- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on an album download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. Allegro |
| 2. Andante Con Moto |
| 3. Scherzo: Allegro Molto |
| 4. Presto |
| 5. Allegro Ma Non Troppo |
| 6. Andante |
| 7. Menuetto: Allegretto |
| 8. Allegro Moderato |
Product Description
Review
Two great Schubert string quartets from 1824, written just after the composer had been hospitalised as the first signs of syphilis made themselves uncomfortably obvious, and while Beethoven was preparing a grand concert in Vienna to showcase his new Ninth Symphony. Schubert knew that he'd begun living under a death sentence, and he too was determined to leave major musical landmarks for posterity.
The 'Rosamunde' Quartet is a profoundly melancholy work, even by the standards of late Schubert, and the Takacs Quartet plumbs its emotional depths with an ideal balance of lyrical beauty, nostalgic longing, and terrible uncertainty.
Their playing in 'Death and the Maiden' is even more impressive; from the stark, vibrato-less opening, there's no doubt that where in the 'Rosamunde' we might have been teetering on the edge of a precipice, here we've plunged into the abyss, and the Takacs don't shrink from the anger and violence of the score. Yet somehow they manage to negotiate these elements without ever making an ugly sound, where some competitors throw everything to the wind to make their points.
The ensemble, even with a new viola player, is impeccable - this is still a quartet that sounds as though it breathes and thinks as one - and some of leader Edward Dusinberre's playing is intensely beautiful.
The recording is superb: up close and personal, so all the detail's there, yet there's enough ambient detail to stop it from becoming too invasive. It's the first recording the Takacs has made for its new label Hyperion, and they must be thrilled with it. --Andrew McGregor
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent performances and recording,
By Hywel James "Hywel James" (Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Schubert: Death & the Maiden (Audio CD)
The Takacs Quartet has been praised for its many recordings recently and this Schubert album is a continuation of this quartet's excellence. The Hyperion recording (to say nothing of the extraordinary painting chosen for the packaging - someone at the company must have a hotline to owners of risque Nineteenth and early Twentieth century graphic art) is outstandingly good. Anyone looking for a modern recording to add to other performances, such as the classic accounts by Busch Quartet, the Budapest Quartet or the Italian Quartet, can be confidently directed towards this cd. Highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 'Must Have' Recording,
By
This review is from: Schubert: Death & the Maiden (Audio CD)
The Takacs Quartet and Hyperion are to be congratulated on this superb performance. The music is finely articulated and coloured. I found it the most moving of the various versions that I have in my library and, rather unusually in my experience, it entirely lives up to the hypes given on the cover. When I ordered it I thought that 'Death and the Maiden' was the entire content. But no. That work is coupled with an achingly beautiful performance of the 'Rosamunde'(Quartet in A-minor). That makes it a fine value value for money recording as well as one to cherish for its sheer musicality
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievable - Perfect Recording,
By J. Myers - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Schubert: Death & the Maiden (Audio CD)
This is the absolute best recording of these two quartets to date. The Takacs Quartet has impressed many with their previous recordings, and this will impress them even more with this new release. Their new partnership with Hyperion is off to a great start. The acoustics of the hall are perfect, not too dry - not too much eco. The balance of the recording is superb with each instrument being presented equally. The interpretation of the D 810 "death and the maiden" is jam packed full of excitement. They play with unbelievable drive and intensity while making sure never to over-do anything. The D 804 "Rosamunde" quartet is the definition of beauty. Every phrase is treated with care and never, never is a line forgotten. If your looking for a recording that is satisfying in all ways, unlike the Emerson Quartets recording (which I find to be extremely technically perfect but nothing else), this is a must buy recording. Even if you own the great Busch Quartet recordings of these works you should invest in these unmatched performances.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another "Death and the Maiden"?,
By John N. Taylor - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Schubert: Death & the Maiden (Audio CD)
These are two of the most recorded String Quartets - so who needs another set?
The new line up of the Takacs Quartet proves that we all do! Their ensemble is impeccable and makes me, for one, to listen to these works anew. The speed for the first movement of the "Maiden" may be a little fast for some ears - but they bring it off. As for the slow movement - I have never heard it better played. The "Rosamunde" is equally well done and this is a `must have' CD for all lovers of Schubert It was one of the top recommendations of "The Gramophone" magazine - and no wonder! If you love Schubert - I urge you to buy this CD - you will not be disappointed! 19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glorious Performances,
By D. A Wend - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Schubert: Death & the Maiden (Audio CD)
Franz Schubert wrote his 13th and 14th quartets in 1824 having not written anything in the form for several years. These were important compositions for Schubert and he dedicated them to Ignaz Schuppanzigh who was the leader of a string quartet whose opinion of the 14th quartet was unfortunately not favorable). As the notes for the CD point out, Schubert was in a melancholy mood having discovered that he has syphilis and also from the belief that his youth was gone never to be recovered. I knew of the Takacs Quartet through reputation only until the advent of this CD. From the opening bars it is evident that this recording of Schubert's most popular string quartets is special; tempos are well judged and the phrasing is beautiful. The Takacs bring out the symphonic elements of the music with precision.
The 13th quartet bears the name Rosamunde as Schubert included one of the melodies he had written for the play. In contrast to Schubert's other quartets, all of the movements of the 13th begin pianissimo. The Andante quotes the well-know them from the Rosemunde incidental music at first played as a pleasant minuet but then restated with more agitation. The Menuetto is sadly sweet and the Finale has a Hungarian twist. The 14th goes by the name Death and the Maiden for a melody Schubert uses in the second movement borrowed from a song. The subject of the quartet is concerned with the loss of youth and indeed the tone of the Andante is one of melancholy. The opening movement is a contrast of tension and relaxation as the melodies alternate between a state of agitation and calm. The Scherzo is dance-like with a trio that is quiet and graceful and the tarantella Finale is wildly exuberant. Even if you already have these quartets on CD you will want to hear the new Takacs Quartet recordings. The recording is beautifully done and the booklet notes by Mischa Donat are very informative. |
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
![Recommends series [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DVziNrNDL._AA60_.jpg)
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
