Track Listing

1. String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76/1, H. 3/75: Allegro con spirito
2. String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76/1, H. 3/75: Adagio sostenuto
3. String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76/1, H. 3/75: Menuetto: Presto
4. String Quartet No. 60 in G major, Op. 76/1, H. 3/75: Finale: Allegro ma non troppo
5. String Quartet No. 61 in D minor ('Fifths'/'The Bell'/'The Donkey'), Op. 76/2, H. 3/76: Allegro
6. String Quartet No. 61 in D minor ('Fifths'/'The Bell'/'The Donkey'), Op. 76/2, H. 3/76: Andante o pi� tosto allegretto
7. String Quartet No. 61 in D minor ('Fifths'/'The Bell'/'The Donkey'), Op. 76/2, H. 3/76: Menuetto: Allegro ma non troppo
8. String Quartet No. 61 in D minor ('Fifths'/'The Bell'/'The Donkey'), Op. 76/2, H. 3/76: Vivace assai
9. String Quartet No. 62 in C major ('Emperor'), Op. 76/3, H. 3/77: Allegro
10. String Quartet No. 62 in C major ('Emperor'), Op. 76/3, H. 3/77: Poco adagio, cantabile
11. String Quartet No. 62 in C major ('Emperor'), Op. 76/3, H. 3/77: Menuetto: Allegro
12. String Quartet No. 62 in C major ('Emperor'), Op. 76/3, H. 3/77: Finale: Presto

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24185 in Music
• Released on: 1992-09-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Customer Reviews

A special listening experience.
Until recently, the Kodaly Quartet has not been very well known outside its native Hungary, although they have won several awards, performed at numerous concerts throughout eastern Europe, and recorded for the Naxos label for several years. One of this chamber music ensemble's most notable achievements for Naxos is a complete cycle of string quartets composed by Joseph Haydn. This CD contains the first three of Haydn's "Erdody" quartets, Op. 76. (They were named for Count Erdody, to whom Haydn dedicated them.) Many music critics consider the "Erdody" quartets to be the finest of the 83 Haydn composed during his long life. The Kodaly Quartet performs them with tremendous enthusiasm, vitality, and an obvious enjoyment of the music. Fast movements are lightly sprung, slow movements are played with just the right touch of gravity, and "menuettos" rollick merrily along. Especially enjoyable for its hauntingly beautiful melody is the second movement - "poco adagio, cantabile" - of Op. 76 No. 3 , the "Emperor" Quartet. Throughout all three of the quartets on this disc, Haydn's sunny, optimistic disposition and his tremendous musical originality and inventiveness shine through.

This CD has excellent sound quality. The balance between four members of the quartet is nearly perfect, giving the performances a wonderful sense of realism and immediacy. The acoustics of the recording venue are warm and spacious.

Awarded a "rosette" by the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs, (the "rosette" is the Penguin Guide's the highest accolade, given to a recording of special distinction.) this CD is a special listening experience in every way. Highly recommended!

Soaring Performances, and a Bargain to Boot!
Often as I skim over the available recordings of a particular piece I am looking for, I ignore the super-budget price recordings, suspecting that the sound quality will be dreadful, or that it will be some obscure live recording punctuated by coughing fits among the audience all through the slow movements. Don't let the price fool you here. To begin with, all six quartets (4-6 are available on another CD for the same remarkable price) are absolute stunners--full of grace, lightness and invention. No question of Haydn being in the company of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert as far as the string quartet genre is concerned. And the Kodaly Quartet is equal to the task. They play with unabashed joy and vigor, yet not without restraint where appropriate. A nicely balanced sound too. Haydn is coming to mean more and more to me as a composer, and I have over a dozen of his symphonies and concerti; yet the sheer amount of piano sonatas, piano trios and string quartets is mind-boggling, and it's difficult to know where to begin. Quality performances at prices such as these make it a lot easier to make those serendipitous discoveries, and I intend to buy a few more in this Naxos series.

First rate performers
The Kodaly Quartet's recordings give lie to the idea that there has to be anything second rate about budget priced recordings. When Naxos signed up this Hungarian group, it seems to have done very well for itself, for the performers, and certainly for us listeners. This disc was one of the first by the Kodaly Quartet that I bought, and I now have probably over a dozen of their recordings including more of their Haydn quartet cycle. In my opinion, they consistently and easily hold their own with any "name" group. None of their performances has disappointed. And Naxos's digital recordings also are as good as any.

As for the music itself, it would be presumptuous to praise Haydn. Haydn's quartets may not be as well known as Mozart's or Beethoven's, but Haydn is Haydn, and his music surely belongs in the same rank. In many ways, Haydn was the innovator, Mozart and Beethoven the followers, before each of them went off on their own paths. These accessible and affordable performances should boost the popularity of the Haydn quartets.