BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS - Artemis String Quartet (7 CDs)

This 2011 box set from the Artemis Quartet marks Virgin Classics' first complete cycle of Beethoven String Quartets. Over the past two seasons, the Berlin-based Artemis Quartet has been performing Beethoven around the world. The New York Times hailed them as "one of the most impressive of the new generation of string quartets," and has described their Beethoven performances as "organic... riveting... engrossing... brilliant." the first of the Artemis Quartet's Virgin Classics CDs of Beethoven Quartets was released in the Fall of 2005. Now, nearly six years later, the complete Beethoven cycle becomes available in a box of seven CDs, which includes two previously unreleased items: The quartet No 10, op 74, known as the 'Harp', and a transcription for string quartet, proudly made by Beethoven himself, of the Piano Sonata No 9, op 14.



- Disc 1 -
1 String Quartet No.1 in F Major Op.18 No.1 - I. Allegro Con Brio
2 String Quartet No.1 in F Major Op.18 No.1 - II. Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato
3 String Quartet No.1 in F Major Op.18 No.1 - III. Scherzo (Allegro Molto) & Trio
4 String Quartet No.1 in F Major Op.18 No.1 - IV. Allegro
5 String Quartet Op.18 No.4 in C minor - I Allegro Ma Non Tanto
6 String Quartet Op.18 No.4 in C minor - II Andante Scherzo Quasi Allegretto
7 String Quartet Op.18 No.4 in C minor - III Minuetto (Allegretto)
8 String Quartet Op.18 No.4 in C minor - IV Allegro
9 String Quartet Op.18 No.6 in B Flat Major - I. Allegro Con Brio
10 String Quartet Op.18 No.6 in B Flat Major - II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
11 String Quartet Op.18 No.6 in B Flat Major - III. Scherzo. Allegro
12 String Quartet Op.18 No.6 in B Flat Major - IV. La Malinconia. Adagio
13 String Quartet Op.18 No.6 in B Flat Major - V. Allegretto Quasi Allegro

- Disc 2 -
1 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major Op. 18 No. 2 - I. Allegro
2 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major Op. 18 No. 2 - II. Adagio Cantabile
3 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major Op. 18 No. 2 - III. Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio
4 String Quartet No. 2 in G Major Op. 18 No. 2 - IV. Allegro Molto, Quasi Presto
5 String Quartet No.3 in D Major Op.18 No.3 - I. Allegro
6 String Quartet No.3 in D Major Op.18 No.3 - II. Andante Con Moto
7 String Quartet No.3 in D Major Op.18 No.3 - III. Allegro
8 String Quartet No.3 in D Major Op.18 No.3 - IV. Presto
9 String Quartet No.5 in a Major Op.18 No.5 - I. Allegro
10 String Quartet No.5 in a Major Op.18 No.5 - II. Menuetto & Trio
11 String Quartet No.5 in a Major Op.18 No.5 - III. Andante Cantabile
12 String Quartet No.5 in a Major Op.18 No.5 - IV. Allegro

- Disc 3 -
1 String Quartet No. 7 in F 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 1 - I. Allegro
2 String Quartet No. 7 in F 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 1 - II. Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
3 String Quartet No. 7 in F 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 1 - III. Adagio Molto E Mesto
4 String Quartet No. 7 in F 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 1 - IV. Allegro (Thème Russe)
5 String Quartet No. 8 in E minor 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 2 - I. Allegro
6 String Quartet No. 8 in E minor 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 2 - II. Molto Adagio
7 String Quartet No. 8 in E minor 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 2 - III. Allegretto
8 String Quartet No. 8 in E minor 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 2 - IV. Finale (Presto)

- Disc 4 -
1 String Quartet No. 9 in C 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 3 - I. Introduzione (Andante Con Moto)
2 String Quartet No. 9 in C 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 3 - II. Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
3 String Quartet No. 9 in C 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 3 - III. Menuetto (Grazioso) & Trio
4 String Quartet No. 9 in C 'Razumovsky' Op. 59 No. 3 - IV. Allegro Molto
5 String Quartet Op.74 - I. Poco Adagio
6 String Quartet Op.74 - II Adagio Ma Non Troppo
7 String Quartet Op.74 - III. Presto
8 String Quartet Op.74 - IV. Allegretto Con Variazioni
9 String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op.95 - I. Allegro Con Brio
10 String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op.95 - II. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
11 String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op.95 - III. Allegro Assai Vivace, Ma Serioso
12 String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op.95 - IV. Larghetto Espressivo

- Disc 5 -
1 String Quartet No.12 in E Flat Major Op.127 - I. Maestoso
2 String Quartet No.12 in E Flat Major Op.127 - II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo, Molto Cantabile
3 String Quartet No.12 in E Flat Major Op.127 - III. Scherzando Vivace
4 String Quartet No.12 in E Flat Major Op.127 - IV. Finale
5 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - I. Adagio Ma Non Troppo E Molto Espressivo
6 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - II. Allegro Molto Vivace
7 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - III. Andante Moderato
8 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - IV. Andante Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile
9 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - V. Presto
10 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - VI. Adagio Quasi Un Poco Andante
11 String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp minor Op. 131 - VII. Allegro

- Disc 6 -
1 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - I. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
2 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - II. Presto
3 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - III. Poco Scherzoso. Andante Con Moto Ma Non Troppo
4 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - IV. Alla Danza Tedesca. Allegro Assai
5 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - V. Cavatina. Adagio Molto Espressivo
6 String Quartet Op.130 in B Flat Major - VI. Grosse Fuge Op.133. Ouverture. Allegro
7 String Quartet Op.14 - I. Allegro Moderato
8 String Quartet Op.14 - II. Allegretto
9 String Quartet Op.14 - III. Allegro

- Disc 7 -
1 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132 - I. Assai Sostenuto
2 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132 - II. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
3 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132 - III. Molto Adagio
4 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132 - IV. Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace
5 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132 - V. Allegro Appasionato
6 String Quartet No.16 in F Major 'Muss Es Sein? Es Muss Sein!' Op.135 - I. Allegretto
7 String Quartet No.16 in F Major 'Muss Es Sein? Es Muss Sein!' Op.135 - II. Vivace
8 String Quartet No.16 in F Major 'Muss Es Sein? Es Muss Sein!' Op.135 - III. Lento Assai E Cantante Tranquillo
9 String Quartet No.16 in F Major 'Muss Es Sein? Es Muss Sein!' Op.135 - IV. Grave Ma Non Troppo Tratto