Werner Hink, Matthias Hink - M. Haydn & Mozart: Six Duets for Violin and Viola (2007)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 1 in C Major, P. 127: I. Allegro
02. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 1 in C Major, P. 127: II. Adagio
03. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 1 in C Major, P. 127: III. Rondo con spirito
04. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 2 in D Major, P. 128: I. Allegro
05. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 2 in D Major, P. 128: II. Adagietto
06. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 2 in D Major, P. 128: III. Allegro non troppo
07. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 3 in F Major, P. 129: I. Allegretto
08. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 3 in F Major, P. 129: II. Adagio
09. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 3 in F Major, P. 129: III. Rondo. Allegro
10. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 4 in E Major, P. 130: I. Allegro moderato
11. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 4 in E Major, P. 130: II. Adagio
12. Sonata for Violin and Viola No. 4 in E Major, P. 130: III. Allegro

CD2
01. Duet for Violin and Viola in G Major, K. 423: I. Allegro
02. Duet for Violin and Viola in G Major, K. 423: II. Adagio
03. Duet for Violin and Viola in E Major, K. 423: III. Rondo. Allegro
05. Duet for Violin and Viola in B-Flat Major, K. 424: II. Andante cantabile
06. Duet for Violin and Viola in B-Flat Major, K. 424: III. Andante grazioso

Mozart's two duos for violin and viola, K. 423 and 424, are superb examples of his mature style and have often been recorded. The four sonatas for violin and viola by Michael Haydn with which they're joined here are considerably less familiar, even though the works were all published together in 1788 and seem to have been intertwined in their early history. Perhaps recordings of the entire group are sparse because they don't fit comfortably on either one CD or two; the two Mozart sonatas, relegated to their own CD here, take up less than 37 minutes. Neverthless, these fine recordings by the Austrian duo of Werner Hink and Matthias Hink (no mention of any relationship between them appears in the English notes, which are apparently different from the ones in Japanese) make a nice contrast as well as bringing needed exposure to the Haydn works. They're attractive pieces occupying an interesting space between light household music and full-fledged chamber music with the rigorous ethos it was taking on in the hands of Michael Haydn's older brother Joseph. The slow movements (try especially that of the third sonata, track 8) reveal their composer's economical melodic gift and a good deal of formal ingenuity; they're little variation sets that push the boundaries of the form in unexpected ways. The writing for viola is another noteworthy detail: its role is generally accompanimental, but double stops are skillfully deployed in such a way that you often forget you're listening to a duo. The two Mozart duos, dense works that make much of the natural two-part polyphony inherent in the medium, are in another league entirely, and the players bring out the difference in tone while still making the Mozart works seem a plausible part of the same set. Fine studio sound completes a satisfying chamber music disc that will fill a hole in many collections.