ハイドン: 弦楽四重奏曲集 Op.76 《エルデーディ四重奏曲集》

ハイドンの弦楽四重奏曲の最高峰、そして古典派弦楽四重奏という媒体そのものの頂点をなす作品群。「皇帝」「五度」「日の出」は、ハイドンの作品で愛称を持つ作品によくあるように、6曲の中で最もよく知られているが、他の作品も全く遜色ない充実の筆致を示しています。
ユニバーサル・ミュージック/IMS

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.