Favorite Beethoven Op. 18 quartets?

[ChamberNut]

Of course I love them all, but which are your favorite three?

Mine are #1, #4 and #5

[snyprrr]

ok, I guess it's you and me.

I juuust got the Suske SQ (Berlin cd) in the mail. I am listening to No.1, mvmt.1 as we speak. As far as I know, this is the first time I will be consciously listening to this music (except c minor), and I want to get it right. So, first time for this music, and as far as I know, no one here has the Suske interpretations, so I don't even know how to listen to what I'm hearing. What I have heard, says that the Suske are similar in approach to the Talich, but with better technical address than the latter.

So, absolute first impression is that I wished Haydn SQs sounded more like this; or, this sounds like a great performance of a really great Haydn SQ.

[snyprrr]

...still listening to No.1 mvmt.1....

So, WHY is this such the big to do, historically speaking? As an SQ, I do like this F major work.

...sounds like Dvorak ...

[snyprrr]

No.1: Andante affetuoso ed appassionato

My first thought is, Is this the first modern sounding slow mvmt? I don't recall Mozart or Haydn staying in the minor key this consistantly. This mvmt., as per the classical era, seems to even prefigure minimalism. You know, I'm listening here to LvB for the first time after becoming aquainted with Mozart and again with Haydn (plus some Boccherini), and I can tell that there's something different going on here, but I'm not sure... unless it's in the emotional content. This slow mvmt. is certainly getting some drama going; and it is a very memorable first listen.

[snyprrr]

No.1: Scherzo. Allegro molto

...ok, it's a scherzo...uh, I just heard those "LvB" octave thrusts, haha...oops, it's over already...

I can tell that LvB uses "less" notes than Mozart (LvB and WAM are two different gardeners). I can't quite tell how LvB differs from Haydn here.

[snyprrr]

No.1: Allegro

The lightning fast run is instantly memorable; but still, it is a finale to an SQ written in 1800; but still, there is the Haydenesque "humor" in the turns of phrase, the jaunty, tripping starts and stops.

So... this is my first listen to No.1.: a sharp as a tack Haydn SQ, no?

[snyprrr]

No.4 in c minor: Allegro, ma non tanto

Please tell me the minor key SQ written before 1800 which has the same driving minor key emotional profile of this opening mvmt. "The Razor" and "The Rider" come to mind. ...any others?...

[snyprrr]

No.4: Scherzo. Andante scherzoso, quasi Allegretto

Oh...yes, I am!!!

My impression still stands: I am listen to really great Hayden SQs. However, is there an added...mmm... "countryness" that I'm hearing in LvB that I don't think I've heard in either Mozart or Hayden? I find it hard to believe LvB is more "rural" against the others' "urban" qualities. Could this be a mark of LvB's "freelance" nature (as opposed to working the court)?

[snyprrr]

No.4: Menuetto. Allegretto

ok, I don't know if it's the performance, but this "menuetto" is rocking. I think I might have happened upon a sleeper band in this Suske Qrt. Yea, I've never heard anything calling itself any mini- meni- menu- to be this serious and rocking sounding.

[snyprrr]

No.4 Allegro-Prestissimo

My final impression of this SQ is that it is more "down to earth" than Haydn. So there!

EDIT

In any case, this is a very exciting finale in it's own right!

[snyprrr]

No.2 in G major: Allegro

Ha, the main idea is totally cribbed from Haydn's Op.20 No.2 in C major; and I think I hear a little "Emperor" in there, too! So far, this is the most Haydn sounding LvB I've heard yet.

[snyprrr]

No.2: Adagio cantabile- Allegro- Tempo I

ok, now this is a Haydn SQ, right? This has that happy Haydn D major bird/sunrise sound to me (though temporally in G major)

[snyprrr]

No.2: Scherzo. Allegro

So far, this is my favorite mvmt. of this SQ. Once again, since I have no compare, I can't tell, but this Suske Qrt. really seems to be having a blast here. I've listened to three SQs now by this group, and I can certainly imagine worse performances, but I don't know what a better one might sound like.

[Valentino]

Predictable me: # 1 & 4, or the ones Hagen Quartett have recorded.

But I do like the A major too. I just forgot to tick it off.

[snyprrr]

No.2: Allegro molto, quasi Presto

So far, this is the least memorable mvmt., though the sort of rocking descending figure is kind of different. Once again, this Suske Qrt. is extremely well characterized. The particularly fast runs are whipped off with quite the razzle dazzle. This is from 1976!

[snyprrr]

No.6 in Bb major: Allegro con brio

What's that Karlheinz? You say it sounds like Haydn? Hm. Still, I get the feeling of wood and rustic villages more with LvB. This mvmt. gives me the same "feeling" as I get from the first mvmt. of the "Hoffmeister."

[snyprrr]

No.6: Adagio, ma non troppo

I'm still thinking that if Haydn's SQs sounded more like this, I'd like them more. And once again, the band playing may have something to do with it. And though it "sounds" like Haydn, there does emanate something deeper lurking under the surface.

Oh, I just heard the famous melody of Op.130's "Cavatina." Tell me I'm kidding. It's not the exact melody, but the "idea" of that disembodied melodic voice.

I'm thinking this is the second best slow mvmt. from this set.

[snyprrr]

No.6: Scherzo. Allegro

...meanwhile, back at the ranch...

[snyprrr]

No.6: La Malincolia. Adagio- Allegretto quasi Allegro

Well, this is a first: starting a finale with a really sad, slightly foreboding and ominous introduction before skipping right into another happy romp in the country. When the sad, strange melody returns, it almost seems out of place.

Well, in conclusion of this SQ, I'm going to say it's LvB's "Hoffmeister": I get the same "rustic" feeling here as I do with that one.

[snyprrr]

No.5 in A major: Allegro

This SQ starts of with a chirpy little skipping figure that imbues this mvmt. with a jaunty, happy demeanor. I think this is a totally different feeling than No.6's happy rustic village feeling: this is more like the young man setting out on his journey, in movement, rather than the travellogue type picturesque feelings I got from No.6.

So far, this is the most memorable first mvmt., next to 1 and 4 (so far: only No.3 to go).