ハイドン: 弦楽四重奏曲集 Op.76 《エルデーディ四重奏曲集》

ロンドン・ハイドン弦楽四重奏団第9弾!
「エルデーディ四重奏曲集」!

クラシカル・ボウ&ガット弦というピリオド・スタイルでの精緻なアンサンブル、演奏に使用する楽譜のエディションにも徹底的にこだわり、ハイドンのスペシャリストとして高評価を確立してきたイギリスの名カルテット、ロンドン・ハイドン弦楽四重奏団。2006年以降アムステルダム・バロック・オーケストラのリーダーを務めるスコットランドの名手キャサリン・マンソンが率い、幾度かのメンバー交代を経ながらも徹底したスタイルを貫いて堅実な評価を積み重ねてきたハイドン・シリーズ。
いよいよ全集の終わりが近づいてきたハイドン第9巻では、ハンガリーのエルデーディ伯爵に献呈され「エルデーディ四重奏曲」の名で愛される作品番号76の傑作四重奏曲セットを録音。
1799年に出版されたロングマン&クレメンティ社(ロンドン)アルタリア社(ウィーン)のエディションを使用。
東京エムプラス

The London Haydn Quartets Haydn string quartet cycle has a distinct sound due to its historical orientation, with gut strings and period bows lending a hard edge. For too many listeners, that will be the end of the discussion, yea or nay. Thats too bad, for as with any other body of work, the London Haydn Quartets readings vary in quality. Some of the earlier volumes in the series had a flatness of affect,that lost Haydns crucial element of humor, but the cycle has gotten stronger as it has proceeded, and with this set of the Op. 76 quartets, it hits a high note. Despite the presence of the familiar Austrian Hymn in the String Quartet in C major, Op. 76, No. 3 (Emperor), these are rather radical works, with big, unusual gestures that grab the attention of a crowd and in many ways look forward to Beethoven. The Austrian Hymn variations in that quartet are taken at quite a slow tempo, which in an earlier quartet might have tended to collapse but here stands up well to the big outer movements. The large slow introductions in several of the quartets fare well here, and the minuets, which often approach the Beethovenian scherzo, have a nice tension highlighting their structural innovations. The quartets are performed from period London and Viennese editions, although the difference this makes is not explored in the notes. Hyperions sound engineering is disappointing; although Potton Hall is a wonderful venue in many recordings, here, the quartet is miked too close, and the result is a rather harsh sound with little resemblance to what Haydns audiences would have heard. Overall, this release will whet the appetite for what will presumably be a final entry in the London Haydn Quartets cycle.