Leipziger Streichquartett - Haydn: String Quartets Vol. 3 (2011)

Tracklist

01. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76,4 (Hob. III:78): I. Allegro con spirito
02. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76,4 (Hob. III:78): II. Adagio
03. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76,4 (Hob. III:78): III. Menuetto. Allegro
04. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76,4 (Hob. III:78): IV. Finale. Allegro ma non troppo
05. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76,3 (Hob. III:77): I. Allegro
06. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76,3 (Hob. III:77): II. Poco adagio; cantabile
07. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76,3 (Hob. III:77): III. Menuet. Allegro
08. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76,3 (Hob. III:77): IV. Finale. Presto
09. String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76,2 (Hob. III:76): I. Allegro
10. String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76,2 (Hob. III:76): II. Andante o più tosto allegretto
11. String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76,2 (Hob. III:76): III. Menuet. Allegro ma non troppo
12. String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76,2 (Hob. III:76): IV. Finale. Vivace assai

The Leipzig String Quartet, an ensemble drawn from the ranks of the venerable Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, has recorded music from Mozart to the 20th century for Germany's audiophile MDG label. It took a while to get around to Haydn's quartets, cornerstones of the string quartet repertory, but it has finally done so with predictably expert results in this set of three quartets from Haydn's late and brilliantly economical Op. 76 set. The Leipzigers use period instruments and bows, but they don't generate a strikingly unconventional sound with them; unusually clear articulation in passagework and in the pair of variation sets here is the most noticeable effect. The performances are defined not by the instruments but by a light touch, detail, and overall elegance that run from start to finish. Sample the beautifully sculpted layers of sound in the Minuet of the String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76/2, which is made to sound almost like a piece of minimalism but still retains the characteristic Haydn humor. And as is often true with MDG the sound is a chief attraction. The quartets were recorded in the Ehemaliges Ackerhaus der Abtei Marienmünster, a former monastery farmhouse that, unlikely as it might seem, provides an exceptional ambience for Classical-era chamber music. There are plenty of other choices for these quartets, but for the combination of brisk, graceful, accurate playing, historical instruments, and superb acoustics there aren't so many.

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