Review: The Alban Berg Quartett Complete Recordings

Great playing by a great ensemble, but with 62 CDs and 8 DVDs, including tons of duplication, does anyone really need this? Watch and judge for yourself.

[@james.t.herman]

I remember a story Peter Serkin told about being young and striking an interest in serialism. His father told him, “But you don’t even know the Haydn quartets.” Which he learned, to his benefit and endless edification. They really are phenomenal. Mozart is more to my taste in general, but with the string quartet Haydn was easily his better.

[@fulltongrace7899]

Excellent revue. I have their first Beethoven cycle, and it is good. Very polished. I prefer the Quatetto Italiano for the late quartrts, and BTW am looking forward to your Beethoven quartets cycle review.

[@hmh6117]

Thanks David ! You made me discover, appreciate and like the Rihm Quartet !

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Whatever works!

[@hmh6117]

@@DavesClassicalGuide ;)

[@jsh31425]

Is it odd that the Alban Berg quartet never did the Schoenberg quartets?

[@markmiller3713]

They are a marvelous ensemble - probably my favorite.

[@raphaelfournier8273]

Very interesting, useful, balanced and fair piece of criticism. Thank you. P.S. : I still love the great fugue and will not change my mind for that.

[@therealdealblues]

I appreciate the review David. I purchased this box, as well as the Quartetto Italiano and Amadeus Quartet boxes. I understand your thoughts on duplication and one does wish they would have recorded more in wider range, but you could say that about anyone in hindsight (I wish Bernstein would have recorded Mendelssohn's first 2 symphonies). Will I listen to the modern stuff, probably once but I will listen to both LVB cycles, the Debussy & Ravel, the Schubert, Brahms, etc. for many years to come.. There are "small" differences between the remakes but there are differences none the less. I also do like watching performances even of those whom are un-photogenic because as a musician I enjoy seeing others technique. I also do enjoy nature documentaries on PBS so perhaps it will be like getting the best of both worlds.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

As I said, it all comes down to personal taste, although I do dispute your suggestion that my criticism is generic. It is not. It's quite specific to the fact that ABQ set itself up as a specifically "Viennese" ensemble, and that is precisely the area of the repertoire where I find them lacking. Bernstein never staked a claim to be a Mendelssohn specialist, and he had a far broader range of repertoire generally. There's s difference between wishing someone had sone something and a failure to fulfill one's stated mission.

[@therealdealblues]

@@DavesClassicalGuide You may know better but I will admit that I have never seen the members of Alban Berg claim to be "specialists" of anything. I have seen marketing executives imply and critics infer that based up on what they recorded, but nothing from the members themselves other than we enjoy playing certain composers and works, but all that aside, if they didn't have the "humor" to successfully play Haydn, why would they record something they didn't feel they could do justice to? Maybe they knew when to say when unlike many others. Also how much of it came down to the record company decisions? How do we know they didn't say, "sorry boys, nobody likes Mendelssohn, we tried it and it sold less than 500 copies so we're not going to pay for you to record the rest, record Schubert and Beethoven again because that sells". There are many variables and factors left unconsidered because we don't know everything behind the scenes, but we do know they were excellent musicians who did what they did well, so I will enjoy it and leave the criticizing to you.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@therealdealblues Obviously they felt they could do justice to what they chose to play, and I am not suggesting that you shouldn't enjoy the result. This does not mean, however, that they would be equally successful in all the things they attempted. As for their "specializing," I'm just citing their own words and the description of them in the accompanying booklet.

[@maudia27]

I was the marketing manager of EMI in Brazil, I meet them once in São Paulo. I have many of theirs CDs thanks to EMI. BUT I did not bring home a box with 3 CDs of these modern music you mentioned. I cant like it at all. Thanks for sanctioned my decision 20 years after :)

[@ThePamphili]

Hi David, my apology, you did mention in the video a few composers of string quartets in Vienna and there was one name I didn’t get - Gurowitz or something similar?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No problem. It's Gyrowetz. Not exactly a household name!

[@cappycapuzi1716]

I just got their Teldec 4 CD set of Mozart's later quartets. I definitely like their sound! I did A/B compares on K 465 with my go-to Emerson Quartet. I still prefer the Emerson sound: more depth and the voices were better balanced. As far as this huge set goes, I can't see going there with all that duplication. It's a shame that they didn't record any more of Mendelsohn's glorious quartets since their first violin oriented sound is one I often associate with Mendelsohn.

[@BVcello]

Perhaps the most comprehensible review to decide whether or not I should buy a boxed set... Thanks. I've never been a great fan of the ABQ. And it has mainly to do with the way they functioned as a group. Mr Pichler had a reputation of being a difficult man, let me put it that way. He was said to be tyrannical, perhaps absolutist is a better word for it. And I can't help but hear this in their performances. Lean and perfectly worked out. But I always hear a first violin supported by three self-effacing but very capable musicians. Add to that the serious lack of Haydn and humor as you describe and I think I'll pass, again...

[@CortJohnson]

Fascinating…2 years later - $100 on Amazon- well worth the duplication.

[@davidhickey1182]

I am now not expecting you to address either Henze or Piazzolla?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

That's nice.

[@markstenroos6732]

Why is this particular video being constantly interrupted with commercials? 4 so far, and not even halfway through. OK, I gave up after Commercial #7, with maybe 3-4 minutes left.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

It's something KZbin does automatically even though I tell it not to,. I've disabled that feature (again). Very annoying to me and to you, but it shouldn't be a problem going forward--until next time it happens.

[@mancal5829]

Heck, I even prefer listening to opera than watching it on DVD (imagination serves better), let alone watching a Quartet perform.

[@ThreadBomb]

I think the ABQ went downhill after their personnel changes. They become overly dominated by the 1st violin and cello, and the interpretations seemed more superficial and self-satisfied. I think this is pretty obvious when comparing their two Mozart cycles. You can also hear it through their first Beethoven cycle, when the changes took place. The middle quartets are the best in that set, and they were recorded first (I think! I don't have the box at hand).

[@kend.6797]

I was just eyeing this box up about 2 days ago on Amazon, but I didn't pull the trigger. I still might, but I am a little buried in other things at the moment. The duplication of some repertoire caused me some pause. I will say, The Schumann piano quintet with Entremont is one of my favorite recordings. An outstanding effort. I find the Amadeus Quartet to be much more interesting and I don't have that box either. The more I think about it, I can live without the Alban Berg Qt box. "Watching algae have sex"!!!!!! Haha!!

[@markmiller3713]

David: Could you clarify your comments re: the sextet recordings. I'm not sure exactly what you meant.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

There are two discs, each with one complete sextet plus, as a filler, one movement from the other one. Odd.

[@markmiller3713]

That is bizarre.

[@vinylarchaeologist]

“Watching algae have sex” 🤣

[@curseofmillhaven1057]

Box sets of performers always remind me of the phrase 'don't mind the quality feel the width!' Mix and match is usually better imho. Actually as an aside I've been downloading the Camina Quartet Denon recordings on Presto Music site (£2.47 for CD quality) Their version of Debussy/Ravel I think is one of the great ones; Szymanowski and Webern fantastic and a very good Brahms set! Check it out as there is lots more, all worth a listen!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I have the original discs, and they were terrific, no doubt about it, the Szymanowski especially.

[@RabidCh]

I care about Wolfgang Rihm! Just not so much his String Quartets. Give me his vocal or choral music.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

That's nice. He needs fans.

[@hmh6117]

His vocal music is weird, due to stupid librettos ... ;)

[@AlexMadorsky]

To me, one measure of great criticism is the ability to attract my attention to a topic I have no intrinsic interest in. String quartets don’t do much for me; I can’t remember the last time I sat down to listen to one. But I listened to this all the way through! I’ll pass on the box though. Repertoire beers between the boringly traditional and the uninteresting modern. The quartet’s austere-sounding style doesn’t appeal to me much, either.