L.V. Beethoven: Late String Quartets - Takacs Quartet (Decca 2004) 3 CDs

Quartets that break all the rules.


Beethoven's last five quartets were among the last works he completed before his death, and all are masterpieces containing some of Beethoven's most powerful music. The music is very dense and personal, and Beethoven breaks free of nearly all contemporary conventions of harmony and form. The influence of the contrapuntal style of Bach is noticeable throughout these works, especially in the opening movement of Op. 131 and in the "Grosse Fuge" finale to Op. 130 (which was deemed so difficult that it had to be published separately as Op. 133). The Takács Quartet give deeply moving performances of these masterpieces.

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