V 8: STRING QUARTETS, OPUS 64

STRING QUARTETS OP. 50

Haydn: 7 Last Words of Our Saviour On the Cross (The)

Haydn: Piano Concerto No. 11 / Oboe Concerto / Symphony No.

Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 93, 94 & 103

Haydn, M.: Missa Sanctae Ursulae / Mozart, W.A.: Ave Verum C

Haydn, J.: Schöpfung (Die)

Haydn, J.: Jahreszeiten (Die)

This is all early Haydn (with the exception of the two marches), but it is not immature. He was in his mid- to late-20s when he composed most of these pieces, and they are beautifully written for a wild assortment of ensembles. There are works for winds alone, serenades for wind and strings (including a couple featuring pairs of English horns), some early pieces with clarinets, a divertimento for harpsichord, a cassation with four horns, music with flute, and an insanely virtuosic trio for horn, violin, and cello. Manfred Huss includes the famous "St. Anthony Chorale" even though it's not by Haydn, and Simon Standage turns in a really lovely performance of the First violin concerto, with a slow movement so winsome you'd never know he's playing a period violin.

Indeed, Huss and his team manage to have the best of both worlds, offering a clearly "authentic" sound without any of the timbral unpleasantness that so often comes with it. There's only one exception: the natural horn playing, particularly in the trio mentioned above. Here I have to be dogmatic: get a modern horn, gentlemen. The alternative on offer here oscillates between crudeness and sheer desperation, however brave the effort.

Still, such is the value of the music and vibrancy of the performances that this set, attractively priced at five discs for the cost of three, is an essential item for any self-respecting Haydn collection. Much of the material was released previously on Koch in a series of single discs, but for all intents and purposes this set should be seen as brand new, for that is how it sounds whether you're listening for the first time or the tenth.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

The Leipzig String Quartet is back! After a compulsory break of two years the top ensemble from Saxony now continues its Haydn edition. Nos. 1, 2, and 6 round off Haydn’s op. 64- a marvelous combination of emotional dedication and consummate classicism displaying a historical backdrop and refreshing virtuosity. Haydn, the glorious inventor of the string quartet, took the genre to new heights in his op. 64. Perfectly balanced in form and harmony, the pieces comprising this number are directly interrelated. And this was precisely what the impresario Peter Salomon was looking for when he hired the sought-after retiree on the spot for his London concert series. Haydn’s legendary jokes are rather subtle in nature in his op. 64. Surprising contrasts between major and minor, between triplets and duplets, a second trio in the E flat major minuet, a seeming recapitulation in the very remote key of G flat major- those in the musical know will delight in his fine sense of humor, which this time supports the finely proportioned architecture of the pieces instead of questioning its stability. In London Haydn’s career once again truly blossomed. The Quartets op 64 must have played a considerable role in this development, and with the Leipzig String Quartet we immediately understand why this was so. The musicians perform with historical bows, while standing, and produce agile, tonally fine, and transparent interpretations, uniquely demonstrating how personal commitment, when it is most deeply felt, can be articulated in consummate classical proportions!

Classical Music

Classical Music

The prolific Leipzig String Quartet completes Joseph Haydn's Opus 17 with the Quartets Nos. 2, 4, and 6 on what is now the twelfth volume of an extraordinary quartet cycle. Once again historically informed playing meets world-class quartet culture, and once again the Leipzig four demonstrate that Haydn's quartets were masterfully conceived from the very beginning and continue to deserve only the very best treatment. "Reduction as a Principle" would be a good title for Opus 17. But what richness! Haydn concentrates on only a very few themes and motifs; even in the first movements there is only one of them. How this then is elaborated is proof of the finest geniality. Here we find fragmentations, variations, omissions, and ramifications, and when Haydn develops the theme polyphonically and contrapuntally with itself in the first movement of No. 2, the composer almost grinningly presents his credentials as a genuine master in his field. This does not keep him from doing plenty of playing with the expectations of his listeners - for example, with the insertion of an uneven number of measures in an otherwise traditional minuet. The fact that the usual period of dance steps is brought to stumbling by the witty composer may startled listeners of his times out of their comfortability, but today not only experts delight in the Esterh�zy court composer's original ideas. For their Haydn edition the members of the Leipzig String Quartet use bows from the period during which the works were composed. This is noticeable in the smooth tonal delineation and supple articulation that may be said to make these fine works speak and shine. Once again a new chance for us to escape from modern restlessness for a few choice moments!

Back from the wilderness of Sony's Essential Classics series, and remastered in nice, clear stereo along with Bernstein's set of Paris Symphonies for this same label, Szell's recordings of the first six London Symphonies represent the ultimate in big-band Haydn. And late Haydn should always be played with a big band: his own ensemble in London numbered some 60 players in a room that held 800. In other words, for one of today's typical concert halls he would have expected a full-sized, modern symphony orchestra, and that's just what he gets here.

Of course this is Szell, so the size of the ensemble doesn't entail any sacrifice of clarity. Indeed, these performances are miracles of balance and precision, but never at the expense of Haydn's energy and humor. Consider the slow movement of Symphony No. 93, which features the most obscene bassoon belch in recorded history, or Szell's uplifting handling of the minuets. The famous "Surprise" movement sounds like it was composed yesterday, and the symphony's finale blazes with excitement. There are delights everywhere, from the amazingly detailed counterpoint in the finale of No. 95 to the Mozartean grace of No. 98's slow movement. Just buy this while you can--it's a true classic.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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