Große Fuge - Recommended recordings?

[Soundproof]

Would like to plumb the forum for recommendations on worthy performances, available on CD, of Beethoven's Große Fuge, Opus 133.

[Larry Rinkel]

Would like to plumb the forum for recommendations on worthy performances, available on CD, of Beethoven's Große Fuge, Opus 133.

I'd go with the Yale Quartet on Vanguard, and the Smetana from the 1960s on Supraphon. Both very incisive, though the tempo relationships on the Yale make somewhat more sense to me.

[M forever]

I like both the Alban Berg and Emerson versions.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Would like to plumb the forum for recommendations on worthy performances, available on CD, of Beethoven's Große Fuge, Opus 133.

For orchestra or SQ?

[Soundproof]

SQ

[Sergeant Rock]

Let me quote the late, great Mr Little, Yo, who was seldom wrong about matters sexual or musical:

Late Beethoven String Quartets are teh sex, yo

I'm a big Hagen fan. For the Grosse Fugue, I need Hagen, the Marlboro Reds of string quartets. Nothing else will do. Their Grosse Fugue is the single most hard-core thing I think I've ever heard. It's like being hit repeatedly over the head with a stick with a nail in it of the utmost beauty.

And before you dismiss his recommendation, just remember that pelleas3000 said of Mr Little, "He deserves respect as the first person to call Beethoven Late Quartets "those motherf*ckers".

Sarge

[val]

To me, the best version is the one of the Juilliard. And it comes with the all Quartet opus 130, as it should be.

[Harry Collier]

I'm still in mourning for the fact that the Busch Quartet never recorded it (except with a chamber orchestra). A "different" version well worth exploring is Klemperer with the Philharmonia; Otto was noted for the clarity on which he insisted in fugal or contrapuntal writing. Obviously, one also needs the string quartet original; but no harm in having multiple Grosse Fugas.

[MishaK]

Another vote for ABQ.

[Soundproof]

Thanks to all. Will dig out a few of these, beginning with the Alban Berg and Juilliard.

I have a version by the Takács Quartet, their Late String Quartets edition, but that is a disappointing rendition, I thought.

It's interesting for having the alternative ending to op. 130 - though the accompanying brochure is confused when describing this. In the track listing it has this as "the original ending of" op.130; whereas in the comments they have it as "the last piece of music Beethoven composed."
They are working off the Henle edition of the quartets, but that can't possibly explain what I find to be a muddled Große Fuge. (Just as the brochure.) It appears they couldn't agree whether they were going for the intricacies or the drama and ended up straddling.

Reminds me of Rattle's version of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony with WP -- all over the place.

Thanks for your input!

[paul]

I also recommend the Alban Berg Quartet recording. The Guarneri Quartet's recording is also quite good.