I never mind duplication in my collection with an ensemble such as this one. Yes, you'll find contents on the Ax and Stolzman sets, but what a wonderful survey!
Hello Dave, I have them on the original CBS recording doing the Schubert Quintet with yo yo ma. You are so right, it is a beautiful performance, heart breaking and very sweet and soulful. I love it and consider it the best to this day. From 1984, wow!
I still have my RCA reel-to-reel issue of their Brahms String Quartets. Always a delight to thread up and listen. Thank you for your review, Dave, I'll be sure to check out this box set!
Thank you Dave for talking about this box. Because of your recommendation I bought the box and just finished ripping all the 23 CD's, it's Christmas and what should one else do? Marvelous transparent performances. The Schubert String Quintet in C major sounds light and much more joyous than other darker performers. Keep on making this videos. 🙂
Thanks for doing this; I think I'll get the box and retire/replace other versions of these works. There's some sentiment, too: the Cleveland Quartet had just been organized and were in residence when I attended the Cleveland Insitute. TRVIA: in late May, 1970, the school held its annual dinner and PARODY night, where students AND TEACHERS performed impromptu skits onstage, in which we portrayed each other; I recall Paul and Martha Katz (cello and viola/husband and wife) dressed as hippies seated on the floor in a supposed "master class", but making out instead of paying attention. Also, first violinist Donald Weilerstein (father of Alisa, now teaching at New England Conservatory) enacted his frequent visit to the student lounge in quest of his favorite ice-cream sandwich. If it all sounds surreal, it WAS (in the closing skit, I portrayed the concertmaster in a send-up of Jimmy Levine). NOTE: this took place about 3 weeks after the Kent State shootings (close to Cleveland); the times were indeed turbulent, and nobody seemed to know that the hell they were doing. As you can imagine, the members of the Cleveland Quartet were all very kind, warm and approachable, qualities which obviously come through in their recordings. LR
I was a grad student at the State Univ. of NY at Buffalo, when they were the string quartet in residence after leaving Cleveland, so I heard them play a number of times, which was a treat, as you can imagine. I knew Vivian (nee Hornik), Alisa's mother, who was studying piano there at the time; that must be where they met. Their son Joshua is a conductor.
I am happy to say that the Cleveland Quartet is well-represented on Qobuz--both Telarc and RCA recordings. Many of the RCA recordings are remastered in high definition formats. I listened to the Mendelssohn Octet with the Tokyo Quartet and was blown away. Sonics were great and it's a blistering performance. The Telarc remake isn't nearly as good in either respect. Another example of how we find new repertoire. I'd never listened to any Brahms chamber music until I attended a Chicago Symphony performance of the Schoenberg transcription of the Brahms First Piano Quartet. (It was the opening piece; the second half was all Strauss Jr. A Leinsdorf program of course--such a fun concert). I liked the Brahms and wanted to hear the original version. But at the record store, I couldn't remember whether it was a quartet or quintet. I ended up buying the Cleveland Quartet/Ax Piano Quintet and fell in love with the piece. So we can profit even from our mistakes. As I recall, this was released on RCA Gold Seal, so it was also cheap, which mattered in my student days.
@@joshgrumiaux6820 Not to mention, well as the the old joke had it: "What is one Russian? An anarchist. Two Russians? A chess match. Three Russians? A Communist cell. Four Russians? The Budapest String Quartet."
Thank you for this review. My copy is on the way! The CQ was a marvelous ensemble, but many (all?) of these earlier recordings have been unavailable. After hearing your review I’m eager to listen to the Brahms.
Mildred and Dave, I have had the Telarc Beethoven cycle since 2000 and love it. I've listened to many other cycles, but my ears prefer Cleveland. Quite beautiful.
I never mind duplication in my collection with an ensemble such as this one. Yes, you'll find contents on the Ax and Stolzman sets, but what a wonderful survey!
Hello Dave, I have them on the original CBS recording doing the Schubert Quintet with yo yo ma. You are so right, it is a beautiful performance, heart breaking and very sweet and soulful. I love it and consider it the best to this day. From 1984, wow!
I still have my RCA reel-to-reel issue of their Brahms String Quartets. Always a delight to thread up and listen. Thank you for your review, Dave, I'll be sure to check out this box set!
RCA must do also a Tokyo String Quartet box soon.
Thank you Dave for talking about this box. Because of your recommendation I bought the box and just finished ripping all the 23 CD's, it's Christmas and what should one else do? Marvelous transparent performances. The Schubert String Quintet in C major sounds light and much more joyous than other darker performers. Keep on making this videos. 🙂
Thanks for doing this; I think I'll get the box and retire/replace other versions of these works. There's some sentiment, too: the Cleveland Quartet had just been organized and were in residence when I attended the Cleveland Insitute. TRVIA: in late May, 1970, the school held its annual dinner and PARODY night, where students AND TEACHERS performed impromptu skits onstage, in which we portrayed each other; I recall Paul and Martha Katz (cello and viola/husband and wife) dressed as hippies seated on the floor in a supposed "master class", but making out instead of paying attention. Also, first violinist Donald Weilerstein (father of Alisa, now teaching at New England Conservatory) enacted his frequent visit to the student lounge in quest of his favorite ice-cream sandwich. If it all sounds surreal, it WAS (in the closing skit, I portrayed the concertmaster in a send-up of Jimmy Levine). NOTE: this took place about 3 weeks after the Kent State shootings (close to Cleveland); the times were indeed turbulent, and nobody seemed to know that the hell they were doing.
As you can imagine, the members of the Cleveland Quartet were all very kind, warm and approachable, qualities which obviously come through in their recordings. LR
I was a grad student at the State Univ. of NY at Buffalo, when they were the string quartet in residence after leaving Cleveland, so I heard them play a number of times, which was a treat, as you can imagine. I knew Vivian (nee Hornik), Alisa's mother, who was studying piano there at the time; that must be where they met. Their son Joshua is a conductor.
I bet they all liked ice-cream sandwich, just like their dad. @@hwelf11
At first when see this box I thought it was ABBA quartet.
Cleveland 4tet was always one of my favs...fun to listen to 👍
I am happy to say that the Cleveland Quartet is well-represented on Qobuz--both Telarc and RCA recordings. Many of the RCA recordings are remastered in high definition formats. I listened to the Mendelssohn Octet with the Tokyo Quartet and was blown away. Sonics were great and it's a blistering performance. The Telarc remake isn't nearly as good in either respect.
Another example of how we find new repertoire. I'd never listened to any Brahms chamber music until I attended a Chicago Symphony performance of the Schoenberg transcription of the Brahms First Piano Quartet. (It was the opening piece; the second half was all Strauss Jr. A Leinsdorf program of course--such a fun concert).
I liked the Brahms and wanted to hear the original version. But at the record store, I couldn't remember whether it was a quartet or quintet. I ended up buying the Cleveland Quartet/Ax Piano Quintet and fell in love with the piece. So we can profit even from our mistakes.
As I recall, this was released on RCA Gold Seal, so it was also cheap, which mattered in my student days.
Were they members of the Cleveland orchestra?
No. They weren't from Cleveland, the Guarneri Quartet didn't play on Guarneris, and the Emerson Quartet never read any Emerson.
@@joshgrumiaux6820 Not to mention, well as the the old joke had it: "What is one Russian? An anarchist. Two Russians? A chess match. Three Russians? A Communist cell. Four Russians? The Budapest String Quartet."
Five Russians is a Soviet orchestra after an overseas tour.
Thank you for this review. My copy is on the way! The CQ was a marvelous ensemble, but many (all?) of these earlier recordings have been unavailable. After hearing your review I’m eager to listen to the Brahms.
Mildred and Dave, I have had the Telarc Beethoven cycle since 2000 and love it. I've listened to many other cycles, but my ears prefer Cleveland. Quite beautiful.
Good to hear about this Quartet, which I never heard of before..😊