Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartets Nos. 7-10 (Takács Quartet)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

CD1:

• (01-04) String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 - "Rasumovsky" No. 1
• (05-08) String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74 - "Harp"

CD2:

• (01-04) String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 - "Rasumovsky" No. 2
• (05-08) String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 - "Rasumovsky" No. 3

Takács Quartet
Károly Schranz, violin
Edward Dusinberre, violin
Roger Tapping, viola
Andras Fejér, cello

Date: 2002
Label: Decca
http://www.deccaclassics.com/us/cat/4708472

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Review

The Takacs Quartet begin in the middle of what is to be a complete set of the Beethoven string quartets. The Takacs had enjoyed nearly 20 years of increasing international success before, in the mid-1990s, Gabor Takacs, their founder and leader, died, to be replaced by Edward Dusinberre; and two years later Roger Tapping became the viola player. Since then, the reconstituted ensemble has won new laurels, notably with their 1998 set of the Bartok quartets (also on Decca). And on the evidence of these two discs, this is going to be a very desirable Beethoven cycle. The playing is of the highest standard: exuberant, yet also alive to the softest, tenderest gradations; tempos are well chosen and finely sustained; there is a strong sense of direction; all four musicians are equally adept at taking the lead and slipping into an accompanimental role. And so expert is their unanimity that I was surprised by a tiny flaw in ensemble 2'58" into the Molto adagio of the Eighth Quartet, otherwise played with such masterly control of shape and emotion. There are innumerable highlights, but these deeply considered readings are marked above all by integrity of purpose and achievement. The very different challenges of the four quartets are met boldly, the quirky nature of the Harp as confidently brought off as is the immense stature of the first Rasumovsky and the elusive nature of the second in E minor.The catalogue lists a bewilderingly large choice. Anyone wishing to acquire these four works, without commitment to Decca's new venture, would be well served by the Tokyo Quartet or, at mid-price, Quartetto Italiano (both of these are three-disc issues and include Op. 95). The Lindsays' two-disc set of the three Rasumovskys has all the vibrant life and depth one would expect. The recorded quality is high, with clarity of placement and full dynamic range naturally conveyed (though cello pizzicatos in the slow movement of the Ninth are perhaps over-prominent). I did feel initially that the broad, empty acoustic might be a problem, but the marked resonance doesn't take the edge off the composer's characteristic sudden silences. Future issues in this series will be keenly awaited – this promises to be among the very finest complete Beethoven quartet cycles. 

-- Peter Branscombe, International Record Review

More reviews:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/beethoven-string-quartets-vol-4-0
http://www.classical-music.com/review/beethoven-40
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-String-Quartets-Ludwig-van/dp/B000063WRQ
http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-String-Quartets-Ludwig-van/dp/B000063WRQ

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

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Takács Quartet is a string quartet, founded in Hungary, and now based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. In 1975, four students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Gábor Takács-Nagy (first violin), Károly Schranz (second violin), Gábor Ormai (viola), and András Fejér (cello) formed The Takács Quartet. Current members include: Edward Dusinberre & Károly Schranz (violins), Geraldine Walther (viola), and András Fejér (cello). The quartet has recorded extensively for Decca and Hyperion, and has received several nominations and awards such as a Grammy Award and a Gramophone Award.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tak%C3%A1cs_Quartet

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