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Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3

Dover Quartet

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3
Volume 3 is the best of the Dover’s Beethoven cycle, not only for its intrinsic quality but for the newly revealed ease with which the difficulties of the late quartets are met...the Dover Quartet...

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 3

Dover Quartet

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This release includes a digital booklet

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Volume 3 is the best of the Dover’s Beethoven cycle, not only for its intrinsic quality but for the newly revealed ease with which the difficulties of the late quartets are met...the Dover Quartet...

About

The celebrated Dover Quartet, the young, Grammy-nominated ensemble brimming with prestigious awards and residencies, concludes its critically acclaimed, three-volume Beethoven cycle with the composer’s five monumental, revolutionary Late Quartets and imposing Grosse Fugue. The triple-album release comprises Beethoven’s very last compositions — remarkable and often daunting works that upended the concept of the string quartet. Many critics and scholars consider them the ultimate expression of Beethoven’s artistry. At the same time, lyrical, songlike 'vocal' writing pervades the Late Quartets, delighting the same audiences who flocked to Rossini’s operas. The Dover’s first two Beethoven installments were greeted with ecstatic reviews: 'Beethoven would find it hard to believe that his quartets could be played with such perfection of execution, such beauty of tone, such nuance of expression, and such keen understanding of his music’s meaning and intent.' (Fanfare) 'Their Beethoven is, simply, perfection.' (Classical CD Reviews)

Contents and tracklist

I. Maestoso - Allegro
Track length6:45
II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
Track length14:09
III. Scherzando vivace
Track length8:24
IV. Finale. Allegro
Track length6:51
I. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro
Track length9:31
II. Presto
Track length2:05
III. Andante con moto ma non troppo
Track length7:01
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai
Track length3:31
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo
Track length6:08
VI. Finale. Allegro
Track length9:59
I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
Track length6:20
II. Allegro molto vivace
Track length2:51
III. Allegro moderato
Track length0:47
IV. Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
Track length13:42
V. Presto
Track length5:14
VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
Track length1:56
VII. Allegro
Track length6:34
I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro
Track length9:22
II. Allegro ma non tanto
Track length7:25
III. Molto adagio
Track length17:16
IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace
Track length2:22
V. Allegro appassionato
Track length6:32
I. Allegretto
Track length6:34
II. Vivace
Track length2:56
III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
Track length6:45
IV. Der schwer gefasste Entschluss. Grave, ma non troppo tratto - Allegro
Track length6:44

Awards and reviews

Jan/Feb 2023

Volume 3 is the best of the Dover’s Beethoven cycle, not only for its intrinsic quality but for the newly revealed ease with which the difficulties of the late quartets are met...the Dover Quartet has given us the finest Beethoven cycle of any American quartet since the Budapest in its prime.

December 2022

The openings of the quartets are crucial to establishing the requisite mood and to my ears the Dover gets the introduction to every one of the six works here absolutely right in terms of tempi, phrasing, timbre, dynamics and atmosphere.
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