calling card. The recording is 1960 vintage, and Sasha Schneider had rejoined the quartet to again play 2nd violin. The four quartet members were all over 60 years old, but intonation frailties or not, this CD is a treasure, as the music is trade-mark Budapest.
4) Sony 47665, Essential Classics, stereo, containing #9, #10, and the Grosse Fugue. About 75 minutes of music. The same artistic quality as 3) above. Again a treasurable CD despite the frailties.
5) Sony 52531, 2 CD's, containing the 6 Early quartets. Recorded in the 1950's. Jac Gorodetzki played 2nd violin. It's hard for me to recommend these 6 quartets. The mono sound isn't that good, but more importantly, to me, the Budapest sounds different when Sasha Schneider isn't there. On the other hand, you can't get all the 16 quartets without this box.
6) Now only #13 is missing. The only choice is Bridge 9072, 3 CD's, mono, containing all the late quartets, plus the Grosse Fugue. I don't recommend this box either. The sound is sometimes truly horrible, but the playing--recorded live at the Library of Congress--is quite gripping.

It takes a total of 11 CD's to put together a complete set of Beethoven by the Budapest! There are overlaps, and the sound and artistic qualities are variable. Here's hoping one day Sony will stop teasing us and release the definitive Budapest in one inexpensive box.

Supreme late Beethoven.
Late Beethoven quartet playing doesn't come any better than this! It's a shame that these 2 CD's don't include quartet no. 13, and the Grosse Fugue. The recordings come from 78's and are mono. But no apology is needed, the sound is full and ABSOLUTELY VERY GOOD. There's a similar 2-CD Sony set covering the Budapest's traveral of some of the early and middle Beethovens. Together, these 4 Sony CD's are a few notches better than what's offered on Bridge, where the Budapest was recorded live at the Library of Congress. Bridge offers the Budapest on 6 CD's. But there, the sound is sometimes horrible although the playing is no less than gripping.

I'm particularly impressed by quartet no. 14 (Opus 131.) The penatration into the music is as deep as the Busch quartet, but technically, the Budapest plays better. This quartet was at its peak in the 1940's; there was no intonation problem at all.

While you are at it, read the biography of the Budapest quartet as told by Nat Brandt, the son-in-law of Boris Kroyt (the Budapest's violist.)

Buy this Sony set. Highly recommended.

Incomparable playing
I agree entirely with the first reviewer. The Emersons never manage to get so near the the heart of this music; the Italians are often too slow and reverential. To me, the only rivals are the Pro Arte and the Calvet - both pre-war Quartets, neither of which came anywhere near to recording the full Beethoven repertoire.

But my main purpose is to point out that Budapest collectors do have an alternative for Quartet No. 13, Op.130. The 1934 HMV recording with Ipolyi on viola was reissued on Biddulph two years ago. coupled with Op.59 No.2 from 1935 (ASIN:B000EBFMDU). It was doubtless the existence of this recording which prevented its commercial duplication by Sony in the early 1940's. Whether or not it is preferable to the Library of Congess version on Bridge is a moot point. Neither recording is sonically up to the standard of these four by Sony.