“Of few composers can it be said that through them, and them
alone, the art of music became completely transformed.” David
Ewen (The Complete Book of Classical Music. Robert Hale,
London (1966) pgs. 288, 336 ISBN: 0 7091 0884 2)
Following close on the heels of the Alexander String Quartet
on Foghorn Classics comes another release of the complete Beethoven
string quartets. This time it’s from concert performances
by the Goldner Quartet on ABC Classics. We are not told if
these recordings have been in storage for the last six years.
This
notwithstanding, any set of the complete Beethoven quartets
is a major achievement and one can only imagine the amount
of time
and preparation that goes into such a challenging project.
The Goldner have an impressive sound quality and the documentation
for the set is of a high standard being interesting and informative.
The Goldner String Quartet was formed in 1995 taking the name
of Richard Goldner the founder of the original ensemble Musica
Viva Australia. The players had played together from 1991 dating
back to their days in the Australia Ensemble. They were resident
at the University of New South Wales and have occupied principal
positions in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Australian Chamber
Orchestra. I first became aware of the Goldners with their splendid
release of the Szymanowski 2 String Quartets and Stravinsky Concertino, Three
Pieces and Double Canon on Naxos 8.554315.
Beethoven’s early set of string quartets composed 1798-1800
convey an emotional sensitivity and drama of a higher level
than those developed by Haydn and Mozart. In 1824 as he began
writing
his late period quartets and through the last three years of
his life Beethoven entered a daring and ground-breaking world
of astonishing dynamic contrasts and an extraordinary range
of emotions. This is, to musicologist David Ewen, music that, “at
times seems to transcend human experience.”
Throughout the complete quartets I was impressed by the splendid
playing of the Goldner: consistently cultivated, natural and
unforced. Their intonation and ensemble is also creditable.
The Goldner achieve an almost ‘Classical’ feel that I
felt was eminently more suitable to the quartets of Haydn and
Mozart than to Beethoven who was developing his Romantic style.
I wanted a more satisfying musical experience. Especially in
the adventurous middle and remarkable late quartets one feels
their characterisation is not weighty enough. There’s
insufficient penetration to explore the core of the music.
I wanted a more
searching intensity and spirituality in the slow movements,
more brio and punch in the Allegros and increased energy and
more demonic force in the Scherzos. Beethoven can take
the listener from a sensuous gossamer delicacy to angry hammer-like
blows. But not here. The sound world of the Goldners is rather
too polite and agreeable. This is all put into context when
the Goldner are compared to the finest available complete sets
such
as the Takács Quartet/Decca, Emerson Quartet/Deutsche
Grammophon, Amadeus Quartet/Deutsche Grammophon, Alban Berg
Quartet/EMI Classics and the recent 2009 release from the Alexander
String
Quartet (ASQ) on Foghorn Classics.
My benchmark of the complete Beethoven quartets is the series
from the Takács Quartet on Decca. The 7 disc set was recorded
in 2001-04 at Bristol St. George’s and released on three
separate volumes: early quartets 470 848-2; middle quartets 470
847-2 and late quartets 470 849-2. With the advantage of a splendid
sound quality the assured Takács play with an impressive
momentum, vitality and great intensity. Their dynamics are
broad yet their liberal use of vibrato never feels excessive.
Perfectly
matched, these are coherent performances without ostentation.
I was also impressed by the ice cool, vividly clear and well
balanced sound. The Decca documentation is excellent too.
In addition I highly rate the recently issued new set of the
complete Beethoven string quartets from the Alexander String
Quartet who provide a most natural feel to their interpretations.
I admired their splendidly matched phrasing together with an
intuitive grasp of structure. The dynamics are rarely overstated
and their choice of tempi feels just right. The exceptionally
clear, if rather dry sound, is closely caught at the American
Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC. I made this set one of my
2009 ‘Records
of the Year’. The complete 9 disc collection is on Foghorn
Classics CD2005. Also available in three separate volumes:
the early quartets vol. 1 CD1996; middle quartets vol. 2 CD1999
and late quartets vol. 3 CD2002.
For those just wanting the 5 late Beethoven string quartets and
the Große Fuge there are three particular sets that
I feel deserve attention. I have especially enjoyed the accounts
from the Emerson. They demonstrate awesome energy and robust
character. The Emersons were recorded at the American Academy
and Institute of Arts and Letters, NYC in 1994-95 on Deutsche
Grammophon 474-341-2. Their complete Beethoven quartets are available
on a 7 disc set on Deutsche Grammophon 447 076-2. Also deserving
of praise are the accounts of the late quartets from the Alban
Berg Quartet (ABQ) who play with great intensity and impeccable
security of ensemble. The ABQ were recorded live in 1989 at the
Mozartsaal Konzerthaus, Vienna on EMI Classics 4 76820 2. On
7 discs their set of the complete Beethoven quartets is on EMI
Classics CZS 5736062.
Among the finest historical performances of the late Beethoven
string quartets and Große Fuge I wish to single
out the mono accounts from the Busch Quartet on EMI Classics
5 09655 2. The Busch were recorded in mono at the Abbey Road
Studios, London and the Liederkranz Hall, NYC in 1932-37. Although
these are successfully digitally remastered to a standard exceptional
for their age the Busch is not a set that I often play these
days for pleasure. The major stumbling block is the 70 year
old mono sound. It’s clearly no match for modern digital
recordings.
Worthy of attention are several single discs that can stand up
to the very best accounts included in the sets of the late quartets
and complete quartets. One of the finest is the accounts of the Quartet
in B flat major, Op. 18/6 and Quartet in E flat major,
Op. 127 from the outstanding Henschel Quartet. Recorded in 2004
at Munich the Henschels are both sparkling and exhilarating and
reveal considerable empathic insights on Arte
Nova 82876 63996 2.
For Beethoven quartet performances on period instruments one
need not look further than the accounts from Quatuor Mosaïques
on the Naïve label. Mosaïques are surely the greatest
string quartet ensemble of our time - at least among those performing
on authentic instruments. Recorded at the Grafenegg Schloss,
Alte Reitschule in Austria there are currently 3 single volumes:
Op.18, Nos. 5 and 6 from 1994 on Naïve E 8541; Op.18, Nos.
1 and 4 from 2004 on Naïve E 8899 and Op.18, Nos. 2 and
3 recorded in 2005 on Naïve E 8902. These beautifully played
and recorded performances inhabit a rather reserved world. The
Mosaïques as one would expect with their authentic performance
practice are extremely sparing with vibrato, yet, I was also
aware of their narrow dynamic range. Quatuor Mosaïques
with superb sound also have the advantage of performing on
warmly
recorded gloriously rich-toned authentic instruments fitted
with gut strings and using period bows. For those who prefer
their
Beethoven string quartets played less cautiously with lashings
of additional spirit on instruments with modern set-ups there
are better opportunities in the catalogues.
In summary I was impressed by the fine playing of the Goldner
Quartet but their interpretations are no match for the extremely
fierce competition.
Michael Cookson
Disc details
Volume I
CD 1
Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1 (1798-1800) [28:32]
Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18/2 (1798-1800) [24:00]
Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3 (1798-1800) [24:45]
CD 2
Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4 (1798-1800) [23:56]
Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5 (1798-1800) [31:35]
CD 3
Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6 (1798-1800) [26:56]
Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59/3 ‘Razumovsky’ (1805/6) [32:45]
CD 4
Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59/1 ‘Razumovsky’ (1805/6) [40:59]
Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 ‘Serioso’ (1810) [21:31]
Volume II
CD 1
Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59/2 ‘Razumovsky’ (1805/6) [40:45]
Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74 ‘The Harp’ (pub. 1809) [31:35]
CD 2
Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127 (1824-25) [37:29]
Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826) [38:31]
CD 3
Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 (1825) [47:48]
Große Fuge in B flat major, Op. 133 (1825-26) [16:21]
CD 4
Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130 (1825-26) [44:25]
Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 (1826) [27:29]
The Goldner String
Quartet (Dene Olding (1st violin); Dimity Hall (2nd violin); Irina
Morozova (viola); Julian Smiles (cello)) 
