Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 64, Nos. 1-3

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The interpretative temperature of these performances is, as one would expect from The Lindsays, consistently high. So expressively alert, they bring a sense of purpose to every note: sforzandos are arresting and powerful, faster movements are high on adrenalin. Above all, The Lindsays are surely hard to surpass in their delivery of Haydn's slow movements. In the Adagio of No. 2 they sustain a rapturous atmosphere, and that of No. 3 is also wonderfully elevated. There is intense concentration, yet also a directness and warmth that will captivate every listener. Strangely less persuasive, though, is their Allegretto 'slow movement' in No. 1: there must be more delicacy to the humour than this rather broad approach would allow. The sense of commitment and character is strengthened by the relatively close and dry recorded sound. This also exposes, though, a tendency for tone and tuning to suffer under the pressure of the interpretative moment. Caution is simply not part of the way The Lindsays make music, but might they sometimes have been more self-critical? The outer movements of No. 1 bring some lack of rhythmic poise, given the tendency to accelerate through animated passages. A certain skittishness seems just right in the former, but the swallowing of beats in the finale detracts from the excitement. The sustained aggressiveness of the B minor finale cannot really accommodate the fade-out ending. A more whimsical version from the Angeles Quartet makes better sense of this concluding surprise.The Angeles, more warmly recorded, are certainly superior in the traditional quartet virtues of balance and blend, but honours are pretty even when I consider my reactions to the accounts of individual movements. I find both groups relatively disappointing in the outer movements of No. 3; more could be done with the timing of the galloping motive in the first movement as well as the strangely stuttering chord sequences in the finale. But no one could be disappointed with the best of The Lindsays' performances here: put on those slow movements and surrender yourself. W. Dean Sutcliffe

Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 64, Nos. 1-3, Music, Franz Joseph Haydn, Lindsays String Quartet, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Quartet for Four String Instruments

Haydn: String Quartets Op 64 Nos 1, 3, 6 /Quatuor Mosaiques
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Another Haydn Triumph For Quatuor Mosaiques

Haydn: String Quartets Op 64 Nos 1, 3, 6 /Quatuor Mosaiques
Joseph Haydn , Quatuor Mosaiques , Anita Mitterer , Erich Hobarth , Andrea Bischof , and Christophe Coin
Manufacturer: Astree
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C8WXL
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

Allegro
Andante
Menuetto (Allegretto)
Finale - Presto
Adagio
Menuetto (Allegretto)
Menuetto Allegretto
Finale (Allegro Con Spirito)
Allegro Moderato
Menuetto (Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
Allegro Scherzando
Finale - Presto

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Another Haydn Triumph For Quatuor Mosaiques.......2007-05-28

The QM was formerly know by me as having recorded the definitive edition of Haydn's op. 20, beating out even the Mighty Kodaly Quartet on those pieces. This set is quite excellent as well.

If you are looking for the perfect introduction to Haydn's op.64, look no further. The recording is terrific (with plenty of bass and midrange when needed). The performance is typical of the Quatuor Mosaiques: that means it is pristine.

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 64, Nos. 1, 2 and 3

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Exploring the Haydn Quartets -- Opus 64 No. 1-3

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 64, Nos. 1, 2 and 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000013W3
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Allegro Moderato
String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Menuetto: Allegretto ma non Troppo
String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Allegretto Scherzando
String Quartet In C Major, Op. 64, No. 1, Hob. III: 65: Finale: Presto
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Allegro Spiritoso
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Adagio ma non Troppo
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Menuetto: Allegretto
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 64, No. 2, Hob. III: 68: Finale: Presto
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Vivace Assai
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Adagio
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Menuetto: Allegretto
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3, Hob. III: 67: Finale: Allegro Con Spirito

Customer Reviews:

Exploring the Haydn Quartets -- Opus 64 No. 1-3.......2004-05-30

This budget-priced CD is part of a complete recording of the Haydn string quartets performed by the Kodaly Quartet of Budapest. It includes the first three quartets in Haydn's opus 64, which consists of 6 quartets. These are rather late works and were composed in 1790, just before Haydn's first visit to London. (i.e. the time of the "London" symphonies) There is no more accessible introduction to chamber music than the Haydn quartets. This CD is a delight in its variety and in the joy of making music.

The first quartet of the set, in C major, is serene and happy in character. The first movement is an allegro moderato which opens with a bouncy theme in the solo violin which is soon taken up by the entire quartet. There is counterpoint in the minor in the development, and the recapitulation, surprisingly, is extended and varies the exposition by shifting to the minor key just before the end. This quartet lacks a slow movement. The second movement is a minuet which features a whimsical theme in the cello. The third movement is a scherzo which is angular in character and slightly faster than the minuet. It consists of a lengthy theme which is repeated and embellished twice -- almost a variation movement. The finale is marked presto and features dramatic pauses and stops and a piping theme in the violin's high register. The movement and the quartet come to a sudden, quiet ending.

Although the first quartet lacks a slow movement, this lack is more than compensated in the lovely adagios in the second and third quartets on this CD.

The second quartet is in B-minor and is somber in character. The first movement, allegro spirituoso, opens with a short violin solo followed by a dramatic turn to the minor. The movement increases in intensity as it progresses. The second movement, adagio ma non troppo, is an extended slow movement with a lyrical theme and long note values. The theme is stated in the first violin and echoed in the cello and middle strings. As the theme is developed it is elaborated with filigree in the violin and a restatement of the theme in the cello. The third movement is a minuet which returns to the minor. It features a peaceful, lyrical trio in which the violin has the lead. This theme in the trio echoes the slow movement of the quartet. The finale is marked presto and is again in the minor. The movement increases in dramatic intensity until its quiet end in the high register of the violin.

I found the third quartet in B-Flat major the most enjoyable of the three on this disk. The quartet is lively and energetic, with unusual rhythms, lots of trills, and a slow movement even more extended that that of the b-minor quartet. There is excellent contrast and continuity in the movements of this work.

The first movement, vivace assai, opens in unison with the opening theme followed by a flowing second theme stated in the violin. There are many delicious twists and turns in this movement, particularly the trills over the cello and the running themes in the violin. The second movement is marked adagio. It is a lengthy movement which opens with a slow, meditative theme followed by an intense, plaintive middle section and a return of the opening material. The minuet is lively, emphatic, and rhythmic, featuring many trilling sections in the middle and lower strings and a cello drone in the trio. The finale is lively with a short, falling, carefree figure repeated many times by the first violin. There is a contrast in this movement between quick and slow sections. There is a short slow section just before the end and then a jolly close in unison.

These quartets were written to be played by amateurs and to be enjoyed by their listeners. Even more than is the case with his symphonies, Haydn established a standard in his quartet writing that subsequent composers emulated and developed. There is much excellent music in these quartets that remains to be appreciated and discovered. This CD will reward exploration both by listeners new to chamber music and to experienced listeners.

JOSEPH HAYDN String Quartets op.64 Nos. 1-3 Vienna Masters Series Digital Classic Germany Import
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JOSEPH HAYDN String Quartets op.64 Nos. 1-3 Vienna Masters Series Digital Classic Germany Import

Manufacturer: Pilz
ProductGroup: Classical
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000JJVM3Q