HAYDN: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 76 No. 2 (“Fifths”); String Quartet in C Major Op. 76 No. 3 (“Emperor”); String Quartet in B Major Op. 76 No. 4 (“Sunrise”) – Gewandhaus-Quartett – NCA multichannel SACD 60148-210, 70:45 [Distr. by Naxos] ***:
Like the named symphonies of Haydn, the named string quartets get all the air time. And while it’s a very good idea to go off the beaten track and explore the treasures among all those mere “numbers,” there’s no denying that the three quartets on this disc are some of Haydn’s greatest hits. The Opus 76 and 77 Quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn’s achievement in a medium he pioneered, and Op. 76 No. 2 is arguably the finest of all.
It’s interesting to note that of Haydn’s nine final quartets there are only two cast in the minor key, and one of those, Op. 103, is unfinished. In his last years, the composer wrote sparingly in a minor mode, but when he did, he had something special to say. The “Fifths” or “Quinten” Quartet is so called because the first theme of the work features a series of falling fifths, a motif that dominates the movement. But just as celebrated is the Minuet third movement, a strict canon in which the two voices (the two violins followed by viola and cello) play the melody a spooky-sounding octave apart. It’s a movement of gripping intensity that recalls Haydn’s Sturm und Drang period of the 1760s and 70s. That famous minuet, nicknamed the Witches’ Minuet, is one of the most tightly argued and striking pieces Haydn ever composed; once you’ve heard it, you don’t forget it. The final movement starts off in the same vein of deep seriousness, then ends in major-key high spirits. That seems just right, too, like sunshine after storm.
Speaking of sunshine, Op. 76 No. 4 is nicknamed “Sunrise” because the first theme of the first movement seems to unwind scale-wise upward out of a mist of chordal accompaniment. While the passagework that follows is fast and invigorating, as is the entire movement, this melody unwinds in leisurely fashion so that it seems like a brief slow introduction to the whole, and each appearance of the theme is thus totally arresting in its effect. As with many of Haydn’s late sonata-allegro movements, this one is essentially monothematic since the second melody is almost a carbon copy of the first except that the cello turns that ascending figure on its head, going down the scale instead.
Then there is Op. 76 No. 3, famous for the second movement, a set of variations on Haydn’s Gott erhalt Franz den Kaiser, later to become the Austrian national anthem and, still later, the German national anthem. The melody was unfortunately tarred by its association with the Germany of the Third Reich, but it’s a lovely hymn-like tune that’s an apt centerpiece to this joyous and wonderfully accomplished work.
The performances by the 200-year-old Gewanthaus-Quartet are the height of suavity and polish, more polished than those of either the Lindsays (on ASV) or the Kodaly Quartet (on Naxos), which I used for comparison. On the other hand, the Lindsays bring a fervency to their performances that I miss in other recordings. Still, the only point at which I really object to the Gewandhaus performance is the Minuet from Op. 76 No. 2. The movement is marked Allegro ma non troppo, but the Gewandhaus plays it closer to an allegretto. The Gewandhaus takes twenty seconds longer than the Lindsays, ten seconds longer than the Kodaly, with the result that the movement seems to lumber along when it should dance. A small objection, maybe, but an important one since this is the signal movement in the most compelling piece on the program.
I haven’t listened to the recording in multichannel, but in stereo the sound is as suave and mannerly as the performances, though stereo spread is minimal, and stereo imaging is not all that it could be. So overall, this is a worthy effort, but competition is fierce, and there are more appealing performances and recordings around. [Some of the NCA and Membran SACDs are sourced from two-channel 44.1K originals…Ed.]
-Lee Passarella
