Recordings That You Are Considering

[T. D.]

When I first heard Cuarteto Casals do Op 127 I thought there was a serious mistake with the first couple bars, but sure enough, the third, seventh, etc. chords are half the length of the first, fifth, etc. (As in the seventh from the start. Not "a seventh" the technical term.) They just play them so much faster than everyone else that you notice how deeply weird the resulting effect is.

Hurwitz just said the Smetana Quartet complete cycle is his favorite. It wasn't really on my radar before that.

I've been playing some Youtube and Spotify clips and becoming much more interested in the Cuarteto Casals set, despite misgivings about their programming/ordering of the quartets on CD. Too expensive to purchase physical at this time, though.

[aukhawk]

If you want I can send you a set of live recordings with better sound than those studio ones.

The pictured recordings are live AIUI (as opposed to studio).  Whatever 'live' means these days.

[T. D.]

Forgotten Records has also released a new recording of the quartets made by the French Quatuor Stanislas, which got a very good review here:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Jun/Beethoven_quartets_FR1701.htm

Interview with the cellist:

https://interlude.hk/beethovens-quartets-the-complete-recording25-years-in-the-life-of-a-string-quartet/

Not having heard anything from it, I am unable to comment, but maybe this would be more like what Spotted Horses is looking for.

This really "piqued my curiosity" about the Quatuor Stanislas. I've listened to a few movements on Youtube.
But the above linked interview with the cellist closes with

The uncontested model, for us, is the Budapest String Quartet, whose 1951 recording has aged perfectly. Its great musicians claimed to be taking up the legacy of the Capets who themselves were the inheritors of a line of French quartets who contributed greatly to expanding the notoriety of Beethoven's last quartets, which were still only played quite rarely in the second half of the nineteenth century.

On the plus side, this stresses the "French" lineage. On the minus side, I already own the c. 1951 Budapest and don't need to add a set that's extremely similar. So on the fence, along with the Cuarteto Casals.

[Karl Henning]

Thoughts on these Prokofiev cycles, or any others I might be missing?

I greatly enjoy the Ozawa and the Kitajenko. They're all very good, though.

[Spotted Horses]

Thoughts on these Prokofiev cycles, or any others I might be missing?

If I had to pick one it would be Kitajenko, with no question. If I was allowed two I would add Rostropovich.

[Spotted Horses]

This really "piqued my curiosity" about the Quatuor Stanislas. I've listened to a few movements on Youtube.
But the above linked interview with the cellist closes with

The uncontested model, for us, is the Budapest String Quartet, whose 1951 recording has aged perfectly. Its great musicians claimed to be taking up the legacy of the Capets who themselves were the inheritors of a line of French quartets who contributed greatly to expanding the notoriety of Beethoven's last quartets, which were still only played quite rarely in the second half of the nineteenth century.

On the plus side, this stresses the "French" lineage. On the minus side, I already own the c. 1951 Budapest and don't need to add a set that's extremely similar. So on the fence, along with the Cuarteto Casals.

I managed to listen to one movement from the 1951 Budapest set (Op 132, First movement) and what struck me was just how comfortable the quartet seemed with this music. No histrionics, no demonstration of awe at Beethoven's genius, just a natural unfolding of the music. The audio quality is something of a limitation, making it more difficult to hear the inner voices.

Such a shame that it is so hard to come by these recordings. The CD edition from a few years ago out of print and downloads of individual discs from the set quite expensive. I purchased the download of Op 132 and may end up purchasing the other late quartets as well.

The Quatuor Stanislas seems tempting, but having taken the trouble to record the cycle, I wonder why the producers can't make the effort to make it available on standard e-commerce sites. I've had my credit card information stolen often enough to be reluctant to buy from every obscure web site I find on the internet.

[ritter]

..., I wonder why the producers can't make the effort to make it available on standard e-commerce sites. I've had my credit card information stolen often enough to be reluctant to buy from every obscure web site I find on the internet.

Perfectly understandable. Just FYI, I've bought from Forgotten Records on several occasions (they've reissued recordings of music by e.g. Enesco and Schmitt which really interested me) and have never had any problems whatsoever. But, of course, your reservations are completely legitimate.

Regards,

[prémont]

The Quatuor Stanislas seems tempting, but having taken the trouble to record the cycle, I wonder why the producers can't make the effort to make it available on standard e-commerce sites. I've had my credit card information stolen often enough to be reluctant to buy from every obscure web site I find on the internet.

I can say similar things as ritter above, as I have purchased from Forgotten Records during the last four or five years and never had any problems at all, on the contrary I have had many positive experiences with them. The owner is a highly erudite and respected frenchman, Alain Deguernel. You can read about him here:

https://interlude.hk/in-touch-with-alain-deguernel/

I understand your reservations, but in this case they may safely be forgotten.

[T. D.]

I can say similar things as ritter above, as I have purchased from Forgotten Records during the last four or five years and never had any problems at all, on the contrary I have had many positive experiences with them. The owner is a highly erudite and respected frenchman, Alain Deguernel. You can read about him here:

https://interlude.hk/in-touch-with-alain-deguernel/

I understand your reservations, but in this case they may safely be forgotten.

I just ordered the Stanislas. Not that I really need the set  , but I like to support such labels/ventures.
The Forgotten Records checkout works via Paypal, which is a big plus. I prefer to use Paypal whenever possible, rather than relying on "security" of some obscure website.
Unfortunately, it looks like Forgotten Records are on vacation from 30 July to 12 August, and I likely missed the deadline (it's now past closing time on the 29th). May not ship for 2 weeks. 

No logical "French" connection, but in the jazz realm I've made several purchases from Dark Tree Records (Paris), run by a perfect gentleman named Bertrand Gastaut, and am a happy customer.

[T. D.]

Changing the subject, I noticed this novelty at Berkshire today:



Mozart: Clarinet Quintet with Benny Goodman (!) and Budapest String Quartet, rec. 1938; Piano Quintets #1-2 with George Szell (!) and Budapest String Quartet, rec. 1946.

[Spotted Horses]

My reservation with Forgotten records is not that Monsieur Deguernel is going to take my credit card information and buy bitcoin, but that his server may be a sitting duck for hackers scraping credit card info.  PayPal would make me more comfortable.

[Jo498]

FWIW I am not a great fan of the Goodman/Budapest clarinet quintet. There is  Biddulph disc with 3 Mozart quartets by the pre-war Budapest that could be worth seeking out but I have to admit that I rarely listen to these historical recordings unless they are extraordinary (like some of the Busch's Beethoven) as this repertoire is covered so well by recordings in better sound.

[prémont]

My reservation with Forgotten records is not that Monsieur Deguernel is going to take my credit card information and buy bitcoin, but that his server may be a sitting duck for hackers scraping credit card info.  PayPal would make me more comfortable.

Forgotten Records' payment method is PayPal par default. T.D. already wrote this above.This is how I pay them, and it works fine.

[prémont]

I just ordered the Stanislas. Not that I really need the set  , but I like to support such labels/ventures.

I do not need a new set either,, but if you - having listened to it - tell me, that it is worth to own, I shall purchase it too, because I also like to support such initiatives as this label.

[staxomega]

So on the fence, along with the Cuarteto Casals.

I liked them in the Op 14/1 piano sonata transcription. I should compile all the ones I have of this at some point.

[T. D.]

I do not need a new set either,, but if you - having listened to it [Stanislas] - tell me, that it is worth to own, I shall purchase it too, because I also like to support such initiatives as this label.

Certainly, if I can remember. 
As mentioned above, the label will be on vacation / not shipping from 30 Jul through 12 Aug (see website). I'm afraid I missed the pre-vacation order deadline, in which case I may not receive the mdse. for well over a month (2 weeks plus transatlantic shipping time).

[Spotted Horses]

Oh, good grief, I'm such a moron...I didn't bother to search, and missed the fact that a US-based seller on discogs (with whom I have no connection) has the recent Sony Budapest '51-52 LvB CD reissue for $24.95 shipped...I'm going to delete my earlier dumbass post about the UA. Sorry.

Either I'm dense or someone beat me to it, because I found the entry for the Sony set and see none offered for sale, although I did notice at least one UA set offered for sale.

[T. D.]

Either I'm dense or someone beat me to it, because I found the entry for the Sony set and see none offered for sale, although I did notice at least one UA set offered for sale.

Sorry, I'm a complete jackass. This seems to be a later recording, 1958-61. I jumped to conclusions seeing Sony.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1328164210

Release dated 2014. There was a UA with red box @ $50.

[Spotted Horses]

Sorry, I'm a complete jackass. This seems to be a later recording, 1958-61. I jumped to conclusions seeing Sony.

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1328164210

Release dated 2014. There was a UA with red box @ $50.

I've made the same mistake, with two Sony/Budapest releases with similar looking covers. You had me going there for a second.

I think I'll pass on the UA set and get the Sony lossless downloads of the few quartets I'm really interested in.

Forgotten Records being on vacation for 2 weeks gives me a convenient cooling-down period.

[Alek Hidell]

Forgotten Records being on vacation for 2 weeks gives me a convenient cooling-down period.

Ha, that makes me think - maybe for expensive recordings there should be a "right of rescission" period, like there is when you mortgage a home, in which you have to take a few days to decide whether you really want to take the plunge or not. Could be a real wallet-saver for many of us.