Beethoven: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 'Rasumovsky No. 2'

“The Artemis deliver a feisty account of the C minor Op. 18, playing the outer movements with tremendous energy, brilliance, and also drama with highly accented sforzandos and brusque changes of mood.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2009 *****

“This isn't just another Rasumovsky recording: the Brodskys manage to sound thoroughly individual without ever seeming eccentric or onesided.
They pay close attention to detail – balance, articulation and accentuation are all carefully controlled – but as part of a performance full of conviction. One might argue that the interpretation is in places excessively literal: in the second quartet's first movement, for instance, where Beethoven writes staccato dots only at the start of a passage, it seems likely he intended the same articulation to persist. But the Brodsky performance, becoming smoother after the first bar, is convincing enough to prompt one to question such an assumption.
For the majority of movements the Brodskys stay close to Beethoven's metronome indications: the extraordinarily swift Presto finale of No 2 is revelatory and, in No 3, the flowing Andante con moto quasi allegretto, and the following Minuet, spacious and truly grazioso, would surely have pleased the composer. No 2's Moltoadagio moves serenely onwards at Beethoven's suggested 60 beats per minute: it's a lovely performance, but there's no doubt that groups adopting a slower speed – the Takács or the Busch, for example – achieve greater intensity.
The Brodskys don't always observe the metronome marks, however. For No 3's finale the tempo is slower than in many versions; but what's lost in brilliance is gained in dramatic power. And in No 2's opening Allegro, moderate and unhurried, we may miss something of the music's impulsive, disturbed character but can focus on a wealth of expressive detail. So it's well worth hearing this, however many Rasumovskys you have on your shelves.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“This isn't just another Rasumovsky recording: the Brodskys manage to sound thoroughly individual without ever seeming eccentric or one-sided. They pay close attention to detail - balance, articulation and accentuation are all carefully controlled - but as part of a performance full of conviction.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2006

“Fine, bright tuning, a platinum-tipped first violin, minutely nuanced dynamics - you can hear it all, in the music of the spheres of the second quartet's second movement; in the harmonic suspense of the third quartet - and in that father of fugal finales - the last movement of the C major quartet, Op 59 No 3.” Hilary Finch, CD Review

"If the Tokyo String Quartet isn't the world's greatest chamber music ensemble, it's hard to imagine which group is." The Washington Post"

“Playing on the celebrated set of Strads collected by Paganini and previously used by the Cleveland Quartet, the Tokyo produce a splendid collective sound. The performances, polished and thoughtful, provide many insights into the inexhaustible world of Beethoven's imagination.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2006

“The Takács do a fine job here: controlled, well paced and impeccably balanced.
They manage to balance the music's vertical and horizontal aspects beautifully, long-breathed contrapuntal lines gliding serenely above a sharp, occasionally dramatic accompaniment – masterful playing indeed and typical of this first lap of the Takács' projected Beethoven cycle.
The Takács hold both line and rhythm in Op 59 No 1 with imposing control. Their manner of badinage in the mischievously hocketing second movement is more intense than the rival account by The Lindsays, and their tempos consistently swifter. In Op 59 No 3 the Takács approximate the Busch in a broad, soulful Andante con moto. And in the fugal finale they're almost on a par with the Emersons, whose demonic DG account is one of the most viscerally exciting quartet recordings around. The finale of Op 59 No 2 is a tautly braced canter whereas in the Scherzo of the Harp, Op 74, taken at a hair-raising lick, the Takács make obsessive music of the dominating four-note idea – and there's absolutely no let up in tension for the cello-led trio. Indeed, the Takács' Harp is one of the finest ever recorded, with fiery reportage of the first movement's central development and a delightfully playful account of the finale, the 'tipsy' first variation especially.
The jewel, then, is Op 59 No 2, though you'd be hard pressed to find a rival digital set of Opp 59 and 74 that's better overall. Andrew Keener's recording (St George's, Bristol) reports a realistic 'edge' within a sympathetic acoustic. You won't find a finer quartet recording anywhere.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“In a crowded field, this new version stands its ground. Tempi tend to be swifter than some, and when it comes to capturing the intensity of creation of Beethoven's extraordinary triptych, the Kuijken Quartet are often compelling. In the Adagio mesto of Op 59 No 1, for instance, they find an almost Shostakovichian bleakness to its opening and their sense of focus is unfailing.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2011

“their unadorned verve and clarity reflect a background in period performance, which has its own appeal. They use "modern" instruments but the bowing is light and the vibrato discreet” The Observer, 1st May 2011

“Much the best performances here the expressionist miniatures by Webern. They find the Hagen Quartet meticulously accurate in every detail, without ever sounding in the least bit dry, and it's hard to imagine them better or more warmly played.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2011 *****/**

“These players give a direct and dramatic reading of Beethoven's Op. 59 No. 2 - more notable for its strong impact than for subtle shading in the faster movements but certainly catching the rather angry, edgy mood of the piece...These miraculous short [Webern] pieces are well done by the Hagen Quartet.” International Record Review, May 2011

“Beethoven's Op. 59 No. 2 opens with bite and powerful commitment...Mozart's K428 has both elegance and depth...[the Bagatelles] are marvellously played and totally spontaneous. The recording throughout is first-class - forwardly balanced and full of presence. Altogether this is a triptych of considerable achievement.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2011