String Quartets (Complete Sets & Selections)
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet
Lindsay String Quartet
late 70s, early 80s Very well recorded.Gil's number one choice. They have an utter commitment to the spirit of the music and what is being said. They are 'really communicating the music.' An excellent starting point.
Végh Quartet
early 70s Pretty well recorded.A very famous, deeply felt version from a very introspective group. More conventional in tempo and more polished than the Lindsays, but in no way mechanical.
Takács Quartet
early 2000s Wonderful clarity, wonderful fullness.A modern classic with wonderful sound. The Takács are very expressive and dramatic, communicating the deep feeling in the music.
Apple Music — Quartets Nos. 11–16 and the Grosse Fuge; this album covers the later part of the cycle.Talich Quartet
late 70s, early 80sA Czech quartet known for their deeply felt interpretations. They really thought through the music, especially the introspective parts.
Quartetto Italiano
late 60s, early 70sOne of the proverbial classics. An immaculate string quartet with a wonderful singing tone, intensity, and real commitment.
Apple Music Label: PhilipsAlban Berg Quartet
late 70s, early 80s Excellent sound.Immaculate finesse, polish, and beauty. More grounded in interpretation than the Lindsays, letting the music speak for itself.
Apple MusicDover Quartet
2020s Modern digital cycle.A revelation. Excellent sound, wonderful fullness and clarity. Wonderful commitment, expression, and polish. Slower movements are a bit quicker but never sound rushed.
Apple Music — Volume 3: the late quartets, Nos. 12–16, and the Grosse Fuge.Budapest String Quartet
1951-1952 Mono recordings. A little on the rough side, but fairly clear.A very famous version. Wonderful insights, wonderfully expressive music from a very intelligent group that had been playing together for decades.
Label: SonyBusch Quartet
Late quartets; String Quartets Nos. 1, 9 and 11 1930s Historic mono recordings. Fairly limited and dim sound.One of the truly great recorded classical music sets of all time. Known for their deep insights and deep feeling for the music, with an authority of knowing exactly where they were going interpretively.
Hollywood String Quartet
Late string quartets 1957Committed and expressive playing, combining an older romantic manner with polish and insight.
Busch Quartet
String Quartets Nos. 7 and 13 (without the Grosse Fuge) 1940sDeeply felt and authoritative interpretations from the quartet’s later American recordings.