Artists
Album Info
Release Date: 2020-05-29Label: Warner Classics
Spanning repertoire from the Classical to the contemporary and some 30 years of the Alban Berg Quartett’s career, these recordings evince the achievement of an ensemble whose very name honours both the tradition and innovative musical spirit of its home city, Vienna. Founded in 1970, it soon became recognised as one of the defining quartets of the 20th century and went on to make two landmark recordings of the complete Beethoven cycle, the first in the studio, the second live at Vienna’s Konzerthaus (presented here in both CD and DVD versions). This 70-disc set, which in addition features DVDs of Schubert and a live performance in St Petersburg, also documents the Alban Berg Quartett’s collaborations with such artists as Sabine Meyer, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alfred Brendel, Rudolf Buchbinder and Philippe Entremont.2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Alban Berg Quartett.
Founded in 1970, when it became Vienna’s first full-time string quartet, the Alban Berg Quartett remained active until 2008. From 1981 it retained the same line-up of players for some 25 years: Günter Pichler, Gerhard Schulz, Thomas Kakuska, Valentin Erben.
The Alban Berg Quartett is one of the defining string quartets of the 20th century. It came to exemplify chamber music and the great Viennese tradition for a whole generation of music lovers.*
The Alban Berg Quartett also played an important role in developing the next generation of string quartets through teaching such distinguished ensembles as the Artemis and Belcea Quartets.
The quartet took its name from the composer Alban Berg (1885-1935), Schoenberg’s pupil and one of the leading composers of the Second Viennese School. The name Alban Berg Quartett was chosen both to honour the Viennese musical tradition and to signal the players’ commitment to 20th century music. Around 1970, the four founding members of the quartet studied in the USA with the Lasalle Quartet, an ensemble noted for its interpretations of the music of the Second Viennese School.
Unusually for a chamber ensemble, the Alban Berg Quartett were best-selling recording artists. The first of the group’s two versions of the complete Beethoven quartets proved especially popular: completed in 1983, by 1991 it had sold over 500,000 copies.
This 70-disc set (62 CDs + 8 DVDs) is the most ambitious and comprehensive ever to be dedicated to a string quartet. It comprises the Alban Berg Quartet’s entire recorded catalogue – originally recorded for Teldec and EMI between 1974 and 2003 and now on Warner Classics. The discs are presented in their original cover designs.
The set, which covers more than 100 works by 28 composers, ranges from the Classical period to the late 20th century. While there is a particular emphasis on the Austro-German masters (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms), it includes music by major Czech, Hungarian, Russian and French composers, a number of works by composers contemporary with the Alban Berg Quartett, and even a disc of tango. Beyond the quartet repertoire the set offers quintets and sextets, for which the Alban Berg Quartett is joined by celebrated collaborators.
The centrepieces of the collection are two versions of the complete Beethoven quartets; the first was recorded in the studio between 1978 and 1983 and the second was recorded in 1989 at concerts in Vienna. Also present in two different versions are Mozart’s quartets 14-23, recorded both for Teldec (1975-78) and for EMI (1986-90).
The set includes a first release on CD: the String Quartet No 1 ‘Mobile’ by the Polish-born composer Roman Haubenstock-Ramati (1919–1994)
Disc 1 originally released on Alban Berg, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartett Opus 3 / Lyrische Suite
Disc 2 originally released on Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette / String Quartets / Quatuors À Cordes: Op. 76,3 "Kaiserquartett" - Op. 74,3 "Reiterquartett"
Disc 3 originally released on Franz Schubert, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette . String Quartets . Quatuors à Cordes Nr. 13 A-Moll, Nr. 9 G-Moll
Disc 4 originally released on Anton Webern, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Erich Urbanner, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette • String Quartets • Quatuors À Cordes
Disc 5 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Antonín Dvořák - Streichquartett - String Quartet - Quatuor A Cordes Nr. 8 G-dur Op. 106 and Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett - Sämtliche Streichquartette = Complete String Quartets = Intégrales Des Quatuors A Cordes
Disc 6 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett - Sämtliche Streichquartette = Complete String Quartets = Intégrales Des Quatuors A Cordes
Disc 7 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette · String Quartets Nr.14, KV 387 & Nr.15, KV 421
Disc 8 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Streichquartette Nr. 16 Kv 428 & Nr. 17 Kv 458 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette · String Quartets Nr.20 KV 499 & Nr.21 KV 575
Disc 9 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette = String Quartets Nr. 18, KV 464 & Nr. 19, KV 465
Disc 10 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette Nr. 22 KV 589 & Nr. 23 KV 590 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette · String Quartets Nr.20 KV 499 & Nr.21 KV 575
Disc 11/12 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - Die Frühen Streichquartette Op. 18 = The Early Quartets Op. 18
Disc 13/14 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - The Middle String Quartets
Disc 15-17 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - Die Späten Streichquartette = The Late String Quartets
Disc 18 originally released on Franz Schubert, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartet No. 15
Disc 19 originally released on Franz Schubert, Alban Berg Quartett, Heinrich Schiff - Quintett C-Dur
Disc 20/21 originally released on Béla Bartók, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Nos. 1-6
Disc 22 originally released on Igor Stravinsky, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Gottfried von Einem, Alban Berg Quartett - Works For String Quartet
Disc 23 originally released on Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets - Streichquartette
Disc 24 originally released on Franz Schubert, Alban Berg Quartett - Quatuor En Ré Mineur "La Jeune Fille Et La Mort" - Quatuor En La Mineur
Disc 25 originally released on Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Philippe Entremont, Alban Berg Quartett - Live Recording From Carnegie Hall: Klavierquintett = Piano Quintet Op. 44 / Streichquartett = String Quartet KV 465 'Dissonanzen' = 'Dissonance'
Disc 26 originally released on Franz Schubert, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alban Berg Quartett, Georg Hörtnagel - Forellenquintett, A-dur = Piano Quintet In A, ‘Trout’
Disc 27 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett, Markus Wolf - Streichquintette = String Quintets = Quintettes À Cordes
Disc 28 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets No. 14, KV 387 & No. 15, KV 421
Disc 29 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets No. 16 KV 428 & No. 17 KV 458
Disc 30 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets 18 & 19
Disc 31 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Nos. 20, K.499 20 & 21, K.575
Disc 32 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets No.22 K. 589 & No.23 K. 590
Disc 33 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvořák, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alban Berg Quartett - Live-Mitschnitt - Live Recording / Klavierquintett - Piano Quintet / “Dumka” Aus From Klavierquintett - Piano Quintet
Disc 34 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett, Amadeus Ensemble - Streichsextett = String Sextet = Sextuor À Cordes No. 2
Disc 35-38 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - Quartets Vol. 1 (Live Vienna Konzerthaus)
Disc 39-42 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - Quartets • Streichquartette • Quatuors Vol. 2 (Live Vienna Konzerthaus)
Disc 43 originally released on Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartet Op. 96 "American" / String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life"
Disc 44 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett, Amadeus Ensemble - Streichsextett = String Sextet = Sextuor A Cordes No. 1
Disc 45 originally released on Wolfgang Rihm, Alfred Schnittke, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartett No. 4
Disc 46 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Alban Berg - Lyrische Suite / Streichquartett Op. 3
Disc 47/48 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets = Streichquartette = Quatuors A Cordes Opp. 51 & 67
Disc 49 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett - Walzer - J. Strauss II, J. Strauss I, Lanner
Disc 50 originally released on Leoš Janáček, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets / Streichquartette / Quatuors À Cordes
Disc 51 originally released on Antonín Dvořák, Robert Schumann, Alban Berg Quartett, Rudolf Buchbinder, Philippe Entremont - Piano Quintets
Disc 52 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Witold Lutoslawski, Erich Urbanner, Luciano Berio - Streichquartett / Streichquartett Nr. 4 / Notturno
Disc 53 originally released on Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg Quartett, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette Op. 76, Nr. 2-4
Disc 54 originally released on Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette Op. 76, Nr. 1, 5, 6
Disc 55 originally released on Joseph Haydn, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets, Op. 33 No. 3, Op. 77, Etc.
Disc 56 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Franz Schubert - Streichquartette 10 & 14 "Der Tod Und Das Mädchen"
Disc 57 originally released on Franz Schubert, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette 12 (Quartettsatz) & 15 (G-Dur)
Disc 58 originally released on Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg Quartett - Klarinettenquintett Op. 115, Streichquintett Nr. 2 Op. 111
Disc 59 originally released on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alfred Brendel, Alban Berg Quartett - Piano Concerto No.12, Etc.
Disc 60 originally released on Antonín Dvořák, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Op. 51 & 105
Disc 61 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Alban Berg Quartett - Streichquartette 1 & 2
Disc 62 originally released on Alban Berg Quartett - Tango Sensations
DVD 1/2 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Volume 1 (Live - Vienna Konzerthaus)
DVD 3/4 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Volume 2 (Live - Vienna Konzerthaus)
DVD 5/6 originally released on Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg Quartett - String Quartets Volume 3 (Live - Vienna Konzerthaus)