Beethoven String Quartets Op.130 Si Bémol Majeur & Op.133 (Grande Fugue)

I had admired the first release in the ongoing Beethoven cycle by the Artemis Quartet. Their kinship in tone and style to the great Alban Berg Qt. was a big plus, but they added more than a dash of the modernized approach heard from the Emerson and Takacs Qt. I must confess that I don't want more than a dash -- a full dose of the Takacs's aggressiveness and the Emerson's mechanized precision leaves me out in the cold. Here we have th Artemis combining early and late, with Op. 18 no. 6 representing the younger, classical Beethoven and Op. 1130 the late phase, although not as enigmatically as the late piano sonatas; in many ways it retains the heroic stamp of the middle period.

This group seems to bounce between two labels, Virgin and EMI, but in no way is this a lesser recording. The sound is sweet and natural. At long last the engineers seem able to give us lifelike reproductions of stringed instruments. We are also placed very close, which I also favor. A commenter points out that the Atemis has had significant personnel changes over the years, and I thought that this contributed to a stylistic change -- the latter group sounded harder and more efficient. Not here, though. Their version of the Op. 18 quartet is sweetly evoked and classically graceful. In fact, the whole approach may be too modest. One feels that a very skillful rendition has taken place without carrying away any strong impression of individuality. The high point comes in the prolonged Adagio interlude between the Scherzo and the finale, marked "La Malinconia" (Italian for melancholy), which here is played with dark foreboding in the long-limed melody and passion in the agitated interruptions.

If the early quartets pose a challenge of style, the late ones pose a challenge of maturity, one might dare to say wisdom. Without the Grosse Fuge, one of Beethoven's titanic musical conceptions, Op. 130 would still be a daunting work. Lightning strikes at random in the first movement, signaling abrupt mood changes that must be dealt with throughout. The Artmeis prove that they are more than equal to the task. They avoid pointless aggression in order to find a style that comprehends violence and serenity. Maintaining a coherent line even as Beethoven defies any coherence at all, their musical instincts are intriguing and satisfying.

My only complaint is that there's a bit too much moderation -- the first movement has been tamed a bit too much, and the Scherzo isn't hair-raising. Accomplished as this group is, none of the members are individuals with memorable personalities; they are cogs in a beautiful machine. How charming is their Danza alla tedesca (German dance) in its naturalness and vivacity. The Cavatina is also graceful and rather streamlined. which brings us to the Grosse Fuge, fifteen minutes of harrowing, tangled, intense writing that defies analysis as much as the equally forbidding Diabelli Variations. for me, the Artemis give a great reading. Avoiding violence, they remain forceful and are admirably precise. Each line is brought out clearly -- insofar as that is possible -- and yet one hears a real ensemble pursuing mutual ends. I'm sorry to sound abstract; it's difficult to enjoy the Grosse Fuge. You brace yourself for an assault, as do the musicians. I'm grateful that they overcame the boulders lying in the road as easily as they did; it made the journey easier on me as the listener.

In all, the Artemis did more with both works than anyone I've heard in a long time. They aren't indelibly great, but their style and maturity can't be diminished.

This is the other new release from Artemis Quartet, and it is every bit as good as the first (if not better). The Artemis String Quartet makes chamber music spectacular: the quartet's playing is polished and precise but at the same time spontaneous, fresh and explosive as though the music is being improvised on the spot. A fantastic CD, you have to buy this immediately or you will be missing out on some fantastic music.