After ‘Inventions’, ‘Revelations’ is the second volume in a complete set of the Beethoven quartets that breaks new ground: it aims to regroup the works according to their position within the three broad creative divisions of the composer’s life – the formative years, the ‘heroic’ period and the late period. This programme assembles the ‘median quartets’, in other words the works that prolonged and consolidated the stylistic innovations outlined at the beginning of each of these creative periods. ‘It’ll be fascinating to hear the next instalment’ (Gramophone).
Disc 1
String Quartet no. 2 op.18 no. 2
Sol majeur / G major / G-Dur
1I. Allegro 7’26
2II. Adagio cantabile – Allegro 5’45
3III. Scherzo. Allegro 4’43
4IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto 5’16
String Quartet no. 10 “Harp Quartet” op.74
Mi bémol majeur / E-flat major / Es-Dur
5I. Poco adagio – Allegro 9’22
6II. Adagio ma non troppo 8’48
7III. Presto – Più presto quasi prestissimo 4’40
8IV. Allegretto con variazioni 6’40
Disc 2
String Quartet no. 8 op.59 no. 2
mi mineur / E minor / e-Moll
1I. Allegro 13’11
2II. Molto adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento 11’44
3III. Allegretto – Maggiore, Thème russe 6’07
4IV. Finale. Presto 5’15
String Quartet no. 9 op.59 no. 3
Ut majeur / C major / C-Dur
5I. Introduzione. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace 10’26
6II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto 8’25
7III. Minuetto. Grazioso – Trio 4’53
8IV. Allegro molto 6’13
Disc 3
String Quartet no. 15 op. 132
la mineur / A minor / a-Moll
1I. Assai sostenuto – Allegro 9’20
2II. Allegro ma non tanto 8’24
3III. Molto adagio 15’46
4IV. Alla Marcia. Assai vivace 2’12
5V. Allegro appassionato – Presto 6’34