Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1 "Inventions" - Cuarteto Casals (3 CDs)

Launching its complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets, the Cuarteto Casals presents this first installment featuring initial examples of the genre from each of the three key periods in the composer’s career: his formative years, the socalled ‘heroic’ middle period, and that of his artistic maturity. The ingenious juxtaposition shows how much his superhuman quest for perfection enriched a compositional language of breathtaking originality in tandem with a depth of expression without precedent in this genre, of which Beethoven is the uncontested master.

“Strong, muscular but sensitive playing with forward-moving rhythmic impetus keeps the ear alert. A great journey begins.” The Guardian

Disc 1

String Quartet no. 1 op.18 no. 1
Fa majeur / F major / F-Dur

1I. Allegro 8'30
2II. Andante con moto 8'13
3III. Allegro 3'04
4IV. Presto 6'09
String Quartet no. 3 op.18 no. 3
Ré majeur / D major / D-Dur

5I. Allegro 7'13
6II. Andante con moto 6'21
7III. Allegro 2'40
8IV. Presto 5'55
String Quartet no. 4 op.18 no. 4
ut mineur / C minor / c-Moll

9I. Allegro 7'44
10II. Andante con moto 6'31
11III. Allegro 3'09
12IV. Presto 4'29

Disc 2

Piano Sonata No.9 op.14 no. 1 (transcription for string quartet by Beethoven)
Fa majeur / F major / F-Dur

1I. Allegro moderato 6'04
2II. Allegretto 2'56
3III. Allegro 3'23
String Quartet no. 7 op.59 no. 1
Fa majeur / F major / F-Dur

4I. Allegro 10'05
5II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando 8'23
6III. Adagio molto e mesto 11'50
7IV. Thème russe. Allegro 7'38

Disc 3

String Quartet no. 12 op.127
Mi bémol majeur / E-flat major / Es-Dur

1I. Maestoso. Allegro 5'55
2II. Adagio ma non troppo e molto cantabile 13'59
3III. Scherzo vivace. Trio 7'54
4IV. Finale. Allegro 6'45
String Quartet no. 16 op.135
Fa majeur / F major / F-Dur

5I. Allegretto 6'27
6II. Vivace 3'12
7III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo 6'28
8IV. Grave, ma non troppo tratto. Allegro 9'52