Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets vol. II - Revelations 3 Cuarteto Casals

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132:
• 1 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro 09:20
• 2 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: II. Allegro ma non tanto 08:24
• 3 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: III. Molto adagio 15:46
• 4 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: IV. Alla Marcia. Assai vivace 02:12
• 5 String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: V. Allegro appassionato - Presto 06:34
• Total Runtime 42:16

Info for Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets vol. II - Revelations 3

Cuarteto Casals presents Revelations, the second volume in a new complete cycle of the Beethoven quartets. The group devised an innovative structural arrangement for its recordings. The works are not presented in the typical grouping of early, middle and late periods: rather they are arranged according to each quartet's place within Beethoven's musical development. This ingenious juxtaposition reveals as never before how Beethoven's superhuman struggle for perfection gave birth to a musical language of breathtaking originality without precedent in this genre, of which Beethoven is the uncontested master.

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).

Cuarteto Casals

Cuarteto Casals
A quartet for the new millennium if I ever heard one ” wrote Strad magazine upon hearing Cuarteto Casals for the first time, shortly after its inception in 1997 at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Since winning First Prizes at the London and Brahms-Hamburg competitions, Cuarteto Casals has been a repeated guest at the world’s most prestigious concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Musikverein Vienna, Philharmonie Cologne, Cité de la Musique Paris, Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Philharmonie in Berlin, among many others throughout Europe, North America and Japan.

The quartet has compiled a substantial discography with the Harmonia Mundi label, including to date 9 CD’s, with repertoire ranging from lesser known Spanish composers Arriaga and Toldrá to Viennese classics Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Brahms, through 20th Century greats Bartok, Kurtag and Ligeti. Following its critically acclaimed performances of Schubert's fifteen string quartets last season, Cuarteto Casals will record the cycle live for DVD in at L'Auditori in Barcelona, where it is quartet in residence.

“A sonic signature entirely its own,” raved the New York Times, describing Cuarteto Casals’ distinctive range of expression. A prize from the prestigious Burletti-Buitoni Trust in London enabled the quartet to purchase a matching set of Classical period bows which it uses for works from Purcell through Schubert, refining its ability to distinguish between diverse musical styles. In addition, the quartet has been profoundly influenced by its work with living composers, especially György Kurtag, and has given the world premiere of quartets written by leading Spanish composers.

In recognition of Cuarteto Casals’ unique position as the first Spanish string quartet with a truly international profile, the quartet has been honored with the Premio Nacional de Música as well as the Premi Ciutat Barcelona. The quartet has accompanied the King of Spain on diplomatic visits and performed on the peerless collection of decorated Stradivarius instruments in the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Cuarteto Casals often appears on television and radio throughout Europe and North America and is Quartet in Residence at the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya in Barcelona, where all four members reside and teach.

Booklet for Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets vol. II - Revelations 3