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DGG 4778680; DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON - Germania; Classica da camera Quartetto archi
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Piranha Pish
Format:Audio CD
I wanted a Mozart quartet set for background music purposes as they were written for. However, I was so blown away by these performances that I have to stop and listen every time.
The Amadeus quartet have Mozart in their blood and spent 40 years playing these quartets - the intonation, phrasing and balance of ensemble speaks for itself. Norbert Brainin's violin sings like a bird. Yet at the same time, these players were no strangers to hardship and sometimes I find the minor key works deeply sad and never overstated. There are highlights everywhere, the Andante of K464 has some of the most sensitive playing I have witnessed in Mozart.
You also get the three Divs here, and for the price these recordings are too good not to own. I can also strongly recommend the string quintets on DG with Cecil Aronowitz.
The Amadeus quartet have Mozart in their blood and spent 40 years playing these quartets - the intonation, phrasing and balance of ensemble speaks for itself. Norbert Brainin's violin sings like a bird. Yet at the same time, these players were no strangers to hardship and sometimes I find the minor key works deeply sad and never overstated. There are highlights everywhere, the Andante of K464 has some of the most sensitive playing I have witnessed in Mozart.
You also get the three Divs here, and for the price these recordings are too good not to own. I can also strongly recommend the string quintets on DG with Cecil Aronowitz.
21 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For decades the Amadeus Quartet were considered to be one of the great string quartets, and they were indeed capable of producing very beautiful performances. But other, younger string quartets have appeared since the demise of the Amadeus Quartet in 1987, and they have shown that a merely beautiful performance does not give the full picture. The performances in this recording date from an era when Mozart's music was regarded as 'Very pretty, my dear!'. They skate over the surface of the music, reducing each movement to a trivialised dainty morsel. The complete absence of first and last movement repeats also trivialises the music - Mozart put in repeat marks for a structural purpose, and the music is greatly weakened when they are not observed. To hear the full depth and import of this music, and to hear how magnificent it sounds when the repeats are observed, go to the Mosaiques Quartet's recordings. Their performance of the first movement of K421, for example, is a broad, brooding, rich-textured, sorrowful meditation, worlds apart from the superficiality, the dainty sweetness of the Amadeus Quartet. With the Mosaiques, the true depth of this extraordinary music is fully revealed, and the result is a far richer and more powerful experience.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.8 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Bargain Edition of the Complete Mozart Quartets
11 May 2011
By Johannes Climacus
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Now that the Talich Quartet's survey of the Mozart Quartets is no longer available, this bargain box from DG is probably the best way to acquire the complete cycle at a modest cost. The Amadeus Quartet recorded extensively over the four decades of their existence (1947-1987). They gave us multiple versions of the best-known Mozart quartets, and many critics would argue that their earlier, monaural recordings of these works were fresher and more deeply considered than their later, stereo efforts (which is what we have in this DG Collectors Edition). As a longstanding fan of the Amadeus Quartet, I have heard all of their Mozart recordings, and am of the opinion that their later recordings are by no means inferior. The versions of nos. 14-23 included in this Collectors Edition are altogether superb: invigorating, yet gracious readings that manage to convey both the playfulness and the pathos of the music without undue frivolousness or schmaltz. The Amadeus' collective tone is robust, with a pronounced vibrato to which some listeners (particularly the historically-minded) might object. I find their sweet-singing tone enchanting, though some might find it cloying. The early quartets (among which there are a surprising number of near-masterpieces) are given no more or less than the weight they deserve; their rococo charms are undeniable in these light-hearted, but never condescending renditions.
There is only one point on which I would caution prospective purchasers: The Amadeus are not generous with repeats. If it is important to you to hear the expositions of sonata-form movements twice, then you should probably pass up this set, fine though it is in other respects.
The recordings have been effectively remastered; the sound is exceptionally vivid, with instruments closely observed. The upper register is smooth, not too strident at higher dynamic levels (as some DG recordings of chamber music during this period could be). In general the ten mature quartets, though recorded earlier (1960's), sound marginally more natural to my ears than the early quartets, which (if memory serves me correctly) are of 1970's vintage. No grumbles, then, about the sonics--this is one of DG's better efforts from the LP era.
So if you're in the market for a complete Mozart cycle, do consider this set, which is attractively presented (though notes are rather skimpy) and economically priced. I prefer the Amadeus to the Hagens in this repertoire (the latter's Mozart recordings are also available in a bargain box from DG); I find the latter's interpretations superficial, though not everyone will agree with me on that point. The Amadeus were one of the great ensembles of their era, and I'm delighted that their Mozart is still available.
There is only one point on which I would caution prospective purchasers: The Amadeus are not generous with repeats. If it is important to you to hear the expositions of sonata-form movements twice, then you should probably pass up this set, fine though it is in other respects.
The recordings have been effectively remastered; the sound is exceptionally vivid, with instruments closely observed. The upper register is smooth, not too strident at higher dynamic levels (as some DG recordings of chamber music during this period could be). In general the ten mature quartets, though recorded earlier (1960's), sound marginally more natural to my ears than the early quartets, which (if memory serves me correctly) are of 1970's vintage. No grumbles, then, about the sonics--this is one of DG's better efforts from the LP era.
So if you're in the market for a complete Mozart cycle, do consider this set, which is attractively presented (though notes are rather skimpy) and economically priced. I prefer the Amadeus to the Hagens in this repertoire (the latter's Mozart recordings are also available in a bargain box from DG); I find the latter's interpretations superficial, though not everyone will agree with me on that point. The Amadeus were one of the great ensembles of their era, and I'm delighted that their Mozart is still available.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vintage Mozart string quartets
2 May 2011
By Juha K. Tapio
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Amadeus Quartet was very highly regarded in its heyday, and was generally considered to be one of the world's leading quartets. These recordings were made in the 1960's and 1970's, and the sound is consistently very good. The group plays with great vigour and energy, but also with finesse and attention to detail, as is fitting to a group of their caliber. To me these recordings sound very Mozartean; this is classic Mozart playing at its best.
In fact, I prefer this kind of "old-fashioned" sound far better than modern "improvements" such as SACD, DSD, DXD, or whatever, as they often sound much better in normal two-channel stereo. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that my stereo system is rather old (from the mid and late 80's, that is), and I have often found it to be the case that a well-engineered older recording just sounds better to my ears than any of the more recent state-of-the art innovations. Old goes well with the old, maybe... This may be just a matter of taste, however. (Boy, did they make good stereo systems way back then - not a trace of planned obsolescence...)
The booklet has detailed information about the recording times and venues, although it does not say if the original recordings were remastered. But that does not really matter, because, as I said, the sound is just fine. There is also an informative essay on the quartets by Tully Potter.
The only real drawback seems to be that the Amadeus Quartet apparently does not play all of the repeats, so some movements are shorter than with ensembles who meticulously observe the repeats. I don't mind that very much; if fact, this approach seems to make the quartets themselves more concise: more playing, less wallowing.
As a bonus, this set also includes excellent and spirited performances of three of Mozart's best-known divertimentos, K. 136-138.
So if you are a seasoned collector or just want a good overview of the Mozart quartets, this set is a worthy addition to your library. Even if you would later decide to buy more interpretations of these works, this set is a great point of comparison from a purely historical point of view, and as a document how Mozart was interpreted by one of the great quartets of the last century.
In fact, I prefer this kind of "old-fashioned" sound far better than modern "improvements" such as SACD, DSD, DXD, or whatever, as they often sound much better in normal two-channel stereo. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that my stereo system is rather old (from the mid and late 80's, that is), and I have often found it to be the case that a well-engineered older recording just sounds better to my ears than any of the more recent state-of-the art innovations. Old goes well with the old, maybe... This may be just a matter of taste, however. (Boy, did they make good stereo systems way back then - not a trace of planned obsolescence...)
The booklet has detailed information about the recording times and venues, although it does not say if the original recordings were remastered. But that does not really matter, because, as I said, the sound is just fine. There is also an informative essay on the quartets by Tully Potter.
The only real drawback seems to be that the Amadeus Quartet apparently does not play all of the repeats, so some movements are shorter than with ensembles who meticulously observe the repeats. I don't mind that very much; if fact, this approach seems to make the quartets themselves more concise: more playing, less wallowing.
As a bonus, this set also includes excellent and spirited performances of three of Mozart's best-known divertimentos, K. 136-138.
So if you are a seasoned collector or just want a good overview of the Mozart quartets, this set is a worthy addition to your library. Even if you would later decide to buy more interpretations of these works, this set is a great point of comparison from a purely historical point of view, and as a document how Mozart was interpreted by one of the great quartets of the last century.
14 of 22 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Death and the German Record Company
28 May 2011
By Bernard Michael O'Hanlon
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
These recordings served their day honourably but they've been well and truly superceded. Indeed, their eclipse started as far back as the late Sixties when the near-contemporaneous cycle from the Italiano Quartet appeared Mozart: String Quartets (Complete Mozart Edition, Vol. 12), followed in quick succession by the Alban Berg Quartet (Teldec) Alban Berg Quartet Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14 - 23 and the ever-trusty Chilingirans (my personal favourite) Mozart: The Ten Great String Quartets. Moreover, these recordings sound their age and DG, from what I can tell, has merely reissued the old remastering.
I am mystified: nowadays, why would anyone prefer them to these alternatives, to say nothing of Mosaiques Quartet? It is now a buyers' market.
Yes, key repeats are omitted but there is a more ingrained problem: Norbert Brainin's vibrato. There is no running away from it. It cannot be muted. It is enough to drive one into the slick arms of the Hagen Quartet, which is a fate to be avoided. When the first violin is running amok, the ensemble sounds less than the sum of its parts. Furthermore, many of Amadeus' interpretations are not overly perceptive. There is much more, say, to the fabulous slow movement of K 590 than what they find (to wit, the Chilingirians)
Lamentably, Deutsche Grammophon is no longer the power house that it once was. Lazy reissues like the box in question are further demonstrations of atrophy and putrescence. Avoid.
I am mystified: nowadays, why would anyone prefer them to these alternatives, to say nothing of Mosaiques Quartet? It is now a buyers' market.
Yes, key repeats are omitted but there is a more ingrained problem: Norbert Brainin's vibrato. There is no running away from it. It cannot be muted. It is enough to drive one into the slick arms of the Hagen Quartet, which is a fate to be avoided. When the first violin is running amok, the ensemble sounds less than the sum of its parts. Furthermore, many of Amadeus' interpretations are not overly perceptive. There is much more, say, to the fabulous slow movement of K 590 than what they find (to wit, the Chilingirians)
Lamentably, Deutsche Grammophon is no longer the power house that it once was. Lazy reissues like the box in question are further demonstrations of atrophy and putrescence. Avoid.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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