Cuarteto Casals - Inventions: Beethoven - Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1 (2018) [CD Rip]

Spain's Cuarteto Casals has resolved to mark its 20th anniversary in a suitably ambitious way, by recording a complete cycle of the Beethoven string quartets and taking them on the road throughout Europe, paired with new works composed especially for the occasion. The group has rightfully gained attention for its performances of core repertoire from Haydn to Schubert, and this first volume of the cycle does not disappoint. The Cuarteto Casals is known for its remarkable ensemble, augmented by the matching set of 18th century bows they acquired with help from a grant by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. Paired with modern instruments, the bows produce a sound with a unique combination of agility and brilliance, and this combination is in evidence everywhere here. Their tempos are quick, and the fact that everything not only hangs together but is coherent down to small details is really quite gripping. You could start by sampling one of the outer movements of the three early Op. 18 quartets recorded here, perhaps the Allegro of the String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18, No. 3. The programming concept for the Beethoven cycle is unique: each volume will contain early, middle, and late works, with the first volume consisting of works that are "inventions" within their periods; the works on the second volume are "revelations," and the final one will contains "apotheoses." These somewhat resemble the works' chronological sequence within each period but do not replicate it. You can argue about the classifications, but they make for a satisfying sequence here, with one rarely heard item as a bonus: Beethoven's own quartet arrangement of the Piano Sonata in E major, Op. 14, No. 1. For some listeners the grand finale may be the weak point: the String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135, is Beethoven's funniest and downright wildest work in the genre, and the homogeneity of the Cuarteto Casals' sound doesn't quite bring out the humor here. Nevertheless, the glittering early and middle-period quartets are magnificent, and the set as a whole is a major statement from a unique group, well worth time and money. -- James Manheim