Album

While there surely are volumes of Deutsche Grammophon's 1997 Beethoven edition with greater music in them, there are few with more interesting music in them than this volume of Beethoven's chamber music. Although it doesn't include any string quartets, it includes the three youthful piano quartets and the string quintet that is in every way the equal of the early quartet. Although it doesn't include any piano trios, it does include the wonderfully lyrical "Gassenhauer" Trio. While it doesn't include any violin or cello sonatas, it does include the lovely septet, the delightful woodwind quartet, the exhilarating horn sonata, the sextet for horns and strings, the exquisite mandolin works, the charming flute and piano variations, and the lighter-than-air Serenade for flute, violin, and viola. For the most part, the performances are terrific: the Amadeus Quartet plus Aronowitz's quintet; the Amadeus Quartet plus Eschenbach's piano quartets; the Kempff, Leister, and Fournier's "Gassenhauer" Trio; the Bloom and Barenboim horn sonata; the Gallois and Licad flute variations; and even the Fietz and Webersinke mandolin piece works. And even when the performances aren't altogether terrific, as in the Hagen Quartett's Fugue for string quartet, Op. 137, the fault is as much the music's as it is the Hagen's. Plus, DG's remastered sound is uniformly tremendous.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Three Piano Quartets, WoO36...Piano Quartet in Eb, WoO36, No.1 Work Recorded 1969 22:48 Norbert Brainin Violin, Martin Lovett Cello, Peter Schidlof Viola, Christoph Eschenbach Piano
1	1.Adagio assai (attaca)	6:55			$0.99
2	2.Allegro con spirito	5:22			$0.99
3	3.Theme: Cantabile. Variations 1-6.Theme: Allegretto	10:31			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Three Piano Quartets, WoO36...Piano Quartet in D, WoO36, No.2 Work Recorded 1969 19:52 Norbert Brainin Violin, Martin Lovett Cello, Peter Schidlof Viola, Christoph Eschenbach Piano
4	1.Allegro moderato	7:53			$1.49
5	2.Andante con moto	6:42			$0.99
6	3.Rondo: Allegro	5:17			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Three Piano Quartets, WoO36...Piano Quartet in C, WoO36, No.3 Work Recorded 1969 16:26 Norbert Brainin Violin, Martin Lovett Cello, Peter Schidlof Viola, Christoph Eschenbach Piano
7	1.Allegro vivace	6:02			$0.99
8	2.Adagio con espressione	6:48			$0.99
9	3.Rondo: Allegro	3:36			$0.99
CD 2 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Trio in G for Flute, Bassoon, and Piano, WoO37 Work Recorded 1980 26:15 Michel Debost Flute, Andre Sennedat Bassoon, Daniel Barenboim Piano
1	1.Allegro	11:06			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	5:59			$0.99
3	3.Tema andante con Variazioni	9:10			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Horn Sonata in F, Op.17 Work Recorded 1977 15:32 Daniel Barenboim Piano, Myron Bloom Horn
4	1.Allegro moderato	8:50			$1.49
5	2.Poco adagio, quasi andante	1:41			$0.49
6	3.Rondo: Allegro moderato	5:01			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Sextet in Eb for 2 Horns and Strings, Op.81b Work Recorded 1969 17:15 Drolc Quartet String Quartet, Gerd Seifert Horn, Manfred Klier Horn
7	1.Allegro con brio	7:49			$1.49
8	2.Adagio	4:34			$0.99
9	3.Rondo: Allegro	4:52			$0.99
CD 3 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Quintet for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon in Eb, Op.16 Work Recorded 1986 26:19 Ensemble Wien-Berlin Ensemble, James Levine Piano
1	1.Grave. Allegro ma non troppo	13:04			$2.49
2	2.Andante cantabile	7:46			$1.49
3	3.Rondo: Allegro, ma non troppo	5:29			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Serenade in D for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op.25 Work Recorded 1969 22:11 Siegbert Ueberschaer Viola, Thomas Brandis Violin, Karlheinz Zoeller Flute
4	1.Entrata: Allegro	3:14			$0.99
5	2.Tempo ordinario di un minuetto	4:55			$0.99
6	3.Allegro molto	2:03			$0.99
7	4.Andante con variazioni	5:38			$0.99
8	5.Allegro scherzando e vivace	1:49			$0.49
9	6.Adagio. Allegro vivace disinvolto	4:32			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Mandolin Sonatina in C-, WoO43a Work Recorded 1973 Erhard Fietz Mandolin, Amadeus Webersinke Piano
10	Mandolin Sonatina in C-, WoO43a	4:44			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Adagio for Mandolin and Piano in Eb, WoO43, No.2 Work Recorded 1973 Erhard Fietz Mandolin, Amadeus Webersinke Piano
11	Adagio for Mandolin and Piano in Eb, WoO43, No.2	6:09			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Mandolin Sonatina in C-, WoO44a Work Recorded 1973 Erhard Fietz Mandolin, Amadeus Webersinke Piano
12	Mandolin Sonatina in C-, WoO44a	3:02			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Andante and Variations in D for Mandolin and Piano, WoO44, No.2 Work Recorded 1973 Erhard Fietz Mandolin, Amadeus Webersinke Piano
13	Andante and Variations in D for Mandolin and Piano, WoO44, No.2	10:09			$1.99
CD 4 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Trio in Bb for Clarinet (or Violin), Cello and Piano, Op.11 ('Gassenhauer') Work Recorded 1969-1970 22:06 Karl Leister Clarinet, Wilhelm Kempff Piano, Pierre Fournier Cello
1	1.Allegro con brio	10:01			$1.99
2	2.Adagio con espressione	5:08			$0.99
3	3.Tema con variazioni (on 'Pria ch'io l'impegno')	6:57			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Septet in Eb for Strings and Winds, Op.20 Work Recorded 1975 42:26 Vienna Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Chamber Ensemble
4	1.Adagio. Allegro con brio	10:17			$1.99
5	2.Adagio cantabile	9:19			$1.49
6	3.Tempo di menuetto	3:31			$0.99
7	4.Tema con variazioni: Andante	8:13			$1.49
8	5.Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace	3:29			$0.99
9	6.Andante con moto alla marcia. Presto	7:37			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Fugue for String Quintet in D, Op.137 Work Recorded 1975 Vienna Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Chamber Ensemble
10	Fugue for String Quintet in D, Op.137	2:17			$0.99
CD 5 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer String Quintet in C, Op.29 Work Recorded 1969 30:54 Cecil Aronowitz Viola, Amadeus Quartet String Quartet
1	1.Allegro moderato	10:40			$1.99
2	2.Adagio molto espressivo	9:14			$1.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:42			$0.99
4	4.Presto	7:18			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Prelude and Fugue in E- for 2 Violins Cello, Hess29 Work Recorded 1996 6:00 Hagen Quartett Ensemble, Alois Posch Double Bass
5	1.Prelude	3:38			$0.99
6	2.Fugue	2:22			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer 6 Minuets for 2 Violins and Contrabass, WoO9 Work Recorded 1996 13:57 Rainer Schmidt Violin, Lukas Hagen Violin, Alois Posch Double Bass
7	No.1 in Eb	2:18			$0.99
8	No.2 in G	2:18			$0.99
9	No.3 in C	2:58			$0.99
10	No.4 in F	2:10			$0.99
11	No.5 in D	2:01			$0.99
12	No.6 in G	2:12			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Duo in Eb for Viola and Cello in Eb, WoO32 Work Recorded 1996 12:26 Clemens Hagen Cello, Veronika Hagen Viola
13	1.Allegro	8:47			$1.49
14	2.Minuetto: Allegretto	3:39			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer 6 Ländler for 2 Violins and Contrabass, WoO15 Work Recorded 1996 6:44 Rainer Schmidt Violin, Lukas Hagen Violin, Alois Posch Double Bass
15	No.1 in D	0:54			$0.49
16	No.2 in D	0:55			$0.49
17	No.3 in D	0:57			$0.49
18	No.4 in D-	1:07			$0.49
19	No.5 in D	0:51			$0.49
20	No.6 in D	2:00			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Duo in A for 2 Violins, WoO34 Work Recorded 1996 Rainer Schmidt Violin, Lukas Hagen Violin
21	Duo in A for 2 Violins, WoO34	0:19			$0.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Canon in 2 parts in A, WoO35 Work Recorded 1996 Rainer Schmidt Violin, Lukas Hagen Violin
22	Canon in 2 parts in A, WoO35	0:27			$0.49
CD 6 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer 6 National Airs with Variations for Flute (or Violin) and Piano, Op.105 Work Recorded 1997 19:55 Patrick Gallois Flute, Cecile Licad Piano
1	1.Scottish Air: The Cottage Maid (Theme: Andantino quasi allegretto. Var.1-3)	2:51			$0.99
2	2.Scottish Air: Von edlem Geschlecht war Shinkin (Theme: Allegretto scherzoso. Var.1-3)	2:36			$0.99
3	3.Austrian Air: A Schüsserl und a Reindl (Theme: Andantino. Var.1-5)	6:01			$0.99
4	4.Scottish Air: The Last Rose of Summer (Theme: Andante espressivo assai. Var.1-3)	3:55			$0.99
5	5.Scottish Air: Chiling O'Guiry (Theme: Allegretto spiritoso. Var. 1-3)	2:02			$0.99
6	6.Scottish Air: Paddy Whack ('English Bulls'; Theme: Allegretto più tosto vivace. Var. 1-4)	2:30			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer 10 National Airs with Variations for Flute (or Violin) and Piano, Op.107 Work Recorded 1997 46:29 Patrick Gallois Flute, Cecile Licad Piano
7	1.Tirolian Air: I bin a Tiroler Bua (Theme: Moderato. Var. 1-4)	4:15			$0.99
8	2.Scottish Air: Bonnie laddie, Highland Laddie (Theme: Allegretto, quasi vivace. Var. 1-4)	2:55			$0.99
9	3.Volkslied aus Kleinrussland (Theme: Vivace. Var.1-5)	5:00			$0.99
10	4.Scottish Air: St. Patrick's Day (Theme: Allegretto scherzoso. Var. 1-2)	4:46			$0.99
11	5.Tirolian Air: A Madel, ja a Madel (Theme: Moderato. Var. 1-3)	7:20			$1.49
12	6.Scottish Air: Peggy's Daughter (Theme: Andante comodo. Var.1-4)	5:35			$0.99
13	7.Russian Air: Schöne Minka (Theme: Andante. Var.1-6)	5:35			$0.99
14	8.Scottish Air: Oh, Mary at thy window be (Theme: Andantino quasi allegretto. Var.1-3)	2:43			$0.99
15	9.Scottish Air: Oh, Thou art the Lad of my Heart (Theme: Allegretto più tosto vivace. Var.1-5)	4:12			$0.99
16	10.Scottish Air: The Highland Watch (Theme: Spiritoso e marziale. Var.1-3)	4:08			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Duo in G for 2 Flutes (or Flute and Violin), WoO26 Work Recorded 1997 5:19 Patrick Gallois Flute, Jean-Pierre Rampal Flute
17	1.Allegro con brio	2:32			$0.99
18	2.Minuetto quasi allegretto	2:47			$0.99