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.
Several ensembles have established international reputations by playing Béla Bartók's six string quartets with authority and strong character, notably the Juilliard, the Takács, and the Emerson, and countless others aspire to achieve equal renown with these celebrated works. Because this cycle is essentially the bible of modern writing for string quartet, it has become a test for string players, not least because of the many technical challenges it presents, but more importantly for the expressive demands Bartók makes on individual players and the ensemble as a whole. There's little doubt that the Hagen Quartet has the skills to deliver this music with accuracy and the physical stamina to play with the steadiness such difficult music requires. However, this is in many places a surprisingly subdued interpretation of the quartets, perhaps more oriented toward the melancholy strain that runs through Bartók's music, rather than toward the vigorous or caustic sides of his genius. To be sure, the Hagen Quartet ignites in crucial places, and when it has to be direct and forceful, it gets the job done. But the feelings this set communicates are not quite bracing and energetic like the Juilliard's three recordings, fiery or passionate like the Takács' set, or incisive and driven like the Emerson's, but pensive and brooding, and the general tonal cast of these performances is of a grayer shade or lower energy in spots than one might expect. This, naturally, is fairly suitable in the string quartets, Nos. 1, 2, and 6, which are among Bartók's more depressed expressions, but it isn't especially desirable in Nos. 3, 4, and 5, where a brighter, harder edge is necessary. Listeners will certainly derive much pleasure from particular movements in these performances, and may even enjoy some of the quartets separately from the set, but it will be difficult for them to rank the whole album among the greatest Bartók recordings.
© 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
String Quartet No. 1, Sz. 40 (Op. 7) (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67 (Op. 17) (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91 (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
DISC 2
String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102 (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114 (Béla Bartók)
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Bela Bartok, Composer - Hagen Quartett, Ensemble, MainArtist - Wolfgang Mitlehner, Producer, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Album review
Several ensembles have established international reputations by playing Béla Bartók's six string quartets with authority and strong character, notably the Juilliard, the Takács, and the Emerson, and countless others aspire to achieve equal renown with these celebrated works. Because this cycle is essentially the bible of modern writing for string quartet, it has become a test for string players, not least because of the many technical challenges it presents, but more importantly for the expressive demands Bartók makes on individual players and the ensemble as a whole. There's little doubt that the Hagen Quartet has the skills to deliver this music with accuracy and the physical stamina to play with the steadiness such difficult music requires. However, this is in many places a surprisingly subdued interpretation of the quartets, perhaps more oriented toward the melancholy strain that runs through Bartók's music, rather than toward the vigorous or caustic sides of his genius. To be sure, the Hagen Quartet ignites in crucial places, and when it has to be direct and forceful, it gets the job done. But the feelings this set communicates are not quite bracing and energetic like the Juilliard's three recordings, fiery or passionate like the Takács' set, or incisive and driven like the Emerson's, but pensive and brooding, and the general tonal cast of these performances is of a grayer shade or lower energy in spots than one might expect. This, naturally, is fairly suitable in the string quartets, Nos. 1, 2, and 6, which are among Bartók's more depressed expressions, but it isn't especially desirable in Nos. 3, 4, and 5, where a brighter, harder edge is necessary. Listeners will certainly derive much pleasure from particular movements in these performances, and may even enjoy some of the quartets separately from the set, but it will be difficult for them to rank the whole album among the greatest Bartók recordings.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 02:33:24
- Main artists: Hagen Quartett
- Composer: Béla Bartók
- Label: Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
- Genre: Classical
- Collection: Special Release
© 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin ℗ 2000 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue 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.