Search - Haydn, Quatuor Mosaiques :: Haydn: Trois Quatuors (3 String Quartets)

Like a Perfect Cup of Coffee!

Dale Chapman | San Ramon, CA USA | 11/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These performances served as my introduction to Haydn's opus 20 quartets, so I have no benchmark recording to compare them with. However, these performances are so spectacular that I will probably never feel the need to look further. The ensemble playing is both sharp as a razor and as warm & comfortable as your favorite chair, dependent upon the passage being navigated. The playing works wonderfully if the listener focuses on the individual parts or the overall shape & structure of the ensemble.My personal favorite among this batch of quartets is number 2. The Mosaiques tackle the 'Fuga a 4tro Soggetti' as if their brains were were sparkling on caffeine and their dextrous fingers leap for joy as if they had just fallen in love.I prefer these quartets to the more popular opus 33. In opus 20 we get two quartets in a minor key, and even the major key pieces have a darker, more conflict-ridden appeal. Of course, with Haydn this element of angst and melancholy is never self-indulgent, and is beautifully contextualized by moods of glee, harmony, and wonder.Fabulous, fabulous recording."