BEETHOVEN: The Early String Quartets, Op. 18 - Jerusalem Quartet (2 CDs)

Jerusalem Quartet - String Quartet

‘Only now have I learnt how to write quartets properly.’ So wrote Beethoven in 1801, having just finished his first set of string quartets at the surprisingly advanced age of 30: the competition of Haydn and Mozart must have been intimidating for the young composer. But these six Quartets op.18, which cost him great effort and extensive revision, already display much boldness and originality, from the dramatic echoes of Romeo and Juliet in no.1 to the astonishing programmatic finale of no.6, ‘La Malinconia’.

Disc 1

String Quartet no.3 in D major / Ré majeur / D-Dur

1I. Allegro 7'26
2II. Andante con moto 7'05
3III. Allegro 2'38
4IV. Presto 6'22
String Quartet no.1 in F major / Fa majeur / F-Dur

5I. Allegro con brio 8'47
6II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 8'39
7III. Scherzo. Allegro molto - Trio 3'20
8IV. Allegro 6'21
String Quartet no.2 in G major / Sol majeur / G-Dur

9I. Allegro 7'28
10II. Adagio cantabile 6'02
11III. Scherzo 4'45
12IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto 5'17
Disc 2

String Quartet no.4 in C minor / ut mineur / c-Moll

1I. Allegro ma non tanto 8'18
2II. Andante scherzoso quasi Allegretto 7'21
3III. Menuetto. Allegro - Trio 3'12
4IV. Allegretto 4'14
String Quartet no.5 in A major / La majeur / A-Dur

5I. Allegro 9'29
6II. Menuetto - Trio 4'34
7III. Andante cantabile 9'00
8IV. Allegro 6'13
String Quartet no.6 in B flat major / Si bémol majeur / B-Dur

9I. Allegro con brio 8'22
10II. Adagio ma non troppo 6'29
11III. Scherzo 3'26
12IV. La Malinconia - Allegretto quasi Allegro 7'52