Among the mature works, the highlights include Op. 20, Op. 64, and Op. 76, all given intelligent, warm, lively interpretations. In Op. 33, the group misses something of Haydn's humor. Witness, for example, the silly pizzicato plonk that ends the G major Quartet's melodramatic slow movement, here taken at a serious piano instead of forte as indicated. In Op. 73/74, like many other groups (notably the Tatrai), these players tend to underplay the music's orchestral qualities--those grand gestures in some of the first movements and finales. Still, if you're looking for a convenient way to acquire these literally epochal works in consistently attractive performances at an equally reasonable price, you can't go wrong here. It's all worth noting that the booklet, which includes the notes to Naxos' companion sets of concertos, symphonies, and piano works, offers quite a bonus.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com