Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The Quatuor Ébène timed this round-the-world Beethoven cycle to coincide with Beethoven's 250th birthday in 2020, beginning a worldwide tour and fortunately completing it before the outbreak of the pandemic in that year. The cycle was recorded in Philadelphia, Vienna, Tokyo, São Paolo, Melbourne, Nairobi, and finally Paris. CD buyers get a combination of travelogue and set of work descriptions, but it's not clear that the performances were influenced in any way by the globetrotting. This is, however, a very strong Beethoven set, with full-blooded performances perhaps unexpected from a group that made its name with French quartet music. Credit, first of all, goes to mastering engineer Fabrice Planchat, who followed the group around the world with a portable studio, recording, according to the ambiguous note, "live and in rehearsal" (there is no audience noise). The sound retains some of its original characteristics, including in an acoustically inferior Alliance Française Auditorium in Nairobi, but is stitched together into a coherent whole. The Quatuor Ébène generally offers high-intensity readings that relax at times into passages of passionate rather than delicate lyricism. In the String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131, the Allegro molto vivace of the second movement may seem to leave no room for the Presto of the fifth, but the group makes it happen. The late quartets as a whole are extremely compelling, with the group catching the odd mixture of comedy and existential dread in the String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135, and delivering a heartfelt "prayer of thanks of one who has recovered to the Godhead" in the slow movement of the String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132. An unusual feature among the late quartets is that the String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130, concludes with the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, the work's original finale, rather than the finale on which Beethoven eventually settled. The early quartets get weighty readings that place them at the forefront of Beethoven's stylistic development rather than in Haydn's orbit; listen to the alternatively lovely and grim "La Malinconia" finale of the String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18. No. 6. Curiously, two of the three Op. 59 "Razumovsky" quartets are placed together on a single disc rather than being evenly distributed, but these too follow the pattern of fast tempos and high-energy readings. It may be that the Quatuor Ébène did not need to travel the globe to accomplish this, but the group's Beethoven cycle compels attention.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Quatuor Ébène, String Quartet, MainArtist
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2019 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Album review
The Quatuor Ébène timed this round-the-world Beethoven cycle to coincide with Beethoven's 250th birthday in 2020, beginning a worldwide tour and fortunately completing it before the outbreak of the pandemic in that year. The cycle was recorded in Philadelphia, Vienna, Tokyo, São Paolo, Melbourne, Nairobi, and finally Paris. CD buyers get a combination of travelogue and set of work descriptions, but it's not clear that the performances were influenced in any way by the globetrotting. This is, however, a very strong Beethoven set, with full-blooded performances perhaps unexpected from a group that made its name with French quartet music. Credit, first of all, goes to mastering engineer Fabrice Planchat, who followed the group around the world with a portable studio, recording, according to the ambiguous note, "live and in rehearsal" (there is no audience noise). The sound retains some of its original characteristics, including in an acoustically inferior Alliance Française Auditorium in Nairobi, but is stitched together into a coherent whole. The Quatuor Ébène generally offers high-intensity readings that relax at times into passages of passionate rather than delicate lyricism. In the String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131, the Allegro molto vivace of the second movement may seem to leave no room for the Presto of the fifth, but the group makes it happen. The late quartets as a whole are extremely compelling, with the group catching the odd mixture of comedy and existential dread in the String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135, and delivering a heartfelt "prayer of thanks of one who has recovered to the Godhead" in the slow movement of the String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132. An unusual feature among the late quartets is that the String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130, concludes with the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, the work's original finale, rather than the finale on which Beethoven eventually settled. The early quartets get weighty readings that place them at the forefront of Beethoven's stylistic development rather than in Haydn's orbit; listen to the alternatively lovely and grim "La Malinconia" finale of the String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18. No. 6. Curiously, two of the three Op. 59 "Razumovsky" quartets are placed together on a single disc rather than being evenly distributed, but these too follow the pattern of fast tempos and high-energy readings. It may be that the Quatuor Ébène did not need to travel the globe to accomplish this, but the group's Beethoven cycle compels attention.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 70 track(s)
- Total length: 08:50:01
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Quatuor Ébène
- Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
- Label: Warner Classics
- Genre: Classical
© 2020 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2020 Association Quatuor Ébène under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.