American ensemble the Miró Quartet record the complete Beethoven string quartets for their debut on the Pentatone label. The sixteen works, plus the Große Fuge, span Beethoven's entire career, and this recording both celebrates Beethoven as his 250th anniversary approaches in 2020, and marks the 25th anniversary of the Miró Quartet.
Featuring
Daniel Ching
Sandy Yamamoto
John Largess
Joshua Gindele
William Fedkenheuer
Miró Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven
Did you know?
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Composition History
Beethoven's 'dry' period, marked by personal struggles and declining health, preceded his creation of some of his greatest works, including the Late Quartets, in his final years.
Recording & Production
The Miró Quartet's complete Beethoven String Quartets recording project spanned 15 years, starting in 2004 and concluding with the final works in 2019.
Composition History
Beethoven turned to the string quartet as a serious form to establish himself as a composer, especially as he began to lose his hearing around age 30.
Critical Reception
Beethoven's Opus 59 'Rasumovsky' Quartets, now popular, initially received negative responses, with some listeners laughing and questioning if it was truly music.
Composer Biography
Beethoven wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament in 1802, a document expressing his determination to overcome personal suffering and deafness through music.
Composer Biography
Beethoven's early career in Vienna was marked by self-promotion and networking with wealthy and artistic patrons, despite a challenging childhood.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven's complete string quartet cycle is considered a culmination of all European chamber music composed before it and has influenced every string quartet written since.
