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The legendary
Quatuor Mosaïques
celebrates its 30th anniversary with a fabulous return to disc: the immense and demanding Everest of the last
string quartets of Beethoven.
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The Quatuor Mosaïques is recognised for its multi award-winning (Gramophone, Diapason, Classica, Télérama and more) reference recordings of the masters of the string quartet: Haydn, Mozart, Schu-bert and Beethoven.
Now, after a long break from recording, Erich Höbarth, Andrea Bischof, Anita Mit-terer and Christophe Coin have decided to commit to disc their own version of the summit that is the last five quartets of Beethoven - six if, as is the case here, we choose to separate the revered Grande Fugue, described by the Quartet as "enigmatic in its savage perfection".
The late string quartets are themselves exceptional: metaphysical masterpieces in which almost all of human emotion and pioneering musical concepts exist. The cycle represents a unique entity in the entire history of music.
The Quatuor Mosaïques, performing on period instruments, delivers stunning and rarely-equalled performances, perfectly balanced between purity, precision and a sublime harmonic richness.
CD1
String Quartet no.12 in E flat major, op.127 1823-24
1 Maestoso - Allegro 6’59
2 Adagio ma non troppo e molto cantabile -
Andante con moto - Adagio molto espressivo 12’58
3 Scherzando vivace - Presto 8’57
4 Finale. Allegro 6’30
String Quartet no.14 in C sharp minor, op.131 1825-26
5 Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo 6’09
6 Allegro molto vivace 3’09
7 Allegro moderato - Adagio 00’41
8 Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Più mosso -
Andante moderato e lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto -
Adagio ma non troppo e semplice - Allegretto 13’05
9 Presto 5’34
10 Adagio quasi un poco andante 1’40
11 Allegro 6’51
CD2
String Quartet no.13 in B flat major, op.130 1825
1 Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro 14’32
2 Presto 2’03
3 Poco scherzando. Andante con moto ma non troppo 7’38
4 Alla Danza tedesca. Allegro assai 3’05
5 Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo 6’09
String Quartet no.17 in B flat major,
op.133, ‘Grosse Fuge’ 1824-25
6 Overtura - Fuga. Allegro - Meno mosso e moderato -
Allegro molto e con brio 15’56
String Quartet no.15 in A minor, op.132 1823-25
CD3
1 Assai sostenuto - Allegro 9’47
2 Allegro ma non tanto 8’45
3 Molto adagio – Andante 15’07
4 Alla marcia, assai vivace – Più allegro 2’08
5 Allegro appassionato 7’06
String Quartet no.16 in F major, op.135 1826
6 Allegretto 7’04
7 Vivace 3’39
8 Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo 7’01
9 Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro 6’35 |
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