The Bottom Line
Beethoven's Middle String Quartets, Op. 59, 74, and 95 are among my favorite quartets. If you do not own any recordings of Beethoven's string quartets, or any decent ones for that matter, look no further. You'll love Orion String Quartet's performance of Beethoven's Middle String Quartets.
Pros
- These are the best Beethoven quartets to which to introduce the beginner
- Quartets come from a period of time when Beethoven wrote masterpiece after masterpiece
- Great recording, musicianship, and mastery of Beethoven's music
- The highly acclaimed Orion String Quartet performs beautifully and articulately
Cons
- None
Description
- Released June, 2007
- 3 Disks, 20 Tracks
- Total Play Time: 2:34:04
Guide Review - Beethoven Middle String Quartets - Orion String Quartet
Beethoven's Middle Quartets, Op. 59, 74, and 95 were ahead of their time, and as usually the case, they were not well received in their early stages of life. It was during these middle quartets that Beethoven began experimenting and exploring musical ideas untethered from classical period structures and traditions. However, as time progressed and ideals and musical tastes changed, Beethoven's Middle Quartets won over the ears and hearts of the people.
The Orion String Quartet is one of the leading string quartets in America. With over fifty performances are year, the small ensemble is anything but under-practiced and unrehearsed! The Orion String Quartet has made appearances on ABC's Good Morning America, as well as, PBS's Live from Lincoln Center. Since their formation in 1987, the group has become Artists in Residence at the renowned school of music at Indiana University and Quartet-in-Residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and New York's Mannes College of Music.
