Beethoven String Quartet Thunderdome: Ébène vs. Pražák

[Todd]

This Beethoven year requires musical violence.  The Quatuor Ébène's 250th anniversary year set has squashed all new cycles released this year.  It's a monster.  But can the French ensemble best the Pražák Quartet, the heretofore reigning champs of (completed in the) twenty-first century Beethoven string quartet cycles?  I had to know.  And I had to make the stakes meaningful.  So I will conduct a shootout and then mercilessly destroy the pathetic losing set in a raging bonfire, letting the putrid fumes of melting plastic and failure expunge any traces of the mere existence of a sub-par set.  Or, I'll declare one better than the other.  I have not finalized plans yet.  No time to dilly-dally.


Op 18/1:

Pražák - The Allegro con brio is taken at a just so tempo, and the ensemble employs enough vibrato but not too much, and while playing with basically perfect ensemble, one gets to enjoy individual voices.  The second violin peaks out from behind the first with firm playing, for instance.  The Adagio has an almost Schubertian drama as delivered, while the Scherzo grooves nicely, with some extremely fine cello playing popping out.  Things close out with and Allegro where the violins and viola all glide along with an effortlessness one can't resist.

Ébène - The more closely recorded Ébène tinker with tempo more, playing the opening movement a bit faster overall, but also launching some phrases with greater acceleration.  The low strings sound even more distinct, and the cellist really delivers.  In the Adagio, the Ébène play with greater depth, pushing the bounds of early Beethoven or even Schubertian drama, right to something approaching late-LvB, and while it sounds wonderful, one may wonder if it is too much.  Maybe.  The Scherzo lacks a bit of the bite of the Czech ensemble, and the concluding Allegro doesn't glide along quite as effortlessly. 


Winner: Pražák

[Todd]

Op 18/2:

Pražák - Starting off just a bit tart, yet also light and fun, in the Allegro, the ensemble moves the piece along with a 'roided Haydn feel.  The Adagio cantabile sections of the second movement sound beautiful and slightly elevated, but not too much, while the Allegro has speed and vitality in stark but gentle contrast.  The Scherzo starts sweet, and only gradually picks up some oomph, but not too much before receding back to something a bit gentler.  The concluding Allegro is all zippy, tight fun, with the low strings seeming almost to lead at times, and a viola that always sounds quite delightful.  Exceedingly strong.

Ébène - The Ébène start off slower and with a darker overall sound, though the violins make the higher register playing sound sweet.  The movement definitely sounds more laid back and polite, yet playful.  As in the first, there are more finely graded nuances and minor tempo shifts, though less here, and part of that results from the closer recording.  In the Adagio cantabile, the players really slow things down and elevate things.  It sounds more contemplative, and when contrasted with the plucky Allegro makes for a strong contrast, but the music sounds more disparate and less cohesive than with the Czechs.  The Scherzo comes off comparatively lighter and more playful, and the final movement is dispatched with an almost ridiculous ease and fun and easy rubato. 


Winner: Pražák

[The new erato]

This is encouraging. I have the Pražák, but not the Ébène . How I love your diacritics BTW!

[grocklin]

Quartetto di Cremona should be in the running here as well.

[springrite]

This is encouraging. I have the Pražák, but not the Ébène . How I love your diacritics BTW!

You just want to save money. Admit it!

[The new erato]

You just want to save money. Admit it!

I do and bow my head in shame.  But I love Todd's Beethoven postings even if they put me to shame.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

This Beethoven year requires musical violence.  The Quatuor Ébène's 250th anniversary year set has squashed all new cycles released this year.  It's a monster.  But can the French ensemble best the Pražák Quartet, the heretofore reigning champs of (completed in the) twenty-first century Beethoven string quartet cycles?  I had to know.  And I had to make the stakes meaningful.  So I will conduct a shootout and then mercilessly destroy the pathetic losing set in a raging bonfire, letting the putrid fumes of melting plastic and failure expunge any traces of the mere existence of a sub-par set.  Or, I'll declare one better than the other.  I have not finalized plans yet.  No time to dilly-dally.


Op 18/1:

Pražák - The Allegro con brio is taken at a just so tempo, and the ensemble employs enough vibrato but not too much, and while playing with basically perfect ensemble, one gets to enjoy individual voices.  The second violin peaks out from behind the first with firm playing, for instance.  The Adagio has an almost Schubertian drama as delivered, while the Scherzo grooves nicely, with some extremely fine cello playing popping out.  Things close out with and Allegro where the violins and viola all glide along with an effortlessness one can't resist.

Ébène - The more closely recorded Ébène tinker with tempo more, playing the opening movement a bit faster overall, but also launching some phrases with greater acceleration.  The low strings sound even more distinct, and the cellist really delivers.  In the Adagio, the Ébène play with greater depth, pushing the bounds of early Beethoven or even Schubertian drama, right to something approaching late-LvB, and while it sounds wonderful, one may wonder if it is too much.  Maybe.  The Scherzo lacks a bit of the bite of the Czech ensemble, and the concluding Allegro doesn't glide along quite as effortlessly. 


Winner: Pražák

  Or you could just donate it to a charity shop...or pass along to a friend?    Glad that you are enjoying the journey.

PD

[Todd]

Op 18/3:

Pražák - The Pražák see no reason to play too soft to start, adding edge, and more than a touch of vibrato from the first violinist, to the opening Allegro.  The calm and lovely Andante offers a striking contrast in style and sound, with very fine dynamic gradation in the piano-pianissimo range.  Some ensembles go for a slower overall tempo, but anything slower, and it wouldn't sound right.  The brief Allegro has a vigorous, dance-y feel, and then the Presto ups the vigorousness notably, though not too much.  Again, the ensemble knows when to back off, and overall executive excellence rates quite highly.

Ébène - The Ébène play a little more softly at the beginning, but then pick up steam quickly and push things a little more  The closer, dryer sound lets the second violin and viola take on more prominence than the Pražák, which is great for detail, less so for ensemble unity.  This holds true in the Andante as well, where the very clear, very distinct individual instruments allow one to savor each line, and the ensemble elevates style to at least middle period depth.  It comes close to being too much.  Close.  The Allegro sounds smoother and just as vibrant as what the Czechs deliver, while the Presto sounds a bit rougher, a bit more rustic, or a purposeful approximation thereof.  High grade stuff.


Winner: Pražák (a close run thing)

[Todd]

Op 18/4:

Pražák - The Allegro ma non tanto maintains speed and edge, but also has a more relaxed feel than the earlier quartets.  Dig the viola.  The Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto (love the long designation) likewise comes off a bit gentler than before, with the ensemble displaying masterful, unified dynamic shifts.  Again, gotta say, the violist does good things here, even if he's not the center of attention.  The Menuetto sounds a bit more amped up, with a rigorous pulse and more fine corporate dynamics while the Allegro sounds tamped down a bit.  The same cannot be written about the Allegro, which opens with ample energy, and, yes, the violist keeping things tight, and the a general sense of forward momentum.  Curiously, though, while the Pražák can really cook if they want to, the do not unload, at least until the end. 

Ébène - The Ébène push the opening Allegro more than the Pražák, and the first violinist sounds edgier here.  They generate ample beautiful playing, with the second violin here doing some fine work.  The quartet back off in the Scherzo, and both low strings do good work, but the sense of cohesion does not seem as strong as with the Czechs.  The quartet almost really pushes the outer sections of the Menutto, offering high contrast with the gentler middle section.  They also push things in the final movement, at times generating a purposefully rough-ish sound, again, to create a bold contrast when the back off.  And of course they push the coda. 


Winner: Pražák

[Todd]

Op 18/5:

Pražák - The quartet opens with a perfect balance of zest and elegance, not pushing things too much, but also not sounding dainty at times.  The Pražák play with a well nigh perfect and seamless ability to undulate tempo and energy, and the second violin and viola get some love from the engineers that really sounds nice.  The opening of the Menuetto is vibrant yet sweet, while in the Andante cantabile they play with a lovely, smooth feel to start, and then jump right into a more dynamic and vibrant first variation, a scaled back second, and a generally quite distinctive approach for each one.  The closing Allegro starts fairly light, for composer and ensemble, and again, one can't but enjoy how cohesive the playing sounds.  Even as things ramp up a bit, a sense of lightness pervades. 

Ébène - The Ébène starts the opening Allegro with a nice blend of jocular spirit and vigorous bowing, with the first violin uncharacteristically dominating.  The Menuetto shows the drawbacks of such close microphones as both breathing becomes to obvious and the sound a bit too compressed.  On the other hand, this represents a case where the ensemble's basically later period approach to early Beethoven pays big dividends in the Andante, with some slower variation playing reaching almost Op 131 levels of beauty.  Invariably, after such fine slow playing, the concluding Allegro sounds comparatively slight, though superbly well done, nonetheless.


Winner: Pražák

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Looks like the Ébène set is in trouble!

[Todd]

Op 18/6:

Pražák - The Pražák burst into life, with the first violin ebullient as all heck before the cello takes over.  The overall forward momentum and corporate dynamic shifts again sound spiffy, and their ability to decelerate or accelerate as one sounds just as spiffy.  The Adagio sounds quite beautiful, with both violins delivering the goods, while the Scherzo boldly pushes forward, with perfect dynamic contrasts, and when the first violin plays trills in an almost fantastical way, the other three move forward without him.  The final movement pushes into Op 59 territory with the Adagio.  While the quiet playing displays delicacy, it's more dramatic than anything, and then it switches to dance like playing of no little smoothness, before alternating between the main themes quite adeptly.  Unsurprisingly, they end the first six quartets superbly.

Ébène - The Ébène start off robustly, not as much as the Czech ensemble, and the material shift does not sound as fluid.  The closer recording contributes, or emphasizes, the relatively less effective dynamic and tempo shifts.  As is their collective wont, the ensemble deliver an almost late LvB sounding Adagio, and one where the low strings provide the most musical pleasure, though it sounds too relatively discontiguous from the opening movement.  The Scherzo sounds more vital, with more heft, but that's due to the closer sound.  The first violin trills are accompanied by plainer playing from the other three, and the willful, halting playing catches the ear, but doesn't add much.  The final movement opens with melancholy playing that sounds lifted from Op 131, and of course it's well done.  The faster music, though, sounds comparatively weighed down.  It's still got pep, it just lacks something.  Make no mistake it's good overall, it's just not Pražák good.


Winner: Pražák (not a close run thing)

[Todd]

Op 59/1:

Pražák - The Czechs up their formidable game in the opening Allegro, with the cellist producing a big, fat, yet nimble tone and not overdoing it and handing things right off to the rest of the ensemble.  For the first time, one gets an aural glimpse of late LvB sound in the middle section as the playing softens and elevates.  The Allegretto starts off with more mighty fine cello playing, and then one gets to hear the benefits of microphone distance as the quartet generates a hefty sense of scale in the crescendos, while still playing gently when needed, and stopping some phrases on a dime.  And the corporate attack sounds flawless.  One might argue that the sotte voce opening of the Adagio is not delicate enough, but it certainly sets the mood, one of depth and feeling, that does not let up, and indeed, with a bit of tension included, works spectacularly well.  The long cello pizzicato section, where the foundation sounds rhythmically flawless, transitions to even deeper music, though the Pražák keep things from straying into late LvB territory.  In the Thème Russe, the quartet start light and brisk, and then up the ante when and where needed, but here, in addition to the executive excellent and rhythmic snap, it is their ability to back way off that most appeals.  A humdinger of a recording.

Ébène - The Ébène start the Allegro much more quickly, to the point of sounding pressed, though the contrast between cello and first violin works well.  The closer, more compressed sound again prevents the listener from getting to maximally enjoy dynamic contrasts.  They push things a bit in the Allegro as well.  It certainly enhances excitement and draws the listener in, but one can't help but notice that just a smidge less intensity brings more breathing room.  The sound also becomes a bit edgy in comparison to the not exactly super-mellifluous Pražák.  In the Adagio, the Ébène switch gears and slow way down, to the point where the overall tempo and timing is generally slow, not just in contrast to the pressed movements.  They do deliver more relatively delicate playing than the Pražák, which allows for greater apparent dynamic contrast, and it definitely veers straight into late LvB soundworld territory.  But doing an A/B, one hears that the work as a whole does not jell as well.  The Thème Russe starts off with a slightly relaxed tempo, just to build to a more robust one, with all the snap and drive one expects in faster movements. 


Winner: Pražák

[Florestan]

Winner: Pražák

This becomes boringly predictable, or predictably boring.

[Todd]

This becomes boringly predictable, or predictably boring.

As with the piano sonatas, the listening itself never bores.

[Florestan]

As with the piano sonatas, the listening itself never bores.

I guess you must be right.

[JBS]

Everyone has different ears. I found Prazak to be very mainstream, and would not of ever thought of them as a potential duelist with Ebene. I very much liked Ebene's approach.

[Todd]

Op 59/2:

Pražák - The abrupt open of the Allegro transitions to proper middle period exploration and development.  The post-Heiligenstadt monument has several shades of darkness, and the Czechs again manage to deliver everything just swell.  They pull off the feat of making the music move forward coherently even while two or three different stands are developing.  Here, the violist again earns his keep, subtly.  And when the cascading notes hit, the quartet generate scale and drama with perfect control.  The Molto Adagio comes off as more close to late period music, and while everyone does their thing, here the violins set the pace, with a contemplative feel, or rather a soft, continuous line that evokes contemplation.  And the development of the music into the beautiful, relaxed coda really satisfies.  The Allegretto mixes up rhythmic incisiveness, wide dynamic contrasts, and a back and forth between loveliness and gruffness in a perfect blend.  The concluding Presto starts off as a perfectly judged gallop, and and switches styles as it moves along.  Here, the way that the ensemble transitions between vigorous and refined, fast and slow, unison and individual is the most striking aspect of the playing. 

Ébène - The closer sound robs the opening of the Allegro of some impact, but the ensemble packs more of a wallop, and they also deliver even more in the way of contrast, both in terms of dynamics and tempi.  Perhaps fewer shades of darkness can be heard, but that's fine.  The Molto Adagio emerges as the strongest movement, but here the Ébène do something different.  While obviously certain passages are taken slowly, and while the playing assumes a depth greater than the faster movements, the ensemble keeps things tauter than expected and they veer less into late LvB territory than in some other earlier works.  The result is a movement that blends in better with the surrounding music while still retaining heft.  Nice.  They then follow that with an Allegretto that starts off more subdued than initially expected, and it only slowly revs up, and then mostly in dynamic contrasts as opposed to zippy tempi, though those appear, too.  The Presto starts as a peppy gallop (and does the violin flub in this live recording?) and more or less bops along to the end, mixing up intensity levels while allowing almost forensic audibility of all the parts.  Yeah.


Winner: Ébène

[Todd]

Op 59/3:

Pražák - The Andante con moto opener sounds almost mysterious here, but then the Allegro vivace gets into the vibrant playing, with the Pražák moving into fast, large-scaled, dynamically satisfying playing.  It's like souped-up early Beethoven, and quite excellent, and somewhat unexpectedly, the delicate pianissimo playing in the back half of the movement somehow ends up the most appealing aspect of the movement which is full to the brim with kick-ass, high-energy playing.  The Andante is delivered with an almost stately tempo and restrained demeanor, with the low strings helping establish a darker feel.  The sound is not especially late LvB sounding, but there's a serenity and almost austerity in the delivery.  The Menuetto starts with wonderfully fluid playing, with the middle section adding nicely stark contrasts.  In the Allegro molto, the Pražák start with vigorous fugal playing that never really lets up in forward momentum, even when playing pianissimo. 

Ébène - The first chord of the Andante con moto takes on an almost harmonium feel, though after that the playing sounds, if not mysterious, then at least distant and detached.  The Allegro vivace sounds more relaxed for a few moments, then the Ébène add some more pep, though less than the Pražák.  The more relaxed style does have its appeal, especially near the end of the movement.  In the Andante, predictably, the Ébène excel.  The playing does not achieve the same depth - faux or real - as the preceding two quartets, but it coheres and compels, and it blends in with the surrounding movements better.  This becomes obvious in the fairly gentle Menuetto that follows.  The violins play with such a fluid sound, that even in the more boisterous music, one just drinks in the beauty.  Then, in the Allegro molto, the quartet rips right into the music, but the opening remains supple and smooth, not rough or rushed, even given the high speed.  As they move along, the control and precision beguile, and the flexibility really impresses. 


Winner: Ébène

[Todd]

Op 74:

Pražák - The ensemble open with a Poco Adagio that sounds, yes, sublime, though not late LvB deep, and then they move to an Allegro where the pizzicati move across the instruments fluidly, and where the violins chuff out their part most excellently.  And again, the recorded perspective allows the dynamics to swell and contract most satisfyingly.  The Adagio, filled with lots of vibrato, comes off as rather romantic and a bit saccharine, but it sounds swell.  The Presto sounds robust but also perfectly scaled and controlled.  The cellist really digs in in places.  One hears hints of Mendelssohn in some of the writing as well.  The Allegretto con variazioni starts off with a pretty playful take on the theme, and then the first variation sets the tone for the rest as it sounds exaggerated and jocular.  The group keeps the playing appropriately vigorous or restrained, but the whole thing has an air of lightness.  Superb.

Ébène - The Ébène starts with a more late-LvB sounding Pogo Adagio, then they play with mucho vibrance in the Allegro, and while they deliver fine pizzicato playing, the violins dominate the overall movement, setting the pace.  In the Adagio, the Ébène play with great passion, and they press the faster music a bit, pull back on the slower music a bit, and perhaps deliver just a little too much for the material.  Exactly in line with their overall approach, the Ébène push the Scherzo more than the Pražák.  To be sure, there are thrills, but the only potential downside is that the music sounds nearly frantic, and at least frenetic.  But hearing the cellist saw away is undeniably fun.  The Allegretto con variazioni also has an air of being just too, though the even greater exaggeration appeals in certain sections.  There's certainly no gainsaying the technical quality of the playing.


Winner: Pražák