Haydn: String Quartets

COMPOSERS: Haydn
LABELS: ASV Gold
ALBUM TITLE: Haydn String Quartets
WORKS: String Quartets
PERFORMER: The Lindsays
CATALOGUE NO: GLD 4012

Haydn composed these quartets,



together with the three of his Op. 74,



in 1793, between his two visits to



London. All six were dedicated to the



Viennese Imperial chamberlain Count



Apponyi, though there’s no doubt they



were composed with an eye towards



Salomon’s Hanover Square concerts.



Their widely spaced sonorities and



bold gestures indicate that they



must always have been conceived for



public performance, and it’s not by



chance that all six works begin with an



imperious call to attention. It’s a measure of the prodigious



number of great string quartets Haydn



composed that such splendid works



can remain so little known. The



Lindsays do them proud, with playing



that manages to combine energy and



insight with warmth and affection.



The ardour of the slow movements is



beautifully conveyed; but I also liked



the lilting treatment of the Ländlerlike



minuet in No. 3, and the delicate



playing of the trio in No. 1. Above all,



these sound like real performances,



not studio patchwork. The Lindsays’



only serious rival is the Amadeus



Quartet, whose recordings still sound



wonderfully fresh after nearly 30 years.



The Amadeus are technically just that



bit more assured, too, and they bring a



unique vivaciousness and lightness to



such pieces as the finale of Op. 71/1,



and the opening movement of No. 3.



But this very well recorded new disc is



strongly recommended to all Haydn



lovers. Misha Donat