Customer Reviews

Mozart: 6 "Haydn" String Quartets

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The Quartetto Italiano's complete cycle of Mozart's string quartets has long been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, the recording quality of the six "Haydn" quartets is a bit poor, and the pace of the "Hunt" quartet is too slow for my taste. This budget release of the Juilliard Quartet's recordings makes up for those deficiencies. The sound is good, and the quartet plays with a crispness and energy that seems closer to the Mozartian style. The soloists may not be as stunningly gorgeous as those in the Quartetto Italiano, but, together, they create a lively texture that is extroverted without being shallow. Because this set is so inexpensive, it is a very attractive first choice. However, now that I have fallen in love with these pieces, I wish Sony Classical would re-release these Juilliard recordings with superior 20-bit digital re-mastering and with better liner notes. Even so, while this set may not be a pretty sight, the music (which really matters)is superb. I've heard about ten different versions, including ones with period instruments, and I found the Juilliard's to be the most satisfying.

After becoming interested in Mozart, I acquired some recordings of his music and read a few books about him. I kept hearing about the "Quartets Dedicated to Haydn" and how much effort he put into crafting these works. My appreciation for this great artist continued to grow, so I decided to buy the quartets that were said to be so highly representative of his craftmanship. I started seriously hunting through all the sources available, so I could find the best available set of these highly recommended quartets.

After shopping around and comparing prices, I decided to cast my lot, and the Julliard recording on Sony became the first set of Mozart's "Haydn" quartets I owned. At first I found the music to be absorbing, but not easy to approach. It was difficult to keep concentration as the dense textures, counterpoint, and somewhat self-conscious writing often became overwhelming and hard to follow. In time I became more familar with the music, and after repeated hearings the early difficulties began to melt away and Mozart's genius began to shine through clearer and stronger.

This was the point I began to realize that some of my early difficulties were not due only to my unfamiliarity with the music. I began to notice a dryness and muted quality to the sound. It was almost as if I was hearing the music through thick curtains and an unseen force had muffled the music as it tried to escape from the instruments. At other times it felt as though the musicians were just playing through the music without inspiration. Eventually each new hearing brought less and less satisfaction and a feeling of wanting more out of these obviously rich compositions.

In the end I found myself hunting for a recording of the quartets, just as before when I first decided to acquire this music. After further searching, listening to sound files and pouring through CD buying guides, I decided on the Alban Berg set on Teldec. (not their EMI set, which isn't as good) The Teldec set included the Hoffmeister and Prussian quartets for a total of 10 complete works on four CDs as opposed to the 6 Haydn quartets on 3 CDs for the Julliard set. The Teldec sound on these recordings is wonderful, crisp and alive. The playing is sweet, inspired and with just the right amount of presence.

In the end I'm not sorry or regretful about buying the Julliard set. It was a reasonable place to start, and it is definitely an adequate representation of the music. After my first period of discovery going through the quartets I was glad there was a whole new period of discovery waiting for me. On the other hand, if someone asked for my honest opinion on which set of these quartets to buy, I would unhesitatingly recommend the Alban Berg set on Teldec. I believe if you do that, you won't have to go out hunting again in six months.

if you are a shopper on the amazon scene you know that there are PLENTY of versions of the haydn quartets available; yet, they are contained within monstrous collections of wonderful yet expensive music -- and Mozart's quartets are very different from the piano concertos or the late symphonies which seem to be the apples of the eyes of the intelligent public. personally, i love all of Mozart's music -- it is practically all i listen to; if you are a crazed fan such as myself, you definitely need to become acquainted with the "haydn" quartets. But, if you are also poor like me you need to buy this CD. it's not the best available -- i personally like quartetto italiano. oh well! they are too expensive for my blood. one day i will bite my last bullet and buy their version; but for now, this collection is great! thanks for reading this arduous quasi-review, i hope it was helpful to you.

I reviewed this set some months ago and said it was the best I've ever heard. Well, after further listening, I found I truly missed Quartetto Italiano's stylish and beautiful treatment of these works. Therefore, I have to say, these are *not* the best versions available--in my humble opinion, that is. However, they are one of the best sets of the 6 "Haydn" quartets, since you have to buy the *all* of the quartets in the Complete Mozart Edition to get the Quartetto Italiano versions of those 6 works. They are still excellent performances, and dirt-cheap, so go ahead and buy them--unless you can afford the complete set, which, I whole-heartedly assure you, you will not regret for a moment!

This is an excellent album and a real bargain. The Julliard Quartet plays with precision and passion. On the scale of conversation-among-individuals vs. homogenous blend they fall midway between the Quatuor Mosaiques and the Budapest (also excellent albums). At present I prefer the Quartetto Italiano (Phillips), but at this price you can have great versions of the essential Quartets Dedicated to Haydn for a third of the cost. The sound is excellent.

I have been listening to these recordings over and over since I got them a week ago. I am largely new to these works so cannot evaluate the performances relative to others, but for the price, I received great value. I feel that I've been given an insight into Mozart as a person in these intimate works dedicated to Haydn. I am especially fond of the first and last movement of the first quartet in the series. Such joy!

Ordering from Amazon was easy and I already had heard the quartets on the old records. I am trying to replace my long-playing records with CDs. Good service!!

These 6 string quartets that made Franz Joseph Haydn declare to Leopold Mozart in 1785 that his son was the finest composer in the world are 24 movements of lyrical, melodic, harmonic perfection. To be enjoyed for the rest of your life.

And at a good price, you can't go wrong. Essential music from Mozart and the Juilliard String Quartet.

I'm so happy to get this CD which I was looking for in Japan.
Thank you so much.