Beethoven Around the World: The Complete String Quartets

Once in a while a recording comes along that “unlocks” a work that one has been struggling to love. (Levine/VPO was my key into Brahms 3rd; Radu Lupu unlocked Schubert’s Impromptus and sonatas for me...and the list goes on and on) You know the music is a masterpiece and its genius is plain, but you just can’t love it. The late quartets of Beethoven have been precisely that for me for decades. I own complete sets by the Emerson’s, Alexander, Auryn, Endellion, and Alban Berg....all superb and great exponents of Beethoven’s genius. But the last 5 quartets always felt like a dedicated listening experience, almost like sitting an exam, rather than a real pleasure. With exception of obvious slow movement beauties... Heilger Dank, the Cavatina...I just couldn’t get “inside”.Enter the Quatuor Ebene and this globe-trotting complete set recorded live from recitals in 7 different cities and 6 different continents. The magic key to these hitherto mysteries was suddenly in my hand...a hallelujah moment!...and my socks were knocked off. I’m not going to/cannot attempt to explain why/how etc. Just listen to these recordings and perhaps you too will feel the scales fall from your eyes.

I hold the Ebene quartet in high esteem. This is a magnificent set of recordings both technically and musically. A number of them are the best interpretations of the work that I have ever heard. Buy it!

I've known these extraordinary pieces for years, from my mono Hungarian quartet cycle on EMI, the Alban Berg set and many live Lindsays concerts.These are the best performances I have ever heard. Live (but no applause) and with the vibrant spontaneity youd expect. However, they also feature exceptional technical prowess. I truly believe this to be the best cycle ever.

These electric, nuanced, and surprisingly well recorded live performances may be the best available performances whether recorded in the studio or live.

I have many versions of the Beethoven quartets, and particularly prefer the sets produced by the Busch, Vegh and Takacs quartets. Now this new recording has become my first choice. Both the performances and the sound quality are outstanding. If you love these quartets then you must listen to this version.

The Ebene are superb & I was thrilled to get this collection after hearing some of their performance "around the world " last yearIt didn't disappoint .

Best price and delivered ahead of time.

I purchased this recently after attending one of their concerts in New York, which was fantastic.I can only echo the sentiments of others: this cycle is at least as good as any other. I have several, including the Vegh, Emerson, Guarneri and Alban Berg and enjoy them all. What sets this apart from the others is the balance of the interpretations; it is an excellent blend of a more modern with a classical approach. I also find it consistently the most intense of all the sets, particularly appropriate to the middle and late works.The live recordings are also great. They are well balanced, crisp and spontaneous. Unlike many live recordings, the audiences are blissfully quiet.This could be your only recordings of these quartets, similar to first von Karajan Beethoven cycle of the symphonies for DG. And if you enjoy comparing interpretations of perhaps the greatest composer as do many readers here, I believe that this cycle is essential listening to go along with several others. In either case, a great use of your time and money.

I have seen tis quartet several times but not in its current formulation with one member change. An energetic recording captured in several places around the world a sensational homage to the composer. I have all of their other recordings which art first rate.

forse la più bella integrale dei Quartetti di Beethoven registrata in tempi recenti, suono spettacolare e dettagliatissimo, molto naturale e ricco, sembra di essere in mezzo al quartetto che suona... e interpretazione magistrale, molto coinvolgente e soprattutto sempre convinta, senza mai sbavature o momenti "deboli", al contrario sempre estremamente dentro alle composizioni, anche con una buona dose di "intellettualismo" che ripulisce il tutto da eccessive dosi di romanticismo che altri preferiscono usare.. davvero una gran bella version che non dovrebbe mancare in nessuna collezione aggiornata!

El famoso cuarteto Ébène grabó en 2020 todos los cuartetos de Beethoven en una gira alrededor del mundo, con ocasión del 250º aniversario del genial músico alemán. Con ellos, la música de Beethoven es brillante, humana, viva, contrastada. La interpretación de los Ébène es absolutamente maravillosa y la calidad técnica de la grabación (todo en concierto), perfecta. Cada disco tiene el nombre de la ciudad donde se dieron los conciertos. Filadelfia, Viena, Tokio, Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Nairobi y París.NB. En el título escrito aquí por Amazone hay un error en el nombre de los artistas: han juntado dos nombres. En realidad, la artista alto se llama "Marie Chilemme" y el violoncelo, "Raphaël Merlin". ¡Gracias por corregir!

C'est suite à la lecture d'une critique très élogieuse de la revue Classica que je me suis procuré cette nouvelle intégrale dont l'urgence ne me serait pas venue, possédant déjà la première version des Budapest, les deux des Julliard, celle des Emerson et, récemment, des Belcea - en plus des derniers quatuors par les Busch.Et bien, il est peu de dire que je ne regrette pas cette acquisition ! Le quatuor Ebene a joué cette intégrale en sept concerts répartis sur ... les cinq continents et ce sont les prises de ces concerts qui nous sont offertes. Un premier mot pour saluer la qualité superlative des prises de son et leur régularité malgré les disparités des acoustiques de salles. Décidément, après les Belcea, le live réussit bien à ces quatuors !Comme les Belcea, les Ebéne panachent les oeuvres de l'opus 18 avec les derniers quatuors et les médians, on est bien "au concert" et pas dans la suite chronologique des oeuvres comme pour la plupart des intégrales.Si les Busch restent pour moi insurpassables dans les derniers quatuors, les Ebène sur l'ensemble du corpus se hissent tout en haut de la discographie par leur approche totalement ... beethovénienne, dans laquelle c'est la pulsion rythmique qui commande tout. D'où des moments purement chavirants où les audieurs ici et là ont du taper des pieds ... pas si fréquent pour ce genre aride qu'est la quatuor. Mais pas ici, non, rien d'aride, juste une musique qui avance avec un élan souvent dyonisiaque. A ce propos, la grande fugue du 13 ème quatuor ( le finale alternatif n'a pas été gravé ) est la plus enthousiasmante que j'ai entendue jusqu'à ce jour. Dans les mouvements lents, c'est le naturel qui s'impose, la beauté des mélodies. Certains ( Julliard, Belcea ) ont sans doute creusé plus en profondeur ces grandes explorations, mais je retrouve ici avec le quatuor Ebene la simplicité des Busch, leur inextinguible plaisir de chanter.Courez-y, c'est une merveille !