A Survey of Beethoven String Quartet Cycles
An Index of ionarts Discographies
Continuing my discographies, this is a survey of - hopefully - every extant recorded cycle of Beethoven's String Quartets. As of September 2017, it includes 63 different cycles (one incomplete, one that may not be finished, and another soon to be finished) spanning 70 decades of recording history. I am sitting on the data for several new discographic entries under work. Ring cycles, Mahler, Nielsen, Martinů and Beethoven symphony-cycles, as well as Bartók and Shostakovich string quartet-cycles. They just take an awful lot of time to research and then put into html-presentable shape and even then they are rarely complete or mistake free. Neither will this one be, and every such post is also a plea to generously inclined readers with more information and knowledge of the subject than I have to lend a helping hand correcting my mistakes or filling data-lacunae. I am explicitly grateful for any such pointers, hinters, and corrections and apologize for any bloomers. Unlike some earlier discographies, this one does intend to be comprehensive. So I am especially grateful if I have sets that I have missed are pointed out to me. I have not listened to them all, of course, but about 20. Favorites are indicated with the "ionarts choice" graphic. With nearly 2000 links in this document, there are, despite my best efforts, bound to be some that are broken or misplaced; I am glad about every correction that comes my way.
Edit 04/22/26: Added the Quatuor Ébène DVD cycle (2020), the second volume of the Ariel Quartet's cycle, the complete Verus String Quartet cycle (2017-2025), and the complete box set of the Calidore cycle. Work on adding the Shanghai, and Quartetto Classico cycles is also under way. The Arianna Quartet has finished their cycle (2011-2020); I have added it, pending more exact information. Thanks again to Merl for great tips & links in the comment section!
Edit 05/01/25: Added information on the difference between the Suske Quartet releases.
Edit 05/01/25: Added the 2019 Japanese re-release of the Barylli Quartet, the new release of the Quatuor Ysaÿe's live 2008 cycle (La Dolce Volta), the complete box of the Dover Quartet, the just-finished set by the Calidore Quartet, the and Narratio's brand new set, and the cycles that are currently under way by the Ariel and Doric Quartets. Also the new (first - but only LP) boxing of the Alban Berg Quartett's live Konzerthaus-cycle.
Edit 12/01/23: The latest update brings the survey actually up to date? The Dover Quartet's cycle on Cedille saw its final installment published. Quite some scrolling, until you get there, as this is the 81st cycle added.
Edit 08/12/22: Thanks to @PaulgThomas84's prompting, the Elias String Quartet cycle, which had been concluded, is now listed in full and in the right chronological position.
Edit 07/12/22: A special moment for these "Cycle Surveys:" I have added (belatedly) the Melodiya cycle of the Beethoven String Quartet's recording. This first release on CD was the direct result of research for this survey and my asking the good people at Melodiya about the recordings... to which they answered: "We found the recordings in the archive which you writing about. At the next editors meeting will discuss the possibility to release box-set with Complete Beethoven quartets in the performance of the Beethoven Quartet including digital release." Well, here it is (and today I received it in the mail, which was the kick in the pants I needed for an update)! Of course it remains the most difficult set to search for on the internet, right along with the Shostakovich Quartet's Shostakovich quartets, the Shostakovich Quartet's Beethoven quartets and the Beethoven Quartet's Shostakovich quartets. But I've done that part for you below. :-)
New cycles added: The Quatuor Ébène's around-the-world cycle (with echoes of Kubelik's such cycle of the Symphonies), the Miró Quartet's, the Kuss Quartet's, Quatuor Stanislas, and the Cuarteto Casals'.
New re-issues of cycles of the Lindsay, Alban Berg, Juilliard I, Pascal, and Smetana quartets.
Historical cycles newly added: Dimov Quartet (a.k.a. Quatuor Bulgare)
Edit 03/03/19: Deutsche Grammophon has luxuriously re-issued the Amadeus Quartet's classic cycle on CD/Blu-ray. Comments below.
Edit 28/05/18: Thanks to Barry Lyons for pointing out that the Wihan Quartet (Wihanovo kvarteto) has in fact recorded a first cycle. Solidly oop but added below.
Edit 20/05/18: The Budapest 1951/52 cycle has been re-issued on Sony and the Cremona Quartet cycle will be boxed for the first time. Both have been added below.
Edit 20/01/18: The Wihan Quartet cycle on Nimbus Alliance, hitherto overlooked (thanks to Mark Wilson who alerteshd me to that fact in the comments!), has been added. It brings this list to 66 (68, if you count the kind-of-cycles of the Peterson and Hagen Quartets) to cycles.
Edit/News 10/07/17: Melodiya has, after being contacted by ionarts, found the tapes for the Beethoven String Quartet's Beethoven String Quartet cycle (try searching for that one on Amazon or Google!) in their archives and is considering giving it a first-ever digital release. More news here if and as they develop.
Edit 09/29/17: Many thanks to "Bill" who alerted me to the Cleveland Quartet's first cycle on RCA, which has now been added. I am also trying to find more information on other alleged cycles, including a stereo cycle of the Russian Beethoven Quartet (app. recorded between 1969 and 1972 for Melodiya). The cycle by the German Schäffer Quartett (Le Club Francais du Disque/Muridire; early stereo), re-issued by ForgottenRecords, will be added shortly.
Edit 09/20/17: I am adding links to MusicWeb-Intl. reviews of complete cycles for further reading, wherever they have a well-written review up.
Edit 09/18/17: Already the first corrections come in: It's been pointed out to me that I have missed the Romanian "Cvartetul de Coarde Voces" and their 1998 cycle on Electrecord. Will be added tomorrow. And the Brilliant re-issue of the Guarneri cycle is not the RCA cycle, but the Philips/Decca one, after all.
