Customer Reviews

Franz Joseph Haydn: 6 String Quartets Op. 9 - Tátrai Quartet

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With the notable exception of Opus 76, the Tatrai cycle of Haydn's string quartets has received few plaundits. Their musicianship is not in doubt - but the sound afforded to them by the Hungaroton engineers is. Be it from the remastering or the actual recordings themselves, some of the performances sound as if they were recorded in tandem with Stockhausen's infamous Helicopter String Quartet - no good thing in itself. And the Kodalys, in the budget-range, are now the default option. Haydn: The Complete String Quartets (Box Set)

The Tatrai's survey of Opus 9 is a worthwhile investment. It is better recorded than the rest of the stable. The team is in fine form and the notes are lavish. Wisely or otherwise, Hans Keller rubbished Opus 9 (and 17) but made an exception in the former: the D Minor. He was correct. The word 'masterpiece' is as hollow as an easter egg so I will not use it in this instance - suffice to say, Opus 9 / 1 demands to be heard, just as much as any of the later quartets. The A Major, Opus 9 / 6, is a gem, particularly on account of its slow movement. With the other quartets, the Viennese savant might be correct. Even so, the Tatrai present them in the best possible light.

Opus 9 is more than a mere warm-up by the Master. This issue is a safe means of fathoming it out.