HAYDN: String Quartets, Op. 20 Nos. 1-6 – Daedalus Quartet – Bridge 9326A/B (2 CDs), 67:15, 62:53 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
The brief but learned notes to this recording of Haydn’s Op. 20 Quartets, written by members of the Daedalus Quartet themselves, is full of interesting quotations and details about Haydn’s first great set of string quartets. For example, we learn that Beethoven wrote out the first in the series in its entirety “in studious admiration” and that Brahms acquired the autograph copy of the quartets in 1885, which he cherished till the last.
The notes explain that these works came at a critical juncture in Haydn’s life, during his Sturm und Drang period, which produced dark-hued, turbulently emotional symphonies such as No. 44 (“Mourning”) and No. 45 (“Farewell”), both from 1772, the year of the Op. 20 Quartets. In fact, two of these quartets are in the minor key, Op. 20 No. 5 being the darkest and most troubled of the lot. (Of the twenty-two quartets Haydn wrote before Op. 20, only two are in the minor key.) That Haydn should have produced works of such emotional bleakness at this time is paradoxical, as the note writers say, for his life was settled, his talents amply rewarded through his position as Kapellmeister to one of the wealthiest families in Hungary. The writers opine that “deprived of emotional anxiety in real life, Haydn was compelled to balance himself by putting it in his music.” If so, he wouldn’t be the first artist who produced emotionally charged creations in the midst of relative comfort and fulfillment.
Besides the new-found emotional depth in Haydn’s Op. 20 Quartets, there is also a turning back to musical practices of the past. Three of the quartets (Nos. 2, 5, and 6) end with fugues, a learned gesture that accords with Haydn’s observation late in life that in the 1770s he undertook “a complete course in composition to strengthen himself and his art and to learn its secrets better.”
The respect and understanding for these works voiced in the notes to the recording are fully expressed in the playing of the Daedalus Quartet. A young quartet as quartets go (founded in 2000), the Daedalus has already garnered praise in critical circles and keeps busy through its association with some of the leading arts institutions in America and Europe, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Mostly Mozart Festival.
Maybe the high point of these performances is the Daedalus’ gripping reading of the dark finale of Op. 20 No. 5. But the players bring just as much joy and fervor to the optimistic sixth quartet of the series. Comparing these performances to ones by the Auryn Quartet (on Tacet), which I reviewed recently, I find the Daedalus a bit more emphatic, more gestural. Dynamic contrasts and rubato, for example, seem underscored in the Daedalus performances. Matching the differences in approach, the sound accorded the Auryn is warmer and frankly more inviting. The Daedalus is given a close-in, fairly analytical sound recording. It’s very much a case of Old World charm (Auryn) versus New World vigor, not to say brashness.
And as if the Daedalus recording were tailored to rush-rush New World schedules, unlike the Auryn, the Daedalus Quartet ignores Haydn’s repeats. So, for example, while the Daedalus’ performance of Op. 20 No. 1 is over in less than twenty minutes, taking all the repeats in the first and third movements, the Auryn stretches the timing to an expansive twenty-six. This is certainly worth considering if you’re shopping for a set of Op. 20 Quartets.
Considering the intelligent and lively performances, plus the vivid sonics the Daedalus Quartet enjoys, this is certainly a recording worth investigating. However, if I were choosing, there’s no doubt I would go for the Auryn Quartet’s marvelous reading of Haydn’s Op. 20.
— Lee Passarella
