Violinist from the North, admirer of Beethoven quartets.
Deepak | 04/03/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I own the complete quartets by both the Cleveland and Guarneri quartets. I must say that my favorite performances out of the two are the Cleveland quartet's. I am not too crazy about the Guarneri's sound. It is somewhat coarse. Their vibrato is only capabable of a small range of speed. The cleveland quartet has, in my opinion, a more expressive quality. Their tone is, in the words of a Gramophone reviewer, "rich and warm". The Gruarneris have more of a technecal command over these peices though, so it merely depends upon what you desire, expressive, musical performances or technical extragance. I must say that in Beethoveen, the performances must be intensely focused on the music, as well as have a firm grasp on the technical side of things. It's not to say that the Cleveland quartet is not excellent technically, or that the Guarneris are not amazingly musically expressive. Each of these performances have their distinct qualities. It's only a matter of deciding what you like more in a performance! Either way, you'll end up with a wonderful set of performances from these two wonderful groups. I would recommend purchasing both of these unique performances."
Among the finest modern performances
Classicalfan | 01/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These are new performances from the Cleveland Quartet - they recorded a cycle in the 1970's for RCA, though some of the players had changed. Their playing is immaculate, but they also bring real warmth and humanity to the music. I also own the Vegh Quartet's version on Valois, but was very disappointed by the production (sound quality is very flawed, and in some of the quartets, the movements are not even on separate tracks!). The Cleveland is among the finest versions currently available. The recorded sound of the Telarc discs is also peerless. Sadly, the Cleveland has since disbanded, and these were among their last recordings. But what a way to go out!"
Perfection itself!
Deepak | Bangalore, India | 10/01/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am fortunate to have been introduced to Beethoven's late quartet works through these renditions by Cleveland Quartet. I've heard other versions since but I keep coming back to these recordings. A must have for any Beethoven Quartet fan! Its sad that the quartet disbanded in '95. I really wish they had finished a season of Mozart's "Haydn" quartets as well!"
Beautiful!
Scott E. Peterman | Oneida, NY USA | 01/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While not my absolute favorite recordings of the Beethoven string quartets, I highly recommend this set. The Cleveland has never performed better. Exquisitely recorded and masterfully executed, this set is well worth acquiring.
The Penguin Guide hasn't been kind to these performances, calling some "not very likeable," and "over-rehearsed." At times it seems to be somewhat biased against non-European groups. When it comes to this set of recordings, the Penguin Guide can be safely ignored.