The Serioso is mostly lumped together with the middle quartets. Remarkably, it would be another twelve years before Beethoven would write another quartet. But the musical language is at that point, 1810, already hinting at what will come later. So a number of ensembles, such as the Takacs, have included the Op. 95 in their survey of late quartets.
The first movement, an extremely compressed sonata structure, has been very aptly compared to a 'coiled spring'. It's Beethoven at his most gruff and impetuous but also at his most clever. Most modern ensembles play this with fearsome energy and razor sharp attacks. It's the Emerson aesthetic. Quartets from the older schools, such as the Borodin or Italiano or Gewandhaus Quartet, seem to present a more poised approach. At first I was taken aback by the virulence exhibited by the Artemis Quartet. Is it really necessary to get the last ounce of aggressive energy out of the score? I wasn't sure. But after listening to some of the other readings, I was convinced by the coherence of their vision and the appropriateness of their approach. In their performance there is plenty of space for beautiful ensemble playing and sweet intonation. But the allegros sound as if Beethoven was pounding his fists on the table. In comparison the Quartetto Italiano (on LP), usually one of my favourites, do seem a bit cautious and tame. Also successful, as somewhat of a middle of the road version, is the Alban Berg in their 1979 recording. Sadly the recording is less than stellar and the performance as a whole seems to vaccilate between contemporary expressiveness and traditional old world splendour.
The Artemis, then, convinced. The complex second movement, in D major, is beautifully done with the dirge-like accompaniment of the songlike theme on the violin and the second theme which sounds as if Beethoven had been studying baroque masters. Its fugato treatment certainly seems to confirm this. In its terseness it is a very complete and satisfying movement that displays an amazing gamut of emotions. The third movement, a scherzo, is simple in layout with an abruptly rhythmic theme that alternates with a chorale-like trio. Then the finale, which trumps all the other movements in originality: the somber larghetto introduction, a stormy rondo with a theme that seems to have amazing symphonic potential, and the breezy coda, which has nothing to do with anything that went before it, as a concluding practical joke.
The Virgin recording of the Artemis Quartet is, on the whole, very good. I find the setting (the trusted Jesus-Christus Kirche in Dahlem, Berlin) only a little too resonant. It particularly matters in the scherzo where the hectic musical proceedings are interspersed with frequent pauses. But otherwise it's amongst the best I've heard. This CD was the first installment of their complete cycle which, after fiver years, happened to be rounded off earlier this month.
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