Brentano’s Beethoven
Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Opp. 127 & 131
Beethoven:
- String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127
- String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
Performed by the Brentano String Quartet: Mark Steinberg, Serena Canin (violins), Misha Amory (viola) & Nina Maria Lee (cello)
The quartet Op. 131 by Beethoven is one of my all-time favorite musical compositions. There are many reasons for this:
1. I have always felt that this music represents the deepest-feeling expressions of emotion among Beethoven’s works
2. I have owned recordings of this masterpiece since the early 1950’s
3. There are many outstanding interpretations, including those by my greatly admired groups such as the Hagen Quartet
4. This music – in its own way – shows us how one man back in 1827 was able to foreshadow the development of chamber music many years after his own death.
The New York-based Brentano Quartet is known for its interpretations combining perfect technique and matchless musicality. Those qualities are even more obvious in this series of late Beethoven quartets with this first volume bringing together the Op. 127 and the Op. 131.
What amazing music this is…
Tracks on this CD are:
1. String Quartet Op. 127 No. 12 in E-Flat Major: I. Maestoso-Allegro
2. String Quartet Op. 127 No. 12 in E-Flat Major: II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
3. String Quartet Op. 127 No. 12 in E-Flat Major: III. Scherzando vivace-Presto
4. String Quartet Op. 127 No. 12 in E-Flat Major: IV. Finale
5. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: I. Adagio, ma non troppo et molto espressivo
6. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: II. Allegro molto vivace
7. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: III. Allegro moderato vivace
8. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
9. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: V. Presto
10. String Quartet Op. 131 No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor: VI. Adagio, quasi un poco andante
Here is the Quartet for Strings no 6 in F minor, Op. 80 by Felix Mendelssohn, as performed by the Brentano Quartet:
Mark Steinberg, violin
Serena Canin, violin
Misha Amory, viola
Nina Maria Lee, cello
Tags: Brentano String Quartet, Beethoven String quartet, Op. 131