Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 10 & 13, Opp. 74 & 130

Album review

The Chiaroscuro Quartet, having had success with its period-instrument recordings of Mozart and Haydn, has turned to Beethoven and continues to deliver distinctive recordings even with the plethora of Beethoven quartet recordings on the market. The group uses gut strings and period bows, which permit a wide range of sounds from their instruments. Although the players avoid vibrato, like most of their compatriots in the historical performance movement, they are capable of a warm sound that fits the slow movements. The String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74 ("Harp"), which is all about varied sonorities, fares beautifully here, and it is no wonder that the album landed on classical best-seller lists in the autumn of 2023. Another common part of the conventional historical performance playbook is also observed, namely quick tempos, is also observed, and sometimes the Chiaroscuro Quartet may go too far here. Consider the Cavatina slow movement of the String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 130, which seems rushed even if one prefers the movement stripped of its late-Romantic mystical overtones. The little contradance finale of this quartet also loses something; the squarish melodies that are so much part of the language of late Beethoven are stripped of their charm. However, listener mileage may vary here, and the album is well worth their time and money in any case; to come up with fresh Beethoven in this day and age is not an easy thing.

© James Manheim /TiVo