BEETHOVEN: THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS - QUATUOR PASCAL (10 CDS)

– one of the most important ensembles of the French string quartet tradition
– 12 original albums from the 1950s
– the complete 16 Beethoven string quartets
– the entire recording was awarded the prestigious "Grand prix du disque" in 1953
– contains the string quartet Op. 29 & 104 with Walter Gerhard, as well as Haydn’s Op. 76, "Der Spaß" as bonuses

Beethoven revolutionized music more than any other composer. Even in the premier
class of chamber music – the string quartet – the genius from Bonn overcame any
and all norms and conventions and created unsurpassed masterpieces. Beethoven
composed a total of sixteen string quartets. They are a common thread within his
work, covering the entire span from the early works to his last compositions. Among
the late quartets is a work about which the Beethoven admirer Igor Stravinsky wrote
in 1962: "The Great Fugue seems to me the most perfect marvel in music today - it
is also the most contemporary of all the pieces I know and will forever be
contemporary."

The "Quatuor Pascal" are one of the most important examples of the French string
quartet tradition. The quartet was founded in the 1930s by Léon Pascal, who also
led the Calvet Quartet. Among the great successes of the Pascal Quartet in the
Fifties is the complete recording of Beethoven's string quartets, which was awarded
the prestigious "Grand prix du disque" in 1953.

The 12 original LPs in this box-set are complemented by bonus recordings,
including a tribute to Joseph Haydn ("Der Spaß"), who introduced his pupil
Beethoven to this genre and to whom the six string quartets Op. 18 are dedicated.

CD 1
■ Beethoven Quartets Op. 18 Nos 2 & 3
(1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2 /
G-Dur
1. I. Allegro 5‘45
2. II. Adagio cantabile 6‘21
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro 4‘15
4. IV. Allegro molto quasi presto 5‘28
Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3 /
D-Dur
5. I. Allegro 5‘42
6. II. Andante con moto 8‘42
7. III. Allegro 2‘51
8. IV. Presto 4‘33
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Bonus
Quartet No. 1 in F major Op. 18, No. 1 /
F-Dur
9. I. Allegro con brio 7‘09
10. II. Adagio affettuoso ed
appassionato 11‘58
11. II. Scherzo: Allegro molto 3‘25
12. IV. Allegro 6‘03
Quatuor Pascal
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 72‘15

CD 2
■ Beethoven
Quartets Op. 18 Nos 4 & 5 (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4 /
c-Moll
1. I. Allegro ma non tanto 8‘56
2. II. Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi
allegretto 7‘14
3. III. Menuetto: Allegretto 4‘28
4. IV. Allegro 4‘17
Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5 /
A-Dur
5. I. Allegro 6‘34
6. II. Menuetto 5‘53
7. III. Andante cantabile 9‘26
8. IV. Allegro 6‘02
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
conductor / Dirigent Herbert Menges
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 52‘51

CD 3
■ Beethoven
Quartet Op. 18 No. 6 & Op. 95 (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 6 in B Flat Major, Op. 18,
No. 6 / B-Dur
1. I. Allegro con brio 6‘29
2. II. Adagio ma non troppo 5‘30
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro 3‘22
4. IV. La Malinconia: Adagio. Allegretto
quasi allegro 9‘27
Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 /
f-Moll
5. I. Allegro con brio 4‘56
6. II. Allegretto ma non troppo – 10‘55
III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
7. IV. Larghetto espressivo. 4‘48
Allegretto agitato. Allegro molto e
leggieramente
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 45‘29

CD 4
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 7 “Rasumovsky” Op. 59 No.
1 (1951)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1
“First Rasumovsky” / F-Dur
1. I. Allegro 10‘52
2. II. Allegretto vivace e sempre
scherzando 8‘34
3. III. Adagio molto e mesto – IV. Thème
russe: Allegro 17‘31
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 8 “Rasumovsky” (1951)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2
“Rasumovsky” / e-Moll
4. I. Allegro 7‘40
5. II. Molto adagio 12‘57
6. III. Allegretto 4‘26
7. IV. Finale: Presto 5‘37
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 67‘39

CD 5
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 9 “Rasumovsky” (1951)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3
“Rasumovsky” / C-Dur
1. I. Introduzione: Andante con moto.
Allegro vivace 8‘18
2. II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
9‘03
3. III. Menuetto: Grazioso – IV. Allegro
molto 11‘22
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 10, Op. 74 (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 10 in E Flat Major, Op. 74
“Harp” / Es-Dur „Harfenquartett“
4. I. Poco adagio. Allegro 8‘21
5. II. Adagio ma non troppo 10‘36
6. III. Scherzo: Presto – IV. Allegretto
con variazioni 11‘06
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 58‘48
CD 6
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 12 Op. 127 (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 12 in E Flat Major, Op. 127
“Serioso” / Es-Dur
1. I. Maestoso. Allegro 6‘43
2. II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto
cantabile 15‘45
3. III. Scherzando vivace. Presto 6‘37
4. IV. Finale: Allegro con moto 7‘07
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Bonus
Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Quartet in E Flat Major Op. 76 No. 2
HOB. III:38 “The Joke” /
Es-Dur „Der Spaß“
5. I. Allegro moderato cantabile 4‘35
6. II. Scherzo: Allegro 3‘29
7. III. Largo: Sostenuto 4‘02
8. Finale: Presto 2‘54
Quatuor Pascal
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 51‘16

CD 7
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 13 Op. 130 (1951)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 13 in B Flat Major, Op. 130 /
B-Dur, op. 130
1. I. Adagio ma non troppo. Allegro 9‘19
2. II. Presto 1‘57
3. III. Andante con moto ma non troppo
6‘27
4. IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai
3‘32
5. V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
8‘20
6. VI. Finale: Allegro 8‘26
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Bonus
String Quintet No. 3 in C Minor, Op.
104 / c-Moll
7. I. Allegro con brio 7‘59
8. II. Andante cantabile con variazion
7‘33
9. III. Menuetto: Quasi allegro 3‘31
10. IV. Finale: Prestissimo 6‘33
Quatuor Pascal and Walter Gerhard
viola II / Viola II
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 63‘41

CD 8
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 14 Op. 131 (1951)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op.
131 / cis-Moll
1. I. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto
espressivo – 24‘07
II. Allegro molto vivace – III. Allegro
moderato –
IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto
cantabile –
2. V. Presto – VI. Adagio quasi un poco
andante – 14‘23
VII. Allegro
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
■ Bonus
String Quintet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 29 /
C-Dur
3. I. Allegro moderato 7‘55
4. II. Adagio molto espressivo 10‘29
5. III. Scherzo: Allegro 4‘19
6. IV. Presto: Andante con moto e
scherzo 6‘52
Quatuor Pascal and Walter Gerhard
viola II / Viola II
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 68‘07

CD 9
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 15 Op. 132 (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Quartet No. 15 in A Minor Op. 132 /
a-Moll
1. I. Assai sostenuto. Allegro 9‘15
2. II. Allegro ma non tanto 7‘54
3. III. Molto adagio. Andante 19‘17
4. IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace. Più
allegro – 9‘35
V. Allegro appassionato. Presto
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 46‘03

CD 10
■ Beethoven
Quartet No. 16 Op. 135 & “The Great
Fugue” (1952)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Great Fugue in B Flat Major, Op. 133 /
Große Fuge
1. Overtura: Allegro. Fuga: Meno mosso
e moderato. 15‘46
Allegro molto e con brio. Meno mosso e
moderato.
Allegro molto e con brio
Quartet No. 16 in F Major Op. 135 /
F-Dur
2. I. Allegretto 6‘01
3. II. Scherzo: Vivace 3‘06
4. III. Lento assai cantante e tranquillo
6‘22
5. IV. Finale: Grave non troppo tratto.
Allegro 6‘56
(„Der schwer gefasste Entschluss“)
Jacques Dumont violin I / Violine I
Maurice Crut violin II / Violine II
Léon Pascal viola / Viola Robert Salles
cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen c. 1950’s
Total Time 38‘14