The Early String Quartets op. 18 nos. 1-6 cover

The Early String Quartets op. 18 nos. 1-6

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1993

203 min · 32 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
78 /100
Alpine
Higher than 87% of albums we've rated

The Op. 18 quartets offer sharply differentiated movement designs and substantial variation, while the non-chronological sequence and extra chamber works make the album’s shape le…

What we noticed

  • The set inserts the F-major quartet arrangement of Piano Sonata Op. 14 No. 1 after Quartets Op. 18 Nos. 1 and 2, then resumes with Nos. 3 and 4.
  • The quartet sequence places No. 6 before No. 5, so the set does not follow the opus numbers at the end.
  • The finale of Quartet No. 6 interrupts its fast movements with the slow, brooding “La malinconia” before returning to an Allegretto; the catalog then moves on to the C-major Quintet Op. 29.
Composition 25% of the score
8/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
8/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
7/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
5/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No. 1: I. Allegro con brio 9:44
  • 2 String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No. 1: II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 10:11
  • 3 String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No. 1: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto 3:40
  • 4 String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No. 1: IV. Allegro 7:01
  • 5 String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2: I. Allegro 7:38
  • 6 String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile 6:08
  • 7 String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro 4:24
  • 8 String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2: IV. Allegro molto quasi presto 5:31
  • 9 String Quartet in F major (after Piano Sonata, Op. 14 No. 1): I. Allegro moderato 6:24
  • 10 String Quartet in F major (after Piano Sonata, Op. 14 No. 1): II. Allegretto 3:12
  • 11 String Quartet in F major (after Piano Sonata, Op. 14 No. 1): III. Allegro 3:29

Disc 2

  • 1 String Quartet in D major, Op. 18 No. 3: I. Allegro 7:36
  • 2 String Quartet in D major, Op. 18 No. 3: II. Andante con moto 8:25
  • 3 String Quartet in D major, Op. 18 No. 3: III. Allegro 2:59
  • 4 String Quartet in D major, Op. 18 No. 3: IV. Presto 6:14
  • 5 String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4: I. Allegro ma non tanto 8:31
  • 6 String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4: II. Scherzo. Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto 7:03
  • 7 String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4: III. Menuetto. Allegretto 3:44
  • 8 String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4: IV. Allegro 4:28
  • 9 String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6: I. Allegro con brio 6:25
  • 10 String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6: II. Adagio ma non troppo 7:05
  • 11 String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6: III. Scherzo. Allegro 3:21
  • 12 String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6: IVa. La malinconia. Adagio 3:16
  • 13 String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6: IVb. Allegretto quasi allegro 4:21

Disc 3

  • 1 String Quartet in A major, Op. 18 No. 5: I. Allegro 6:52
  • 2 String Quartet in A major, Op. 18 No. 5: II. Menuetto 4:55
  • 3 String Quartet in A major, Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile (Variazioni) 9:56
  • 4 String Quartet in A major, Op. 18 No. 5: IV. Allegro 6:43
  • 5 Quintet in C major, Op. 29: I. Allegro moderato 10:56
  • 6 Quintet in C major, Op. 29: II. Adagio molto espressivo 10:28
  • 7 Quintet in C major, Op. 29: III. Scherzo. Allegro 4:07
  • 8 Quintet in C major, Op. 29: IV. Presto 8:44

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Reference: MusicBrainz