PHILIPS 10-LPs 6747-272: BEETHOVEN Complete String Quartets - QUARTETTO ITALIANO
Sold Date:
August 9, 2019
Start Date:
January 22, 2018
Final Price:
$124.99
(CAD)
Seller Feedback:
6955
Buyer Feedback:
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The secretary and historian of the Quartet was Guido Alberto Borciani (Reggio Emilia, 20 October 1920 – 4 April 2008), mechanical engineer and talented pianist, Paolo's brother and founder in 1987 of the Premio Paolo Borciani.
Borciani, Pegreffi and Rossi met in 1940 at the Concorso Nazionale in La Spezia. In summer 1942 they met again at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, where the cellist Arturo Bonucci (Sr.) (head of the chamber class, husband of Pina Carmirelli) put them together with the viola player Lionello Forzanti for the study session. They worked together on the Debussy quartet and performed it in September 1942.
In August 1945 the group began to study together again at the Borciani house in Reggio Emilia. Their debut followed on 12 November 1945 at the Sala dei Mori in Carpi, as the Nuovo Quartetto Italiano, in the inaugural concert of the Società degli Amici della Musica. By the end of the year they had also performed in Reggio Emilia and in Milan. In March 1946 they were winners at the Concorso of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and also in the Concorso of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana. A performance for the Milan Quartet Society followed, and the first foreign engagement was at the Zürich Tonhalle.
In February 1947 Piero Farulli replaced Forzanti at the viola desk, and the first performance in the new (and permanent) company was in Mantua. Debuts followed that year in Austria, England, at the Venice International Festival, and at the Engadin Konzertwochen (where their collaboration with clarinettist Antoine de Bavier in the Mozart Quintet K.581 occurred - recorded also for Decca label). They also gave the world premiere of the Villa-Lobos Quartet No.9 at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana.
Appearances in Italy, England, Scotland, Spain and France followed in 1948, totalling 63 concerts, and the group began recording for Decca Records. Concerts rose to over 100 in 1949, with visits to Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. At Stockholm Royal Academy they gave a series of lecture-recitals with Gerda Busoni, widow of Ferruccio Busoni. Another century of concerts was given in 1950.
In 1951 (having dropped the word “Nuovo” (i.e., new) from their name) the Quartet performed at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Salzburg Festival. It was at Salzburg that they had a long and very influential interview with Wilhelm Furtwängler, who urged them to work towards a much greater freedom of expression which would access for them the world of Grand Romanticism. This was much later acknowledged as a critical turning-point for the group.
In November they made their first U.S. tour, which was repeated in approximately alternate years until 1977. Virgil Thomson pronounced them “The finest string quartet, unquestionably, that our century has known.” In 1953, the year in which they transferred their recording programme to Columbia Records, they gave 59 concerts in the U.S. and Canada. In that year also, Elisa Pegreffi married Paolo Borciani.
Recordings which followed included (1954) the Darius Milhaud Quartet No.12, and (1956) the Debussy Quartet, which Robert Kemp described as “miraculous”. The group was then studying the six Mozart Quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn, and performed them at venues including Milan and Fiesole. Important Festival appearances continued, at Lucerne (1955), the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (1959), the Prague Spring Festival (1961) and the Berlin Musikwochen. In 1977, NASA launched the two Voyager space probes. Each carried a Golden Record, bearing images and sounds to represent the Earth and mankind. One of the images was a photograph of the Quartetto Italiano.
Through the later 1960s and early 1970s the group toured further afield, to Macedonia (1966), to South America (1968), to South Africa and Zambia (1970), and to Poland, the U.S.S.R. and Japan in 1973. Meanwhile, their recording projects for Philips Records, begun in 1965, were coming to fruition, with the Mozart integrale finished in 1972 and the Beethoven in 1973.
In this later period their collaboration with Maurizio Pollini took place. The completion of their recording work in Schubert did not occur until 1977. In their late concerts the group focussed especially upon Beethoven and Schubert, often devoting a recital to two works, a single masterpiece by each composer. In December 1977 Piero Farulli was obliged to retire from the group owing to illness, and was replaced by Dino Asciolla. However following a tour to Israel it was decided to bring the Quartet to an end in 1980.
The Quartetto Italiano is regarded as one of the finest string quartets of the twentieth century. The group generally focused on quartet-only repertory, avoiding performance with guest artists of quintets and other larger compositions. The ensemble's repertory was broad and included the entire quartet outputs of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, and Webern, and selected works of Galuppi, Vivaldi, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartók, Shostakovich, Villa-Lobos, Schoenberg, and many others.
Members of the Quartetto Italiano first met and performed as an ensemble in Siena, Italy, in 1942. But they did not officially bond until after the end of World War II, in summer 1945. The musicians, all still in their early twenties, adopted the name Nuovo Quartetto Italiano and debuted at Carpi, Italy, in November that year. (The Nuovo tag was dropped in 1951.) The personnel of the group were: Paolo Borciani (first violin), Elisa Pegreffi (second violin), Lionello Forzanti (viola), and Franco Rossi (cello).
1946 was a pivotal year for the group: it won competitions at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana and made a successful recording debut with the Debussy Quartet. They began touring Europe in 1947, but now with a new violist, Piero Farulli.
By the early 1950s the Quartetto Italiano had achieved a measure of international celebrity, though its repertory had not expanded significantly beyond French and Italian music, and their tone and approach were thought to lack depth. In 1952 Borciani and Pegreffi married. Around this time the four players had begun to evolve a more complex style, said to have resulted largely from mentoring by conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler.
By the 1960s the ensemble had developed a world-class reputation. Between 1967 and 1975 they recorded all the Beethoven string quartets for Philips, regarded by many as the finest of available cycles of the 15 masterworks. Numerous other works were recorded as well during this period for the same label, including the Prokofiev Second Quartet, and the Ravel and Debussy (which they recorded three times).
With their many successful tours at home and abroad (11 of North America by 1980) and their spate of acclaimed recordings, the group had probably reached its zenith by the mid-'70s. In 1977 Farulli became ill and was temporarily replaced by Dino Asciolla. Misunderstandings following Farulli's recovery led to the ultimate breakup of the group in 1980. - Robert Cummings
Taken as a whole, this is music whose range is so great, whose substance is so varied and whose spiritual journeyings are so profound that they render the very concept of definitive performance absurd. Not even the greatest performance can possibly reveal the whole truth of any masterpiece, let alone so many. That said, some come conspicuously nearer than others. Beautifully mastered, these justly famous performances deserve a place on anyone’s shelf. In precision of phrase and articulation, in purity of intonation and homogeneity of tone, they have few rivals. Indeed it’s a tribute to the integrity and spiritual variety of the playing that my mind was continually cast back to the still unsurpassed recordings of the Busch Quartet made some sixty years ago. To say that the Italians are not primarily interested in the more sensual aspects of quartet-playing here is not to suggest that there is anything ugly or abrasive in their approach as a whole, but to indicate, rather, that they never make beauty of tone an end in itself. They capture the roughness of Beethoven as well as the lyricism and ultimate sublimity. There’s no attempt to prettify him. At the same time, when Beethoven wants beauty, the Italians unstintingly oblige. Their sound is an impressive (and impressively varied) amalgam of polyphonic clarity and harmonic blend, full but never fulsome, rich in color yet predominantly lean in character. Interpretatively, too, they strike an almost ideal balance between consummate professionalism, deep reflection and a sense of spontaneity which has all the exhilaration and awe of fresh discovery. Not once do they sound remotely routine. However excellent the mastering, there’s no denying that these haven’t the aural sheen of some more recent recordings, but depending on your viewpoint, this may be no bad thing.This is a set to be treasured. - Jeremy Siepmann
Originally issued on separate LPs in the late '60s, Quartetto Italiano's legendary recordings of Ludwig van Beethoven's late string quartets occupied a prestigious place in Philips' catalog and fully warranted reissue on CD for their technical acumen, intellectual clarity, and expressive depth. All serious string quartets aspire to play these monumental works, which have proved to be more influential than any others in their genre; it's fair to say that most groups wish their performances could at least be equal to Quartetto Italiano's, both in terms of staying power and sublime musicality. It's difficult to choose one opus over another, since each has a distinctive character that demonstrates Beethoven's extremely wide range of moods, and Quartetto Italiano's interpretations are magnificent across the boards, without a single low point. Philips' ADD sound is possibly the only sticking point, because these recordings sound a little cool and muted in comparison with contemporary digital recordings, and listeners who are accustomed to greater resonance and verisimilitude might find this set to be a little flat and veiled. Yet virtually all traces of analog hiss have been removed, and the practiced listener will still be able to appreciate the profundities of the music despite the slightly shallow reproduction. - Blair Sanderson
LPs made by PHILIPS Records, in the NETHERLANDS / DUTCH / HOLLAND
LPs released in the late 1970s
LPs are recorded in STEREO Record Catalog Number: 6747 272 Record Labels are primarily BLACK with SILVER lettering (early editions) with the Record Co. logo on all the record labels.
This listing is for a rare, out of print 10-LP boxed set - an OPENED and in near mint minus condition LP set PRESSED and ISSUED by PHILIPS Records of a highly collectible title from their catalog - a superb title featuring the -
Beethoven // Quartetto Italiano
Beethoven: Complete Works for String Quartet
Tracks -
Die Frühen Quartette - The Early Quartets - Les Premiers QuatuorsNr. 3 D - Dur Op. 18, 3
A1Allegro
A2Andante Con Moto
A3Allegro
A4Presto
Nr. 1 F - Dur Op. 18, 1
B1Allegro Con Brio
B2Adagio Affettuoso Ed Appassionato
B3Scherzo (Allegro Molto)
B4Allegro
Nr. 2 G Dur Op. 18, 2
C1Allegro
C2Adagio Cantabile - Allegro - Tempo I
C3Scherzo (Allegro)
C4Allegro Molto, Quasi Presto
Nr. 4 C - Moll Op. 18, 4
D1Allegro Ma Non Tanto
D2Andante Scherzoso, Quasi Allegretto
D3Menuetto (Allegretto)
D4Allegro
Nr. 5 A - Dur Op. 18, 5
E1Allegro
E2Menuetto
E3Andante Cantabile
E4Allegro
Nr. 6 B - Dur Op. 18, 6
F1Allegro Con Brio
F2Adagio Ma Non Troppo
F3Scherzo (Allegro)
F4La Malinconia (Adagio - Allegretto Quasi Allegro - Adagio - Allegretto - Poco Adagio - Prestissimo)
Die Mittleren Quartette - The Middle - Period Quartets - Les Quatuors De La Période Médiane
Nr. 7 F - Dur Op. 59, 1 ("Rasumowsky" Nr. 1)
G1Allegro
G2Allegretto Vivace E Sempre Scherzando
H1Adagio Molto E Mesto -
H2Thème Russe (Allegro)
Nr. 8 E - Moll Op. 59, 2 ("Rasumowsky" No. 2)
H3Allegro
I1Molto Adagio
I2Allegretto
I3Finale (Presto)
Nr. 9 C - Dur Op. 59, 3 ("Rasumowsky" No. 3)
J1Introduzione (Andante Con Moto) - Allegro Vivace
J2Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
J3Menuetto (Grazioso) -
J4Allegro Molto
Nr. 10 Es - Dur Op. 74 "Harfenquartett"
K1Poco Adagio - Allegro
K2Adagio Ma Non Troppo
K3Presto - Piu Presto Quasi Prestissimo -
K4Allegretto Con Variazioni
Nr. 11 F - Moll Op.95 "Serioso"
L1Allegro Con Brio
L2Allegretto Ma Non Troppo -
L3Allegro Assai Vivace Ma Serioso
L4Larghetto Espressivo - Allegretto Agitato
Die Späten Quartette Und Grosse Fuge Op. 133 - The Late Quartets With "Grosse Fuge", Op. 133 - Les Derniers Quatuors Avec La Grande Fugue, Op. 133
Nr. 12 Es - Dur Op. 127
M1Maestoso - Allegro
M2Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile
M3Scherzando Vivace
N1Finale
Nr. 16 F - Dur Op. 135
N2Allegretto
N3Vivace
N4Lento Assai, Cantante E Tranquillo
N5Der Schwer Gefaßte Entschluß (Grave - Allegro. Grave Ma Non Troppo Tratto - Allegro)
N3. 13 B - Dur Op. 130
O1Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Allegro
O2Presto
O3Andante Con Moto Ma Non Troppo. Poco Scherzando
O4Alla Danza Tedesca (Allegro Assai)
O5Cavatina (Adagio Molto Espressivo)
Grosse Fuge B - Dur Op. 133
P1Overtura (Allegro) - Meno Mosso E Moderato - Allegro - Fuga
No. 13 B - Dur Op. 130
P2Finale (Allegro)
Nr. 14 Cis - Moll Op. 131
Q1Adagio Ma Non Troppo E Molto Espressivo -
Q2Allegro Molto Vivace -
Q3Allegro Moderato -
Q4Andante Ma Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile - Piu Mosso - Andante Moderato E Lusinghiero - Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Semplice - Allegretto
R1Presto -
R2Adagio Quasi Un Poco Andante -
R3Allegro
Nr. 15 A - Moll Op. 132
S1Assai Sostenuto - Allegro
S2Allegro Ma Non Tanto
T1Molto Adagio: Canzona Di Ringraziamento Offerta Alla Divinità Da Un Guarito, In Modo Lidico (Heiliger Dankgesang Eines Genesenen An Die Gottheit, In Der Lydischen Tonart
T2Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace - Piu Allegro - Presto -
T3Allegro Appassionato
Performers / Credits -
Quartetto Italiano
Other Information -
Philips Stereo, 10 LP set.
Manufactured and printed in The Netherlands.
Contains 8-page booklet with UK address on the back.
Recorded 1968-1976.
Made in Holland on labels.
• Catalog# LP 1: 6598 246
• Catalog# LP 2: 6598 247
• Catalog# LP 3: 6598 248
• Catalog# LP 4: 6598 249
• Catalog# LP 5: 6598 250
• Catalog# LP 6: 6598 251
• Catalog# LP 7: 6598 252
• Catalog# LP 8: 6598 253
• Catalog# LP 9: 6598 254
• Catalog# LP 10: 6598 255
CONDITION Details: The 10-LP box is in excellent plus condition! The box has no splits or crushed corners! The corners and seams are solid with some light shelf wear evident, primarily due to the weight of the set! The colors on the box are sharp and clean (see pictures with this listing as they are of the actual item). The set comes complete with a large format paper insert/libretto. The 10-LPs are in near mint minus condition! We found that the vinyl looked super on this vintage LP set. There are no significant marks and the LPs retain much of the original gloss and sheen - obviously well taken care of! They do have a bit of dust and perhaps a finger print or two on them so they should be cleaned before playing. There are NO serious spindle marks on the record labels either. Just beautifully made vinyl! That said, acquiring a vintage LP like this is for the performance and rarity of the LP, not necessarily for the sound quality. A Short Note About LP GRADING - Mint {M} = Only used for sealed items. Near Mint {NM} = Virtually flawless in every way. Near Mint Minus {NM-} = Item has some minor imperfections, some audible. Excellent {EXC} = Item obviously played and enjoyed with some noise. Very Good Plus {VG+} = Many more imperfections which are noticeable and obtrusive.
For best results, always properly clean your LPs before playing them.
The LP is an audiophile quality pressing (any collector of fine MFSL, half speeds, direct to discs, Japanese/UK pressings etc., can attest to the difference a quality pressing can make to an audio system).
Don't let this
rarity slip
by!!!
